Subject: Surf Cup 2025 (Youngers) — Who You Got? 🔥⚽

back in the day... until it all changed about 11 years ago, there were 8 teams invited to Surf Cup: 2 groups of 4 per age group. These were literally the top 7 teams in the country at each age group plus the Surf team in that age bracket. Only one flight per age group, and it was the real deal to play in Surf Cup. That is how this tournament became the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the US, and earned the right to say, "best of the best". Of course, nothing could be further from that anymore with 5 levels of play in each age bracket with 20 teams per flight. For the youngers, what is the most prestigious tournament nowadays? I'm thinking Premier Supercopa, but would love some opinions
 
davidnunez said:
back in the day... until it all changed about 11 years ago, there were 8 teams invited to Surf Cup: 2 groups of 4 per age group. These were literally the top 7 teams in the country at each age group plus the Surf team in that age bracket. Only one flight per age group, and it was the real deal to play in Surf Cup. That is how this tournament became the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the US, and earned the right to say, "best of the best". Of course, nothing could be further from that anymore with 5 levels of play in each age bracket with 20 teams per flight. For the youngers, what is the most prestigious tournament nowadays? I'm thinking Premier Supercopa, but would love some opinions
Click to expand...
My dd teams was the last one to win a real "Best of the Best" in 2015 and 2016. 100% spot on. We beat them all, Texas, VA, NoCal and WA. This was the Granddaddy of them all and greed and travel ball ruined it.
 
davidnunez said:
back in the day... until it all changed about 11 years ago, there were 8 teams invited to Surf Cup: 2 groups of 4 per age group. These were literally the top 7 teams in the country at each age group plus the Surf team in that age bracket. Only one flight per age group, and it was the real deal to play in Surf Cup. That is how this tournament became the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the US, and earned the right to say, "best of the best". Of course, nothing could be further from that anymore with 5 levels of play in each age bracket with 20 teams per flight. For the youngers, what is the most prestigious tournament nowadays? I'm thinking Premier Supercopa, but would love some opinions
Click to expand...
I fail to understand why more teams playing in lower tiers has anything to do with the top "best of the best" tier. Its still the top teams playing the top teams.

The one thing that I can see that's different is that Surf Cup is just one of many tournament options for clubs/teams. Top teams dont need to fly across the nation like they used to looking for competition. Theres more local high level competition so people dont travel as far to play them.

Also the big leagues MLSN GA ECNL are taking over the tournament stage with events like showcases. Which are just cheaply run tournaments where you dont get a plastic trophy for winning.
 
it's not the top teams anymore.. if there were an app back in the day, the best of the best would have teams typically all in the top 10. Now we have teams in the 300's. It's not even close
 
Carlsbad7 said:
I fail to understand why more teams playing in lower tiers has anything to do with the top "best of the best" tier. Its still the top teams playing the top teams.

The one thing that I can see that's different is that Surf Cup is just one of many tournament options for clubs/teams. Top teams dont need to fly across the nation like they used to looking for competition. Theres more local high level competition so people dont travel as far to play them.

Also the big leagues MLSN GA ECNL are taking over the tournament stage with events like showcases. Which are just cheaply run tournaments where you dont get a plastic trophy for winning.
Click to expand...
Money Talks

I dedicate this song to money 🤑 🤑 🤑 🤑 🤑 🤑

 
davidnunez said:
it's not the top teams anymore.. if there were an app back in the day, the best of the best would have teams typically all in the top 10. Now we have teams in the 300's. It's not even close
Click to expand...
Please show me where 300 level ranked teams are playing in the best of best level. The only one that I can see is New Mexico Rapids g12 GA. But there might be more going on with that team than meets the eye because they have to travel for every game. Which makes ranking harder to obtain. Or, someone slipped the tournamant director a couple of $100s ;-) which is how things used to get done.

I did find a couple of additional teams where @RandomSoccerFan listed the wrong ranking (usually the clubs 2nd team ranking is listed) which makes it seem like things are all over the place when they're not. Keeping everything straight with youngers is more difficult than olders because the teams are more fluid and still evolving.

Also once brackets go from 16 to 8 you'll get the top 10 ranked teams playing each other.
 
SuperSoccerStar said:
nevermind i see the breakout. Well it doesn't help when you have local top teams not participating because they are scared to lose.
Click to expand...
Now youre starting to see it. Socal ECNL has several top teams in league. What this means is Socal ECNL teams dont need to participate in tournaments like Surf Cup to play high level competition. Why risk the loss to a team outside of league when you dont have to.
 
Carlsbad7 said:
Why is CitySC Carlsbad g11 listed as 197 (nat rank)? When I look at the ranking app I see them as 39.

Wait, I see whats going on City SC as 2x top teams per age group. Usually they enter them a White and Blue. City SC Carlsbad g11 isnt listed as White so you used the Blue teams ranking.

