“We are excited to be back at Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex, the great state of Florida and with the Florida Youth Soccer Association,” said David Messersmith, president of US Youth Soccer. “The event continues to grow in history and tradition and this year marks addition significance with anniversary’s for several of our heirlooms. These 48 teams have advanced to represent the top team from their state and region and we are all looking forward to another storied chapter in the history of US Youth Soccer.”

The 2005 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series is the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, providing approximately 129,000 players on 7,200 teams from US Youth Soccer’s 55 state associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.

The US Youth Soccer National Championships cap a yearlong series of competitions for boys and girls teams in multiple age groups as teams earn their way from the top team in their state to the regional championship tournaments. State Cup champions and selected wildcard teams in most age groups are eligible to compete in one of four US Youth Soccer Regional Championships. The champions in the under-14 through under-19 age group from each regional event converge to enjoy the nation’s top competition.

2005 marks a special year for the four teams in the Under-19 Boys age group at the US Youth Soccer National Championship as the National Champion will hoist the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest trophy in youth sport dating back to 1935 with the inaugural youth championships, on the 70th anniversary of the storied cup. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Under-19 Girls Ross Stewart Cup and 20th Anniversary of the Under-16 Girls Patricia L. Masotto Cup. The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (Under-19 Boys) in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 11 divisions to the National Championship tournament, most recently with the Under-14 and Under-15 Boys and Girls divisions in 2001 to create the series current format.

Below are the teams who have advanced to the 2005 US Youth Soccer National Championships. For the latest results and more visit http://Championships.USYouthSoccer.org.

About US Youth Soccer - US Youth Soccer-The Game for ALL Kids!® is the largest youth sports organization in the nation and largest member of the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer registers more than 3.2 million players annually, ages 5 to 19, in 55 member state associations. US Youth Soccer programs provide a fun, safe and healthy environment for players at every level of the game.