Brandon FC U17 Team Eyes National Title After Taking Super League Crown

Brandon FC’s U17 girls soccer team is heading to a national tournament after a perfect 8-0 season in which they were crowned champions of the United Soccer League’s Super Y League Southeast Division.

Brandon topped teams from all over Florida and Georgia to win the title. They are now planning a trip to Washington, D.C., later this year, where they will face the best youth soccer teams from across the U.S. and Canada.

“The girls won the title in a very good quality league featuring the best youth soccer clubs in the state,” said team coach Randy Belli.

The Super Y League Southeast Division features seven teams from Florida and Georgia and runs from May to August, giving young players the chance to compete during the summer when most soccer programs go on hiatus.

Team spirit, hard work, natural skill and cohesion took the team to the title, Belli said.

“The majority of the team has been playing together on Brandon Soccer teams since they were 8 years old, and that helps set a standard for the team.”

It’s a high standard.

State finalists in the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup for the last three years, the girls also won the Disney Soccer Showcase Tournament last December, beating 15 teams from all over the country. The team also recently finished third in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League, the top-flight league for girls.

The team’s success also has college and national team coaches knocking at Belli’s door.

Karli Gutsche, a 15-year-old center back from Brandon, recently returned from an audition with the U.S. Youth Soccer National Pool. The event identifies young players with the potential for the U.S. national team.

“She’s a very high-level player with a lot of upside,” Belli said. We already have college coaches asking about her, and she is just entering Newsome High School.”

Gutsche is one to watch in the future, Belli said.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she made the national team. She has the physical tools and is always improving. It’s just a matter of time before she gets a youth national team call up.”

Defensive midfielder Jackie Simpson, 16, also looks destined to play in the top tier of soccer. The Newsome High student is already committed to the University of South Florida on a soccer scholarship.

“She’s the driving force of our team,” Belli said. “As the captain, she is a leader and she shows that with

A former Brandon FC player — he turned out for various teams for the club between ages 4 and 18 — Belli played and coached soccer in college. He’s now the director of girls coaching at the club.

“It’s been a great experience for me to give back something to the club that has given me so much," Belli said. "There was always somewhere there to help me develop, and now I can do that for others."

The rewards of teaching may not be as immediate as the rewards on the pitch as a player, but Belli relishes passing on the rudiments of the beautiful game to youngsters.

“It’s very rewarding when you practice with the team and pass on tactics and ideas and then you see them embrace what you are teaching.”