It didn’t come easy for Owensboro United U17, finding themselves trailing in each of their final two games of the 2026 National League Cup – yet when they needed someone to step up – the call was answered.
Trailing 3-1 in the semifinals, Peter Mbayo helped finish off the rally – drilling the game winner to beat the buzzer in a 4-3 shocking win over PDA Vistula (N.J.). 24 hours later, Owensboro United continued their late game magic, recovering from a 3-2 deficit in the final game to draw with CESA Pachuca (S.C.) to secure the 2026 National League Cup Championship.
“It was a really gutsy. Not only in the final game, but the day before,” Head Coach Nikos Agisilaou said. “They were down in both games and it kind of really showed what they were made of.”
Mbayo’s heroics extended through the entire National League Cup playoffs – highlighted by his four goal performance in their 4-1 win over HFC Thunder (Miss.) in the opener. Mbayo finished the season third on the team in goals with 23 and second in assists with 12.
Jaden Sandria led the team in goals (25) and assists (24), Henri Acreman-Nyamwala finished right behind him with 24 goals, and Harrison DiProssimo-Dunaway recorded four shutouts in net.
Primarily consisting of kids born in 2009, the core has played with each other for almost a decade, dating back to before the merger with Sports Tutor. Agisilaou took over as head coach three years ago, helping them win a State Championship and their first-ever National League Cup title over that span.
Owensboro United’s roster consists of kids from all over Kentucky, including Apollo, Daviess County, Owensboro, Tell City, Henderson County, Ohio County, Madisonville, and Louisville.
“That’s another cool thing about it. We have a wide range of kids from a lot of places,” Agisilaou said. “We also had some kids not able to play in the National Tournament, so we had some replacements.”
Entering the season, Agisilaou and Owensboro United had two goals on their mind – a State Championship and winning the Great Lakes Conference. Their State Championship aspirations were dashed for a second straight year in the title game, a 2-1 loss to Lexington Sporting Club.
In the Great Lakes Conference play, Owensboro United won the league after finishing 5-0-2, punching their ticket to the NL Cup Northwest Playoffs. Located in Utah, Owensboro United continued their trend of perfection, finishing 3-0 and advancing to the NL Cup Finals in St. Louis. The finals were a single round robin, with Owensboro United finishing 2-0-1 and securing the title with seven points.
“I am just really proud of the group and what they have accomplished,” Agisilaou said. “Not just this year, but throughout.”
