GSDad,
There are all kinds of reasons, some of them starting long before high school and some of them beyond the player's control, that could cause a student to turn 18 before August of their senior year. The young lady to whom I was referring has stayed on track throughout high school; it's not an issue of "couldn't finish HS on time." High school itself grants only four years of eligibility, beginning when a student first enters 9th grade. If the issue is that they can't finish HS in four years, they have no sports eligibility during the extra years.
Extending the club eligibility to players who still have HS eligibility in the spring but miss the age cutoff for U18 isn't "rewarding" them for not finishing HS on time; it's just ensuring that taking away sports isn't one of the many negative consequences that can follow.
The true U18s will still have an advantage in getting selected for teams, because coaches know that only the true U18s will be able to compete in State Cup. It wouldn't make sense to cut a true U18 in favor of a U19 who would have to be dropped from the roster before the State Cup roster freeze. I see this as an opportunity for teams with unused roster spots to give the U19s at least some soccer experience--albeit a reduced one--and help those with remaining eligibility get ready for their spring HS seasons. Under the current rules, it certainly can't be used to bring in "ringers" to win a state trophy.
And do you really think parents will hold their kids back academically just because they find out they can get an extra season of club ball in?
Seriously?