DODEA European boys soccer’s Division II seems immune to the usual disruptive change that can take a team from first one season to last the next.

Naples and American Overseas School of Rome have contested the three title matches since the return from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats have gone 2-1 in the meetings, including an extra-time victory for the 2024 crown.

Whether they make it four straight meetings on May 22 during the DODEA European soccer championships in the Kaiserslautern Military Community remains to be seen, but with the talent on both rosters, teams in the mid-sized division face an uphill task to upset either the Wildcats or Falcons.

DODEA-Europe’s other two tiers, however, could see change a foot once again.

In Division I, last year’s two finalists, Ramstein and SHAPE, lost players who helped carry them such as the Royals’ Maxim Speed and the Spartans’ Santiago Torrente de la Pisa and Tycho Kluivert.

Even a team like Stuttgart could struggle to take advantage after losing the program’s top goal scorer.

Then, in Division III, defending champion AFNORTH lost more than 75% of its starters from last spring. Sigonella is looking to get back to the top after a down season, Ansbach is hungry following a second straight title-game defeat and Alconbury is lurking in the wings after a third-place finish in 2024.

The road to find out begins Thursday when Kaiserslautern hosts Ramstein and all will be decided when the European soccer scene descends on the heart of the Palatinate region of Germany on May 19-22.

Here’s a team-by-team look ahead of the season, based on responses from coaches:

Division I

Kaiserslautern

Longtime coach Enrique John is seeking improvement from his Raider squad, after finishing fourth in last year’s tournament.

To do so, the Raiders will bank on a mostly young squad. Gone is first-team All-Europe selection Aaron Zamor, but Kaiserslautern does bring back senior center back Isaac Phillips, who earned all-tournament honors in 2024.

Also coming back are central midfielder Ethan Miller, forward Nico Engeman and right back Gavin Cahanding.

Among the new additions expected to make their marks for the Raiders are forward Josh Otto and goalkeeper Finn Derby.

Lakenheath

The Lancers’ roster has experienced serious overturn from the team that went 5-7 and finished sixth in the tournament.

Still, coach Grant Severts described Lakenheath’s chemistry as “phenomenal,” and he expressed hope at building off that for the future.

Leading the way is captain Clay Christensen, who in his third year will man the central defensive midfield role. The front line also will have some experience in sophomore left winger Alex Davis, junior striker/right winger Jonas Ballesteros-Burkett and junior Joshua Suh, who along with playing striker can drop into the midfield.

The team’s other veteran is junior goalkeeper Matthew Vasquez.

The Lancers have 11 new players on the roster, almost evenly split between the grades.

Three – center backs Christopher Quintero Aizpurua and Benjamin Hall and left back Ayden Kunz – are seniors. Three – right winger Devin Jose, center back Gabriel Blanke and striker Daeshawn Miles – are juniors. Two – right back James Idems and central midfielder Chris Cabrera – are sophomores. And three – center midfielder Isaiah Diaz, left back Felix Ballesteros-Burkett and attacker Kimben Mallorca – are freshmen.

Ramstein

The Royals played their underdog role to perfection in 2024 en route to upsetting top seeds Stuttgart and SHAPE to win the Division I championship.

To repeat the feat this season, coach Dominik Ludes’ squad will have to do without many of the stars from that title-winning team. The chief among those was Speed, tournament MVP, first-team All-European and Stars and Stripes’ 2024 boys soccer Athlete of the Year.

Still, Ramstein has plenty of talent coming back. Striker Joseph Yost scored not even 30 seconds into the final against the Spartans, and the senior from Columbus, Ohio, will lead the line this spring. Mammoth senior Kelan Vaughn will be the rock in the center of the back line once again.

Kai Woodstock also brings back experience in the midfield.

A transfer from Lakenheath, Jovan Paucar figures to be in Ludes’ plans, as do freshman Keenan Griffith and junior Nathan Rachamim.

SHAPE

The Spartans came so close to glory last campaign, finishing in second place in both the regular season – to the Panthers – and in the tournament – to the Royals.

SHAPE took the latter loss hard, and the team lost some talent from that squad. Yet coach Erika Aquino said she has no doubt this spring’s team could contend for a title.

