Former Columbus East player Boston Ely, left, and Columbus North graduate Christian Cardoso play for the Alliance XI team that will play in the US Youth Soccer National Championships next week in Orlando, Florida.
Christian Cardoso and his 2006-07 Alliance XI soccer team knew when it went to California in May for a tournament that it would need to win its first game to earn a spot in the US Youth Soccer National Championships.
The Alliance scored a goal in the final minute to pull out a 4-3 win over a team from Florida before falling to a team from Chicago in the semifinals. Those teams could see each other again next week at the nationals in Orlando, Florida.
“Going into that trip, we knew we had to win that first game to advance,” Cardoso said. “That’s the best we played. After that, it relieved stress on our shoulders.”
Cardoso, a 2024 Columbus North graduate and rising sophomore at IU Columbus, is one of two Columbus natives on the roster made up mostly of players from Bloomington and Center Grove. Boston Ely played his first three years at Columbus East before playing his final season at Bloomington South.
Cardoso plays the attacking center midfield spot for Alliance, which is coached by Indiana University assistant Tanner Thompson.
“Everyone can score, and everyone has the ability to defend and play everywhere,” Cardoso said. “It’s not just me. Everybody has a lot of goals and assists, and that’s what’s really good about the team.”
Columbus North graduate Christian Cardoso plays for the Alliance XI team that will play in the US Youth Soccer National Championships next week in Orlando, Florida.
This is the first time an Alliance team has qualified for the US Youth Soccer National Championships in club history. It will be one of 16 teams playing in four four-team pools in the tournament that begins Tuesday and continues through July 27.
“I’m pretty confident that we can get it done,” Cardoso said. “There were a lot of people that were injured or hurt, but I’m pretty sure we’ll have all the guys there at nationals. It will be a good experience. It will be my first time. It will be the first time for the guys from Bloomington and Center Grove.”
Not long after he returns from nationals, Cardoso will begin his sophomore season with IUC.
“I’m pretty stoked about that, as well,” Cardoso said.
Cardoso scored two goals and tied for the team lead with five assists last fall, when the Crimson Pride went 4-11-2.
“I would say it was a growing season for sure,” Cardoso said. “We started out hot. We won our preseason games and our first two games of the season. We had some ups and downs, but you have to come back stronger. It was a pretty good season to learn and grow, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to come back stronger this year.”
