Breaking the Line: Live at ECNL Boys National Playoffs | Ep. 140
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What are the highlights of the ECNL Regional League champions and national playoffs?
Welcome to the July 1 edition of Breaking the Line, the ECNL podcast, featuring ECNL President and CEO Christian Labors and ECNL Vice President and Chief of Staff Doug Bracken. Coming to you from the amazing Del Mar, California Surf Sports Park, located just outside of San Diego, where the ECNL boys playoffs are going on, where the ECNL Boys Unit 18 champions will be crowned on July 1. As well as the North American Cup champion. Today, Christian and Doug have three wonderful guests: ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Cutney, as well as Ray Salvadurai, the ECNL director of Manhattan Soccer Club in New York, and also an ECNL board member, and Novi Merrick, a prominent youth sports executive who serves as the CEO of Florida Premier FC.
Before we get to all five of them, Let's take a couple minutes and go around the league on breaking the line and start with all the teams who have won Regional League championships. Last episode, we recognized the winners from the Regional League West and South events, and this week we'll highlight the winners from the Southeast, Central, and East. In the Southeast, congratulations to Charlotte SA for capturing the Regional League Southeast U1819 Championship and to Maddie Steele. For being named the most outstanding player. On the boys' side, Union 10 FC captured the title with Mauricio Valdez earning the most outstanding player honors. The Regional League Central saw Germantown Legends win the ECNL RL Girls Central UAT-19 Championship, and Peyton Biggs was named the Most Outstanding Player.
The ECNL RL Boys' Central U1819 Championship will be held Thursday. July 2nd, with four teams still vying for their spot in the final: Paysetter Soccer, Tennessee Soccer Club, Tennessee United, and Boreal FC. Finally, in the East, PWSI Courage earned the ECNL RL Boys East UAT 19 Championship with Lysander Diaz-Flores bringing home the most outstanding player honors and the ECNL RL Girls UAT-19 Championship. Headed home with FC Stars and most outstanding player went to Ava Mazafaro. Also being held at the RL Central event was the ECNL Girls UAT-19 National Finals, which set up a championship match between Michigan Hawks and MBLA. In the championship match, Addy Fife led the way for the Hawks scoring the game's first four goals as Michigan cruised to a 5-0 win.
The fourth national championship In the club's history at this level, her performance also earned her the most outstanding player award. East Now Boys is wrapping up its national playoffs right here in San Diego, and it has been an incredible week. Across all six age groups, every conference has at least two representatives competing in the round of 16, with the Southwest and Texas Conference leading the way with 17. One representative each from those conferences will battle in the UA. Championship match as Legends FC will take on Tulsa SC. Check the ECNL socials to see every team who made the round of 16 and those who will punch their ticket to the ECNL Boys National Finals in Richmond, Virginia. This has been Around the League.
Now let's get you out to a man who lives right here in this great San Diego area, the CEO and president of the ECNL, Christian Labors. Alright, well thank you.
Dean for that intro, even though you're not joining us. Yeah, he's off site. He's off site. He's like the voice that you hear in the ether. And it's in place of him. Oh once again we have Mr. Cutty.
Is he in place Jason here in place of Dean or I think the question would be if Dean was here, would Jason have the same chair or would he Yeah, he'd probably be down one chair.
I'm very happy with that introduction and happy to be here.
Well here we are in absolutely stunning Del Mar, California, uh small city in San Diego at one of, if not the nicest complex in the country. You have to say it's the nicest. I mean when you combine the ocean and the mile that way, the views of what's around the quality of the grass, it's hard to compete with it. I would say, in fairness to our friends, it's a crossfire in sixty eight Yeah. When you have 60 acres in the summer and you have Surf Sports Park here in San Diego in the summer, these are the two best facilities in the country in the summer to have postseason competition and we're uh really grateful to San Diego Surf for uh this facility and to Crossfire for use of their facility because it provides an unbelievable place on us.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the highlights of the ECNL Regional League champions and national playoffs?
0:00–11:26
2
How does ECNL Boys Commissioner Jason Kutney describe the playoff format and new championship structure?
11:26–21:57
3
What insights does Ray Selvadurai share about coaching, culture, and player development at Manhattan SC?
21:57–30:13
4
How does Novi Maric explain Florida Premier FC’s growth, community impact, and scholarship programs?
30:13–40:35
5
What changes were made to the ECNL boys competition format and why?
40:35–47:15
6
How do league leaders discuss the importance of culture, bravery, and competition in youth soccer?
47:15–59:32
7
What effect has the World Cup had on U.S. soccer culture and the ECNL’s outreach?
59:32–1:10:12
8
What is the “Bracken Brain Buster” and how do hosts decide soccer vs. football?
1:10:12–1:11:29
Speakers
6 identifiedMore from Breaking the Line: The ECNL Podcast
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Breaking the Line: Live at ECNL Girls National Playoffs and Finals | Ep. 141
Pitch Talk: Lessons from the 2026 World Cup and Some of Sport’s Sharpest Minds | Ep. 139
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