CitySC Carlsbad g11 = playing in gold tier
CitySC Carlsbad g11 Blue = playing in bronze tier

I dont know why the team wasnt registered as "CitySC Carlsbad g11 White". But this makes a big difference. Instead of being last they would be middle of the pack.
Click to expand...

Here's the searching I was doing. The top "Carlsbad" team in the country is that #197 one. But if it really is the top City SC team registered, then yes, it would be midpack at 39.

pic 1.jpgpic 2.jpg
 
Carlsbad7 said:
I did find a couple of additional teams where @RandomSoccerFan listed the wrong ranking (usually the clubs 2nd team ranking is listed) which makes it seem like things are all over the place when they're not.
Click to expand...
If they exist, post 'em. If the names they registered with don't match the "actual" team, so be it - data is messy. If the name search for the team was incorrect and there is a better one I should have chosen instead - highlight it.

I don't expect that any of it will change much of the likely outcomes this weekend. The teams ranked near the top will end near the top. It's fun to root for the underdog - it's just that they are the underdog because of all of the results up until then...
 
RandomSoccerFan said:
If they exist, post 'em. If the names they registered with don't match the "actual" team, so be it - data is messy. If the name search for the team was incorrect and there is a better one I should have chosen instead - highlight it.

I don't expect that any of it will change much of the likely outcomes this weekend. The teams ranked near the top will end near the top. It's fun to root for the underdog - it's just that they are the underdog because of all of the results up until then...
Click to expand...
G13 Eastside FC g13 Red (ranked 339 but in best of the best?)

Might be the Eastside FC WA ECNL team (ranked 13) but with the wrong team name. Or maybe Surf Cup made a mistake. Or maybe its the top team players playing with the lower ranked team in some capacity. Whatever the reason a team ranked 339 doesnt make sense to be in best of the best tier.
 
Eastside needs to sort out their team names. Here's the Eastside teams as currently listed:

eastside.jpg

Here's the team name that they registered with Surf Cup:

Screenshot 2025-07-31 164632.png

It looks like they've renamed the "Red" team the ECNL team, and renamed the "White" team to the "Red" team:

eastside ecnl.jpgeastside red.jpg

So couple things - if this is incorrect, they need to sort it out and join the red 7/25 source back to the ECNL team. But if it's correct - they need to now register as the ECNL team going forward.

But yes - it sure seems like this team at Surf Cup should be the top ECNL one - ranked 13th Nationally in 2013G with a 44.39.
 
The coach and mgr registered with Surf Cup for Eastside Red, match the coach and mgr for Eastside ECNL (and not the coach and mgr for the current "Eastside Red" in SR), so it is very likely that this is the ECNL team. Additionally - the current "Red" team has only 1 new data source, and at that event they played like a 37 - 7 goals weaker than the ECNL, or "original" Red team.

Screenshot 2025-07-31 170052.png
 
Surf Cup is fun when you're younger. Once you hit U13 and older then tournaments are only good to maybe get ready for upcoming league. This year's older Surf Cup was same time as ECNL Finals. So either you're not getting the best teams or teams have wrapped up the season and have started their break or teams attending have kids who started their summer trips.
 
Im hearing that Surf 2011 got blasted by Socal Reds GA today 2-0 in Surf Cup.

Uh oh....

tenor.gif
 
Just to close the loop on the mystery teams.

- City SC Carlsbad 11g lost 1-3 to Pateadores ECNL 11g. There might be something odd about this team. Maybe it's really not the White team. This would explain the different name.

- NM Rapids Soccer Club - 2012 G GA tied 2-2 Santa Clara Sporting - 12G GA. So they probably are a little better than their ranking. But still bottom half of best of the best. Probably a coin flip by the tournament director about which bracket to put them in.

- Eastside FC - G13 Red won 5-0 over LAFC SO CAL - G2013 Pre ECNL. I guarantee this is their top ECNL team.
 
Carlsbad7 said:
Just to close the loop on the mystery teams.

- City SC Carlsbad 11g lost 1-3 to Pateadores ECNL 11g. There might be something odd about this team. Maybe it's really not the White team. This would explain the different name.

- NM Rapids Soccer Club - 2012 G GA tied 2-2 Santa Clara Sporting - 12G GA. So they probably are a little better than their ranking. But still bottom half of best of the best. Probably a coin flip by the tournament director about which bracket to put them in.

- Eastside FC - G13 Red won 5-0 over LAFC SO CAL - G2013 Pre ECNL. I guarantee this is their top ECNL team.
Click to expand...
What a mess with the best of the best. Back in the day, you had 8-16 teams in 2 or 4 groups. It was Texas, Virginia, Washington, NoCal and a few other states best teams. No confusion back when truly Surf Cup was the best of the best. Now you got best of the best from the rest who were not first best or even second best. Now Surf Cup has third best fourth best of the rest of the other's clubs third team. If you win third tier best of the best surf cup, you can just tell everyone your dd won surf cup and the club can post on their website Surf Cup Champ 2025. No need to say 4th tier champ.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top