Everyone knows who the favorites are in each girls division

The Ramstein, Naples and AFNORTH girls soccer teams aren’t naïve. They’re aware everyone seeks to dethrone them.

The trio have had a stranglehold on the DODEA-Europe soccer scene. The Royals have won the last two Division I titles, Naples the last three Division II crowns and AFNORTH the previous two Division III trophies.

All three will try to continue their winning runs during the 2026 DODEA European soccer championships Monday through Thursday in the Kaiserslautern Military Community. The Royals, Wildcats and Lions enter as the top seeds in their respective divisions.

“There’s always a target on our backs,” Ramstein senior Ava Smith said. “Everybody wants to beat Ramstein, everyone roots against Ramstein.”

Each team’s reputation has been well earned.

The Royals and Lions haven’t lost a league match in more than two years. The Wildcats have dominated the mid-sized school tier the past three years, not dropping a single contest.

Instead of letting that pressure get to them, though, the teams use that as fuel.

“Because we have the reputation going on, we lean into it and it empowers us to do even better on the field,” Naples junior captain Sonja Gottlieb said.

AFNORTH captain Emery Koger said the team is focused on the journey.

“We have to live up to the last two titles, but also we’re just there to have fun and show off what we can do and hopefully get another title on top of that,” Koger said.

Ramstein may be unbeaten heading into the big-school tournament, played at Kaiserslautern High School through the semifinals and at Ramstein High School for the title match, but it will be pushed by a much stronger field this year.

Along with rival Stuttgart, a pair of up-and-comers – SHAPE and Vilseck – have made noise this season. The Spartans (3-1-3, 2-1-3) tied with the Royals (6-0-1, 5-0-1), Panthers (5-1-1, 4-1-1) and Falcons (3-3-1, 3-2-1) en route to the third seed.

The Spartans’ lone loss came against fifth-seeded Wiesbaden on March 21, further highlighting the division’s depth.

“Traditionally, the three through seven teams come in, figuring out which will be third or fourth,” SHAPE coach Chad Lucy said. “I think this year, that title is up for grabs.”

Of the potential usurpers, the second-seeded Panthers tasted glory most recently. They claimed the European crown in 2023, a year after both Stuttgart and Ramstein shared the title.

Stuttgart senior Regan Stewart, the only player still in the program since its last championship, said her teammates are itching to end the drought.

“We’re just ready to win and bring it back home,” she said. “It’s something that we have been waiting for, for a long time.”

Despite elevating themselves into contender status, SHAPE’s Olivia Penry said the Spartans still consider themselves dark horses heading into the tournament.

And that role suits them just fine.

“We’re used to being the underdogs,” the junior midfielder said. “We already were given everything that we need. We just have to believe within ourselves.”

A lot has changed for the Wildcats this spring.

Most of roster responsible for their dynasty is gone. A new coach, Jennifer Shannon, also took over the reins, bringing with her new ideas.

Yet Naples hasn’t missed a beat once the season began. The players connected quickly, senior captain Noya Dillard said.

“(During) fall and winter, we’ve also done sports together. That’s a really big contribution to us having chemistry on and off the field,” she said.

A highly motivated Division II will test that chemistry.

American Overseas School of Rome (6-2, 6-2) has proven itself worthy with only a pair of 2-1 losses to the Naples and Vicenza blemishing its season.

Speaking of the Cougars (4-1-2, 4-1-2), they dropped just one match all season – 1-0 to the top seed. They have been knocking on the door the past couple of seasons.

And teams cannot sleep on Black Forest Academy (3-2-1, 0-0-1), which held its own facing mostly Division I opponents and drew at Vicenza in the regular-season finale. The Falcons lost to Naples in the championship match a year ago.

Gottlieb has seen it play out time and time again during the regular season: Opponents get up for whenever they face Naples.

That will be no different on the field at VfB Reichenbach 1921 in Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany, through the semifinals and at Ramstein High School for the title match.

“You can see it on the field, how they fight for every ball and how they fight in every 1-on-1 match and the way their coaches try to get them hyped and they get themselves hyped to play against us,” Gottlieb said.

These Lions see the 2026 tournament as their last hurrah.

Seven seniors and numerous others who have played key roles are leaving. Koger pointed to that as the main motivation ahead of the round-robin at the sport facility Am Rotherborn in Landstuhl, Germany, and Ramstein High School for the final.

“We’re really just out there having fun on the field, laughing, smiling,” the AFNORTH junior said. “We really don’t focus on negatives.

“We’re just enjoying our last moments together as a team.”

Not that the other three teams – Spangdahlem, Brussels and Ansbach – are going to let the Lions waltz to the title. The Sentinels already have proven they can hang with the two-time defending champions. The top two seeds tied 2-2 on March 21.

Koger said AFNORTH knows what it takes to bring home a trophy, and that could make all the difference.

“A championship doesn’t come from one person shining. It comes from everybody working together, communication on the field, communication at the hotel talking about what we can do better, looking at film,” Koger said.