FC Dallas Central team includes kids from across the White Rock Lake area, pictured here with coach Daniel Rivas.

The FC Dallas Central team includes, first row, from left, Ryan Rivas (St. Thomas Aquinas), Mahey Mohammed (Grove Elementary, Wylie), Max Sabogal (St. Thomas Aquinas), Cooper McGough (Scofield Christian), Grady Norton (St. Thomas Aquinas), Andres Benitez (St. Thomas Aquinas). Second row, from left: Coach Daniel Rivas, Julian Polma (St. Thomas Aquinas), Marlowe Polma (St. Thomas Aquinas), Alex Briceno (Larry G. Smith), Noah McGough (Scofield Christian), Walker Teal (St. Thomas Aquinas), Adan Gonzalez (International Leadership of Texas, Garland).

The young soccer players of FC Dallas Central have potentially set a new record as the only neighborhood time to earn a spot in the SuperCopa Elite 24 National Championships, where they will play teams from all over the country.

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“In the competitive youth soccer space, it is rare and quite frankly has probably never happened that a team made up of mostly neighborhood kids has gone on to play at this level,” says coach Daniel Rivas.

The boys have been playing together for most of their young lives, beginning with the Lake Highlands Soccer Association’s Moss Park (fun fact: the team includes City Councilman Adam McGough’s two sons, Noah and Cooper). They are ranked as the top team competing in the tournament, which takes place June 3-5 at MoneyGram Soccer Park in northeast Dallas.