The Spartans have a good base in midfield and defense. In the center of the park, they boast the talent of senior Evan Aquino, named to All-Europe’s second team. The central midfielder assisted SHAPE’s lone goal in the final as the team unsuccessfully tried to claw back a two-goal deficit.

One of his midfield mates, senior Marcos Gomez, adds strength in that part of the park as well.

The back line is full of veterans, starting with senior Andrea Bosone and sophomore Tavin Cairney in the center. Senior Tymon Kaminski and junior Chase Lattemore will man the fullback slots, while sophomore George Vorris adds depth.

While freshman Owen Aquino will add to the defensive side of the midfield, junior Marten Muurisepp also will join the midfield and sophomore Panagiotis Vagenas will enter as goalkeeper, most newcomers are vying to fill the offensive voids.

Junior Alejandro Garcia Cerrada is stepping up from the JV squad to varsity as a striker, while fellow junior Wilson Stewart also will be jumping up. Sophomore Adrian Marugal will play on the wing, and fellow sophomore Luis Carvajal Rodriguez will add to the attack.

Stuttgart

The Panthers haven’t lost a regular-season match since the return from the COVID-19 pandemic, but they only have one championship in 2023 to show for that after losing on penalties to Ramstein in the semifinals last year.

Things will not be easy for Stuttgart this season after losing four All-European players in the program’s leading goal-scorer Itzak Sandoval, Ryan Stevenson and defenders Jaco Schudel and John Gilliland. Sandoval and Stevenson combined for 34 goals last campaign.

It’s easy to see why first-year head coach Mike Stevenson pointed to finding goal scorers and the back line as pivotal for the team’s success.

The good news: Cristian Ingle comes in as the team’s leading returning goal scorer. The junior attacker has championship pedigree after netting the winner against Wiesbaden in the 2023 championship match.

Senior Seth Harpuder steps into the starting lineup after backing up Sandoval last year. In midfield, junior Christian Groves and Maddox Boudreaux start for their third consecutive seasons.

Senior Hunter Leslie-Person anchors the defense at center back, while senior Caleb Fox and junior Zach Gelerter will split time between the sticks.

Stuttgart got a pair of transfers in center back Triston Miletich from Vicenza and senior Asher Baker from Bahrain.

Wiesbaden

The Warriors are hoping to recover from a disappointing 2024 campaign in which they finished fifth.

Coach Tariq Zangana has a pretty good mixture of veterans and new talent to do so.

Senior midfielder/defender Sean Heeter will take the captain’s armband. Jhon Colorado, a senior, will help in the back line, while fellow senior Joseph Santos can play both in defense and midfield.

Junior Jaden Ruiz and sophomore Preston Blake both will go in attack and midfield.

New to the team is sophomore transfer Jonathan Idowu. The forward moved from Hohenfels and will be looking to make the same impact for the Warriors as his brothers Jacob and Joel did on the basketball court.

Freshmen Jesse Rowe and Robert Milan could find themselves in defense, freshman Zachary Wigglesworth likely will be on the other end of the field and Cooper Zesiger is moving up from the JV squad to play goalkeeper.

Division II

AOSR

The Falcons are one of the powerhouses in the mid-sized division, especially during the seven years in which Giacomo Castelli has been in charge.

Not once has the team finished worse than third, and last year’s extra-time loss in the final ended a two-year unbeaten run.

AOSR is losing to wash the taste of defeat by taking back the European crown this season.

To do so, the Falcons have plenty of talent. Chief among them is all-tournament and second-team All-Europe selection Andrea Torelli, who as a junior made his mark at striker.

Also back are junior Owen Steelman at goalkeeper; senior Shai Gerard and juniors Cosmo Helbo Giulino and Manuel Tornaboni at center back; junior MengPeng Jiang at fullback; senior Riley Smith at center midfielder; senior Orlando Niolu, junior Rayan Ranieri and sophomore Pierpaolo Graziano at winger; and Amhed Hassan.

