HARRISON, N.J. (January 5, 2015) – The New York Red Bulls Academy teams earned top spots in Top Drawer Soccer’s national rankings for January to cap off a successful 2014. The Under-13 and U-16 sides both finish atop their age groups nationally, while the U-14s and U-18s each earned the second spot.
According to Top Drawer Soccer, the rankings are primarily results-based, but league and championship competitions are also taken into account. Tournament results are also considered at a reduced value.
The U-18s finished atop the Atlantic Division with a 9-1-3 record, with their only loss coming in the final game of the USDA Showcase earlier this month in Florida. The team lost a 3-2 heartbreaker to another undefeated side, the Houston Dynamo. They took down two previously undefeated teams, the Indiana Fire academy and Vancouver Whitecaps U-18s in their first two games of the tournament.
The U-16s moved up to the top spot in their age group after finishing their Fall campaign with a 2-0-1 showing at the USDA showcase tournament. They also finished atop the Atlantic Division, with an 11-0-2 record for the season. They defeated rival Philadelphia Union academy, which previously held the top spot in the rankings, in mid-November, prior to the showcase tournament.
The U-14s claimed the second spot after a 10-0-2 Fall campaign in which they outscored their opponents 48-6. The U-13s also remained atop the national leaderboard after completing the Autumn half of their Northeast Pre-Academy League schedule with eight wins in eight games, including six shutouts.
The Academy teams will enjoy some well-deserved time off before the Spring portion of their schedule kicks off at the beginning of March.
The New York Red Bulls maintain one of the premier youth soccer development programs in the United States, committed to identifying and developing talent in the tri-state area. All five age groups, U-12s, 13s, 14s, 16s and 18s, are consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation, and Red Bulls players make regular appearances in U.S. Soccer Youth National Teams and NCAA Division I programs. For more information about Red Bulls academy and training programs, visit www.redbullsacademy.com/.
