T ABLEOFCONTENTSDECEMBER2025
F E A T UR E S Ne wY or kL i f eJoi nsF l or i da ’ sCommuni t ySpot l i ght Ev e nt . . .
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Q&Awi t hNCSt a t e ’ sDona v a nPhi l l i p. . .
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Ja nua r yWi nt e r Ev e nt Sc he dul e . . .
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L i l l yRe a l eWi nsNWSLRook i eof t heY e a r . . .
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TOPSoc c e r I nt e gr a t e swi t hUni fie dPl a y e r sonL ongI s l a nd. . .
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Sout hCa r ol i naHos t sF i r s t Spa ni s hDCour s e . . .
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LATESTNEWS goal swi ngames. I t ’ sf unst oppi nggoal s, buti f youhavenooneupt opscor i ng, t henyou’ r ej ust dr awi nggames. Af t erawhi l e, It al kedt omy coach, whi chwasmymom att het i me. Iwasl i ke, ‘ Justt r ymeupt op. Letmepl ayont hewi ngand l etmegoscor egoal s. ’ Iusedt ot akegoal ki cks andki cki tboxt obox, soshefigur edImi ghtas wel l t r yt ogohi ti ti nt hegoal f r om upt her e.
+HI GHLI GHT Phi l l i pwasnamedt he2025ACC Offensi vePl ayeroft heYear
Ist ar t edwat chi ngl i t t l evi deosofLewandowski , Ronal doandNeymar . Ipr ogr essedt obei ngmor e st r i ker f ocused. Oneofmyf avor i t est r i ker si s [ Al exander ]I sakbecauseofhi smovementand t hewayhepl aysandadapt st obeatt her i ght spotatt her i ghtt i me. Il ookat[ Ol i vi er ]Gi r ouda l ot , t oo, becausehe’ ssogoodi nt heai randhas scor edsomespect acul argoal si nhi scar eer . I st ar t edf ocusi ngmor eont hoset ypeofst r i ker s becauseIknewIwasgoi ngt obemor eofan at t acki ngpl ayerwhocanr unbehi ndt he def ense. It r i edt oadj ustmygamet ot hat . When Iwas1 6or1 7, i tst uck. Iwasl i ke, ‘ OK. Thi si swhatIwantt odo. ’ If oundmysel fenj oyi ng socceratmypeak. Doyour ememberwhenyoufir stgotaf eel i ngt hatyoucoul dbeadomi nantor hi ghl evelgoalscor er ? Thespeci ficmomenti swhenIwasabout1 0or1 1pl ayi ngupi naU1 4t our namenti nSai nt Luci a. Iwaspl ayi ngasal ef tback, andIwast i edf ort hemostgoal si nt het our nament . Fr om t her e, It hought :‘ I fIcanscor egoal sf r om t hi sposi t i on, whati fIwaspushedal i t t l e hi gherasawi ngerorst r i ker ?I ’ dhavel i ket woort hr eet i mesmor egoal st hanIhavenow. ’ I twast hatmomentt hatIr eal i z edIcanscor egoal ssi nceIwasdoi ngi tf r om t heback l i ne. So, Iwant edt ot aket her i skandgoupt op. Pl us, st r i ker sar et hefir stl i neofdef ense, soIcoul dst i l l def endwhi l escor i nggoal s. It al kedt omymom, mycoachatt het i me, andaskedhert oputmeupt her e. Shesai d, ‘ goahead, ’ andt henIpushedupt opl ayont hewi ng. Thegoal sst ar t edr ol l i ngi n, andI
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LATESTNEWS st ar t edpl ayi ngmor ecent r al l y , whi chl edt omor egoal s. Ievent ual l ymovedi nt oacent r al st r i kerbymysel f , andIf oundal otofsuccess. That ’ swhenIknewIcoul ddot hi sand becomeal egi tst r i ker . How di dpl ayi ngi nt heNat i onalLeagueandgoi ngt oNat i onalLeagueevent s hel pyourdevel opmentandhel pwi t ht her ecr ui t i ngpr ocess? I thel pedmydevel opmental otbecausewewer epl ayi ngagai nstsomer eal l yqual i t y ki ds. WhenIst ar t edi nt heNat i onal Leaguef orBVB, Iwasal i t t l eshakyorner vous. I woul dgoi nt ot heshowcasesandt hosewoul df eel l i keourfinal s. I nt er msofr ecr ui t i ng, i tr eal l yhel pedme. Igotr ecr ui t edst r ai ghtf r om t heNat i onal League. Isi gnedf orOakl andr i ghtaf t erwewont hel eaguemyl astyear . Thecoachcame andwat chedt heent i r eevent , andIsi gnedr i ghtaf t ert hat . Ever yone’ sst or yi sal i t t l edi ffer ent . Af t erwor ki ngsol ongf orsomet hi ng, youfinal l yget i t . Andr i ghtaf t eryougeti t , yougetoffer edanoppor t uni t yt opl aycol l egesoccerata Di vi si onIschool . I tr eal l ymeantal ott omeatt hatpoi nt . Havi ngsomanyeyesonme openeddoor sf oral otofpl ayer sonmyt eam t ogetl ooks. I thel pedal otofmyol d t eammat est ogetr ecr ui t edbei ngar oundNat i onal Leaguedur i ngt hoseyear s. Looki ngbackatt hatt i me,doyouhaveaf avor i t ememor yofpl ayi ngi nt he Nat i onalLeagueoratt heUSYSNat i onalChampi onshi pswi t hBVB? Oh, Iwoul dsaymyf avor i t ememor ywaspl ayi ngagai nst , wel l t hey’ r eSpi r er i ghtnow, but wewer epl ayi ngagai nstPenni nei nt heNat i onal Leaguei nt heGr eatLakes. Thatwasmy f avor i t ememor y . Iwantt osayt hatgameended22, buti twasoneoft hemostf un gamesIeverpl ayedi nt hr oughoutmycar eer . Anot hermemor ywaswhenwepl ayedagai nstLi ber t yvi l l e. Theybeatus, 1 0, t oknockus outoft he2022Nat i onal Champi onshi ps, buti twasoneoft hemostel ect r i candexci t i ng gamest hr oughoutt heent i r echampi onshi ps, peopl ewer esayi ng. Theywentont hat yearandwon, soi twasoneoft hosebi t t er sweetmoment s. Wel ostt ot hem, butwe knewwegavet het eam t hatwont heNat i onal Champi onshi pt hebestr unf ort hei r money , andt heyt ol duswewer et hehar destt eam t heyeverf aced.
