For 1,656 teams all across the state, the U9-U13 NorCal Premier Soccer State Cup action is beginning to heat up, with most of it culminating in the next few months at different NorCal-hosted sites in Northern California.

By the end of the week, most teams will have played the second of three group matchups, with all age groups completing the group stage by the middle of October.

“NorCal’s State Cup consists of multiple divisions in the U9-U13 age group from the top State Cup division to the Bronze division, recognizing the success of the teams at the level that they’re playing,” said U9-U13 State Cup Coordinator John Stoppelmann. “The competition is modeled after the Champions League and Europa League formats, providing multiple games under similar competition, where ultimately one team will raise the trophy from their particular division.”

Following the conclusion of the Group Stage, NorCal-hosted play begins, starting with the U9 division’s round 2 and quarterfinal matchups. A record number of teams, 108, are participating in the U9 girls division this year and they’ll join the U9 boys on October 22 and 23 at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex, Granite Regional Park in Sacramento, and Mistlin Sports Complex in Ripon to contest these rounds.

Two weeks later, on November 5 and 6, the U10 age groups will compete in the same stages of the competition at the same locations as well as in Lathrop.

The finals for both the U9 and U10 divisions are set for November 12 and 13 at River Islands Soccer Complex in Lathrop and Mistlin.

Shifting over to the older age groups, squads in the U11-U13 Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels will contest a team-hosted Round of 32 matchup on November 6 before the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals on the boys side take place on November 12 and 13 at Fallon Sports Park in Dublin, Turlock Sports Complex, or Mistlin. The girls will contest the same rounds at the same locations on December 3 and 4.

Davis Legacy will play host to the U11-U13 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Finals on December 10 and 11.

Meanwhile, the U11-U13 State and Premier knockout stages will take place in the new year, with the girls kicking off the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals on January 21 and 22. The following weekend of January 28 and 29 will see the boys Round of 16 and Quarterfinals. The location for both weekends will be announced in the near future.

Finally, Mary Grogan Park in Modesto will play host to the U11-U13 State and Premier Semifinals and Finals on February 4 and 5.