In the mix at goalkeeper are newcomers Tito Flavio Feliziani and Valerio Natali. Other rookies include Ian De Grenet, Zaiden El Kilani, Micah Gerard, Eduard Litovchenko, Leone Maggi, Micheal Makinuwa, Edoardo Navarra, Francesco Rugger, Iker Santos, Gabriele Urbinati and Federico Ghione.

Aviano

After two seasons of seventh-place finishes, coach Ian Birch said his team should be more competitive this campaign.

Aviano will bank on the play of senior midfielder Xavier Fox, who made the all-tournament team and All-Europe’s second team. Joining him in the midfield is fellow senior returner Alan Clark, while senior Wyatt McGowen will hold down the defense.

Newcomers expected to make a splash are a pair of seniors – Mathias Canales Danino in midfield and Deon Walker in attack.

Black Forest Academy

The Falcons enter a rebuilding year after losing eight players from the squad that placed fifth in 2024. Coach Joe Batluck said the club will hope to give younger players the opportunity to grow.

BFA still has a good crop of upperclassmen to lead the way. Seniors Yannik Pillai, Jack Foster, Jack Cox, Micah McNees, Tim Sivonen and Nate Maddox and juniors Levi Chapman and Thomas Brady return.

New to the team are seniors Ilias Sultanov, Jong-in Park, Nathan Gray and Tomasso Marinucci; junior Hawon Park; and sophomores Dash Dockery, Asa Gable and Paul Son.

Naples

The Wildcats have their third different coach in three seasons as head coach Sue Fitzpatrick takes over a program that has made the championship match the past three years, winning two of them.

Fitzpatrick and her assistant coach and husband, Mike, inherit a squad with plenty of talent to make it three crowns in four attempts.

Jackson Shorey brings back his attacking threat after scoring the championship-winning goal in extra time on a free kick. The senior midfielder was named tournament MVP and to All-Europe’s second team.

Fellow senior midfielder Alessandro Vavra also scored in the final. Senior goalkeeper Joey Randazzo earned plaudits for his 2024 performance with a first-team All-European selection.

Other returners are seniors Camden Kasparek and Leishieh Morgan and juniors Landon Heavrin and Magnus Aul (whose also can play midfield) in defense; sophomore Michal Oleska in midfield; and junior Joshua Banks and sophomore Finn Stephens in attack. Andres Cromwell rounds out the veterans.

Naples adds to this roster with new players Jettyn Jones, Cololin and Marlin McCord, Terry Herbert, Hans van de Mortel and Rene Cortez.

Rota

Braddock McFarland takes over a program that has struggled in recent years with two consecutive last-place finishes and a winless 2024 campaign.

The coach described the team as young, and that may be an understatement. Only four on Rota’s roster are upperclassmen, and just one of them – center midfielder Zeppelin Hasselbring – is a senior.

Attacker Christian Smith and Leo Torres are two juniors coming back, while fellow junior Daniel Guido is new to the squad.

Sophomore Leo McFarland lined up in all three parts of the field last year, while sophomores Romero Johnson and David Jiminez Aguilar could play on opposite ends of the field at goalkeeper and forward. Eyasu Selam played fullback as a freshman.

New to the team are sophomores Brandon Luna, David Ortega and Cole Root; and freshmen Jose Camacho, Evan Cypers, Maddux Johnson, Gabe Parker, Aiden Rizzardini and Zac Van Slyke.

Division III

Alconbury

The Dragons enter their second season as a coed squad this spring, and they will be looking to build off a third-place finish last year.

Coach Leslie Atkins-Hash’s team has three all-tournament players back this year, beginning with senior alternate captain Aaron Dudley, who also was named first-team All-Europe as a midfielder. Captain Taye Vickerstaff will lead the back line at center back, while senior winger Sofia Politis adds attacking prowess.

Senior captain Leo Politis missed much of last year after a midseason injury, and he will step back into the midfield. Center back Luis Alejandro-Diez didn’t play in 2024 because of an injury and has recovered for his senior campaign.

Also back are seniors Anthony Sheehan (left back) and Jessica Bradley (keeper), junior Keiran Daley (striker) and sophomores Milena Andre and Isabella Minjarez (both wingers).