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LATESTNEWS Looki ngatwher eyou’ r eatnow,yout r ansf er r edf r om Oakl andt oNCSt at e,and you’ r ehavi nganamazi ngyear .What ’ si tl i ket obeakeypl ayerandapr i mar y goalscor erf oroneoft het opt eamsi nDi vi si onIcol l egesoccer ? I tmeansal ot . I fyout ol dmeI ’ dbei nt hi ssi t uat i ont woort hr eeyear sago, I ’ dpr obabl y l aughandbel i ke, ‘ t hat ’ snear l yi mpossi bl e. ’ I t ’ sseei ngal l t hehar dwor kandal l t hat effor tyouputi nt hr oughoutyourcar eerfinal l ypayi ngoff. Theyt r eatt hepl ayer sr i ghtanddoever yt hi ngi nt hei rpowert ol etyoubet hebest per sonyoucanbe. Youdon’ thavet opl ayscar ed. Youcant aker i sks. That ’ swhenIshi ne t hemost :whenIcangoi nandbet hebestver si onofmysel fandj ustenj oysoccerl i ke I ’ m backi nSai ntLuci apl ayi ngl i kewhenIwas8year sol d. Unt i l t oday , Ist i l l cannot bel i eveI ’ mi nt hatsi t uat i on. Theygi veyout het ool syouneed. I t ’ supt oyout oappl y your sel fandbei nt hatr i ghtmi ndset , andt henever yt hi ngel sef al l si npl ace. Whatar eyourgoal sf ort her estoft heseason,bot hi ndi vi dual l yandasa t eam? I ndi vi dual l y , mymai ngoal i st ohi tt hat20goal mar k. Especi al l ywi t ht hepost season, t o hi tt hat20mar ki smyi ndi vi dual goal . Asat eam, get t i ngt ot heACCTour namentfinal sandpastt heEl i t e8— sot ogett ot he final f ouroft heNCAATour nament . Ever yonewant st osayt hegoal i st owi nt henat i onal t i t l e, butIt hi nki fwegett ot hefinal f ourandputour sel vesi nt hatsi t uat i on, t heni t ’ s possi bl ewecandosomet hi ngspeci al . Nott ol ookt oof ari nt hef ut ur e,wher edoyouhopet oseeyour sel faf ew year s f r om now wi t hi nt hegameofsoccer ? Ihopet oseemysel fpl ayi ngpr of essi onal l ysomewher e. Mymai ngoal i st ost ar ti nMLS andgot oEur opef r om t her e. Iknowever yonedr eamst opl ayl i keEur opei mmedi at el y , butIal waysdr eamedofmycar eerst ar t i ngi nMLSi nt heU. S. andt henmovi ngon. I t ’ s get t i ngt hatpr osoccerexper i enceandt henmovi ngt oEur opewhenI ’ mr eady . ButIsee mysel fhopef ul l ymaki ngmydebuti nt hePr emi erLeagueandpl ayi ngi nt heChampi ons League. Last l y— anofffiel dquest i on.Youwer eont heACCAl l Academi ct eam l ast year .Whatar eyoust udyi ng? P . 8
FI NDYOUR EVENTPHOTOS
LATESTNEWS i nMesai neachr espect i veagegr oup. Foragegr oupsi nwhi chwi nt erevent secondpl acefini sher sadvancet oei t hert heNat i onal Champi onshi psorTheNat i onal LeagueCup, t hepost seasondest i nat i onf oreacht eam wi l l bedet er mi nedaf t ert he Januar y2026eventi sconcl udedandt i ebr eaker sar ecal cul at ed. Cl i ckher et ovi ewt he f ul l det ai l sf oradvancementcr i t er i awi t hi neachagegr oup.
Readmor eatTheNat i onal League. com
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FI NDAPROGRAM NEARYOU
ST ATEASSOCI ATI ON SPOTLI GHT “ Theexpansi onofourcoachi ngeducat i onoffer i ngsi si nt egr al t ot hegr owt hoft he game, ”sai dWal t erCl apt on, Execut i veDi r ect orofSout hCar ol i naYout hSoccer . “ We knowt hatt heHi spani ccommuni t yi shi ghl yact i veandpassi onat eaboutt hespor t , and wewantt opr ovi deoppor t uni t i esf ort hesecoachest oi mpr oveandcr eat eoppor t uni t i es f ort hepl ayer st heyi nst r uct . BI SAhasbeenanengagi ngandgr owi ngmembersi nce j oi ni ngSout hCar ol i naYout hSoccer , andwear et hr i l l edt opar t nerwi t ht hem, especi al l y t hr ougheducat i on. ”
Readmor eatSCYout hSoccer . com
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