Sporting Springfield ‘06 Boys Capture US Club Soccer National Title
Sporting Springfield ’06 Boys Athletico Madrid won the US Club Soccer U17 National Cup title July 19, making history as the club’s first-ever National Championship winners.
Led by Head Coach Josh Lewis-Evans, the group from Sporting Springfield defeated fellow Sporting KC Academy Affiliate Sporting Iowa for the U17 Boys Super Division National Championship title – the most competitive division offered by US Club Soccer.
After a tightly contested first half where each side struck once, Sporting Springfield centerback Jack Brinkman connected with a corner kick played in by teammate Isaac Chandler, heading it home to give Springfield the lead. The momentum shift eventually led to two additional goals, sealing a 4-1 championship victory.
“I’m so proud of the boys. Every single guy out there bought into what we as a group wanted to achieve, and wanted to fight for the guy next to them, the guy in front of them,” Coach Lewis-Evans said.
“There are so many challenges and pressures that come with playing in a knockout football atmosphere, so this really is a testament to the hard work of the group, as well as to everyone else in our organization.”
Sporting Springfield’s path to the championship saw them score nine goals and collect nine points to top their group, with wins against STA Morris United (NJ), Eagles SC (CA), and Cabosa Shreveport United (LA). The squad then went on to pick up a 2-1 win over Pateadores SC (CA) to advance to the final.
US Club Soccer’s 2023 National Cup Finals were held at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver July 15-22.
Teams from all over the country qualify to compete at the National Cup Finals through a series of Regional and State Cup competitions through US Club Soccer.
Sporting Springfield secured a place in this year’s National Cup Finals after going undefeated through the South Central Regional round in Tulsa, Oklahoma June 9-12, collecting seven points to top their group and outscoring opponents 9-3.
“[The final] was almost a representation of how the season went as a whole,” Lewis-Evans said. “After the halfway point we went through a shift and didn’t lose a game the entire second half of our season.”
Based in Springfield, Missouri, Sporting Springfield has been a part of the Sporting KC Youth Academy Affiliate program since 2016 and provides opportunities at various competitive levels for over 600 players, from 3-19 years old in Southwest Missouri.
“The group represents the epitome of our club’s mission: to develop elite competitors on and off the field,” Sporting Springfield Executive Director of Coaching Eric Sorlie said. “They were the first to knock down the door of a national championship title and will set an example for the teams and players to come in Springfield.”
This is the second National Title win by an Academy Affiliate club in the past two years, after Sporting Blue Valley captured the U19 Boys US Youth Soccer National Championship in 2022.
“Being part of the Academy Affiliate program has helped tremendously in our success — from the resources provided to our coaches and staff to the opportunities for players — we wouldn’t have been able to get where we are as fast as we have without being involved with Sporting,” Sorlie said.
“This group specifically has been with the club and together for one of the longest so they’ve had a lot of experience with things like playing against the Academy, playing in SDL (Sporting Development League), and it really shows that those benefits are paying off for our players and our club.”
Established in 2011, the SKC Youth Academy Affiliate program has grown to include 15 youth soccer clubs across seven states. The Academy Affiliate program offers player development pathway opportunities, coaching education, specialized events and experiences and unparalleled access to the professional club to players of all ages and skill levels.
Sporting Springfield ’06 Boys Roster:
#0 Caden Hillwick
#3 Dalton Anderson
#4 Alexander Williams
#5 Jack Brinkman
#6 Isaac Chandler
#8 Davis Cowger
#9 Rian Mulherin
#10 Welle Welle
#11 Caleb Lepant
#12 Seira Fowler
#13 Liam Olson
#15 Phineas Scott
#20 Silas Laytham
#21 Adam Badr
#23 Tyrell Phinn
#33 Dane Prost
#40 Connor Cummings
Head Coach: Josh Lewis-Evans
Assistant Coach: Eric Sorlie
Assistant Coach: Gerard Barbero
Assistant Coach: Jordan Valentine
Assistant Coach: Logan Favreau
To learn more about the Academy Affiliate program, visit SportingKCYouth.com/AcademyAffiliates or contact Jamie.MacGregor@sportingkc.com.