National champs crowned in three amateur competitions

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Aug 7, 2016

The Michigan Bucks and AFC Cleveland both had to come from behind twice to win championships in the PDL and NPSL, respectively. Maryland's Christos FC needed two goals in the first eight minutes of overtime to capture the USASA's Amateur Cup.

PDL. The Michigan Bucks won their third PDL title with a 3-2 comeback win over Calgary Foothills FC in Saturday's championship at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas. The University of Buffalo's Russell Cicerone led the comeback with two goals and an assist on David Goldsmith's game-tying goal for the Bucks, who twice came back from behind after Nico Pasquotti and Dominic Russo scored for Foothills FC. Cicerone's penalty kick in the 88th minute broke the 2-2 tie.

PDL: 2016 Awards & All-League

NPSL. AFC Cleveland won its first NPSL championship with a 4-2 win over Sonoma County Sol FC in front of a sellout crowd of 2,205 at Stan Skoczen Stadium in Independence, Ohio. Like the Bucks, AFC Cleveland had to twice come back on goals by veteran Vinny Bell before it took the lead for good. Antonio Manfut gave Cleveland a 3-2 edge in the 87th minute, while Ryder Bell added a fourth goal in stoppage time. Taylor Varnadore  scored both goals for the Sol, which was making its fourth appearance in a national title game.

Photo: Richard Kruszynski/NPSL.com

USASA. Maryland's Christos FC captured the USASA's Amateur Cup with a 2-0 win over the Bavarian Majors on two goals in the first eight minutes of the first overtime period. A week before, Christos FC won the USASA's Werner Fricker Cup  -- the USASA Open Cup -- with an 8-1 win over Obilic Legends from Illinois.