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Youth/High School Soccer

Philadelphia SC Coppa Rage wins U.S. Youth Soccer national championship in convincing fashion

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Philadelphia SC Coppa Rage accomplished a year-long goal to not only get back to the U.S. Youth Soccer national final but win it all with a 5-0 win over Tonka United Sunday morning in the U17 girls final.

Emma Levin scored 35 seconds into the game when she was played down the left flank with a pass from Gianna Rivera and beat the keeper near post from distance. Taylor Mays and Rivera added goals before halftime to make it 3-0 at the break.

The second half saw more impressive offense from the Philly team when, after a save by by Samantha Riddler, Rivera added a second and Maura Day scored her second Olimpico of the week to round out the scoring.

Rivera had a bid for a hat trick denied by a penalty saved by the Tonka United keeper but there was little doubt that Coppa Rage was going to win it all a year after falling in the national final as U16s last summer.

The team also made some Philly soccer history in the process, becoming the first girls team from the city of Philadelphia to win a U.S. Youth Soccer national title and the first of any team since Lighthouse boys won the U19 championship in 1967. They became the 20th team from Eastern Pennsylvania to win a U.S. Youth Soccer national championship.

Penn FC Youth Lightning 2004 girls were in position to make it 21 for Eastern Pa. playing in their second straight final Sunday morning. But the Central PA team were unable to stage a comeback after falling behind in the second half and lost 3-0 to Illinois club Galaxy SC in their attempt to win back-to-back national titles.

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now / Brotherly Game. He's covered soccer at all levels for many years in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

Copyright © 2024 Philadelphia Soccer Now and Brotherly Game

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