Seven local teams into the semifinals of U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships

PA Dominion FC 2004 boy’s quest to return to the national final is shaping up eerily similar to their run in 2019 when they fell to South Jersey club Real Jersey FC in the final.

Needing a win to book a spot in the semifinals, PA Dominion took an early lead but then needed to come back in the second half after falling behind 2-1. The game-winner ended up coming on a borderline penalty call when the keeper came off his line and collided with a PA Dominion player on a breakaway.

The win put them through as the second place team on six points and they’ll face Sparta United at 10 a.m. Saturday. Sparta won Bracket A with a 2-0 win over Real Jersey FC, which had won their first two matches 2-1.

Five other teams from the area booked spots in the national semifinals with results on the final day of group play in Florida on Wednesday.

Penn FC Lighting U17 girls came back from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1 and win their group with seven points and Keystone FC U18 girls made it three wins out of three to win their group.

Penn FC faces Los Angeles SC in the semifinal Saturday at 8 a.m. Keystone FC kicks off at 10 a.m. against Utah club Impact United.

Villanova Soccer Academy/1776 Centurian U14 boys won their second straight to advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face OC Surf North at 10 a.m. Philadelphia SC Coppa U16 girls also pulled off a similar feat, winning their second straight after an opening day loss to set up a Saturday semifinal against Broomfield SC at 8 a.m.

Real Jersey FC’s 2006 girls managed to squeak into the semifinal on the head-to-head tie breaker after falling 4-0 to Solar SC. They’ll face La Roca FC at 10 a.m. Saturday.