Senior Manuel Minjarez could be in line for time in net. Freshmen Nathan Lee, Max Politis, Owen Smith and Cameron Wingenroth add depth on the wings, and Kai Vickerstaff expects to hold the fort as a center defensive midfielder.

AFNORTH

The Lions won their first European since 2018 last season, but they may be hard-pressed to do so after losing nine players to graduation.

Coach Manuel Duarte has just two starters back – Santi Aponte and Rodrigo Mojeda.

Ansbach

The Cougars have fallen short at the last step the past two seasons. Coach Tracey Robertson and crew are hoping the third time is the charm.

Ansbach’s roster is chalk full of experience. An all-tournament and second-team All-European honoree, junior right winger Daymien Abitua creates a potent attack with senior left winger and captain Daeveon Browne, who also made the all-tournament squad.

Junior captain Lucas Rudy also was named all-tournament at center back and should anchor the back line again. Joining him in defense are juniors Ethan Serna, Kwace Jones, Sam Hanson (center back), and Orlando Roman (left back).

Sophomore Jack Lovallo slots at keeper, while junior Nathan Arreguin and senior Brodie Kohrs add a defensive bite to the midfield. Sophomore Chris Roman brings an attacking presence to the center of the field. Sophomore Rylan Ayat returns as an attacker.

Nine join the Cougars’ roster this year, highlighted by seniors Bobby Lovallo and Tate Wollenzien and junior Jaylon Donaldson. The rest – Jamie Berger, Josh Serna, Eli Schuettpelz, Lucas Hendrixson, Donovan Howard and Max Bacillio – are freshmen.

Baumholder

The Buccaneers faltered with a last-place finish in the tournament after a 4-5 record during the regular season.

A coed squad, coach Jeannette Rajkovacz called this group a “good mix” of seasoned and new players with nine returners and nine newcomers.

Returners Elijah Washington and Justin Anderson can line up either at goalkeeper or defense; Ashlyn Brech, Tochi Onubiyi, Keandre Anderson and Aziz Kurt will play in defense; and Eugene Lewis, Sam Senatus and Patrick Akar-Donkor head up the attack.

Baumholder rookies are Kalina Bowen, Jordan Buchanan, Victoria Buchanan, Kacis Hernandez,

Scarlett Rothenberger, Gideon Scott, Angel Taylor, Jonathan Zdunczyk and Gabbi Zdunczyk.

Brussels

Coach Andrew Langenstein finds himself with a young, inexperienced roster consisting of nine freshmen, or half the team.

Sure, the Brigands have six starters back for the 2025 campaign, but their leading scorer from the past two seasons is gone, as are four multi-season starters.

Leading the way for Brussels are a pair of juniors. Forward Tamaz Kapanadze scored seven goals in 2024, and winger Matt Rogers chipped in with two goals and three assists.

Sigonella

The Jaguars took a step back in 2024 following a pair of championships, placing fifth in the tournament.

Coach Andrew Caro sees 2025 as a bounce-back year.

Goalkeeper Lasse Nestler returns after being named all-tournament, and the team’s MVP and leading scorer Mikola Czerniezewski is expected to pace the attack once again, along with forward Jakub Prieski.

Nathan Hermansen and Bodhi McElree bring experience in midfield. Defensive stalwart Adrian Hernandez anchors the back line, joined by fellow returners Aiden Shapowska and William Thompson.

Caro pointed to Michael Torres and Gideon Tuesday as two key newcomers. He described Torres as an excellent defender and Tuesday as a promising midfielder.

Also new to the team are forwards Nathan Poole, Ryder Kirsch and Cristian Wilson and defender Braeden Fleming.

Spangdahlem

The Sentinels are a small squad of just 13, so coach Javier Graham is praying they avoid injuries.

Still, he won’t let that be an excuse. Spangdahlem has seven seniors and 10 returners from last year’s fourth-place team.

Among the returns are Troy and Caleb Truscott. Troy, a midfielder, is coming off an all-tournament performance, while Caleb will play a key role in defense.

Midfielders Isaiah Riley, a junior, and Xavian Appiah, a senior, are expected to take another step forward this year, and Malachi Taherimorvat moves into the forward line.

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