This past weekend, Charlotte FC's U-15 and U-17 academy teams participated in the Generation Adidas Cup qualifiers at the MLS NEXT Fest held at Silver Lakes Sports Complex in Norco, California. The five-day event featured all of the MLS Academy U15 and U17 teams, as they competed for seedings for the Generation adidas Cup finals next April.
U-15
The U-15s were placed in a highly competitive group with the FC Dallas, Seattle Sounders, and Toronto FC academies. They finished top of their group winning every game despite being down to 10 men in the games against Toronto FC and FC Dallas.
U15 vs Toronto FC 2 - 1
U15 vs Seattle Sounders 2 - 1
U15 vs FC Dallas 3 - 0
U-17
The U-17s also topped their group with a perfect record of three wins and no losses. Their group consisted of the New England Revolution, Houston Dynamo, and Colorado Rapids.
U17 vs Colorado Rapids 3 - 1
U17 vs New England Revolution 1 - 0
U17 vs Houston Dynamo 3 – 1
“This weekend was a fantastic learning experience for our Academy players. It gave them the opportunity to challenge themselves against some of the most established Academies in the country and play in a pressured, competitive environment," said Academy Manager, Dan Lock. "The event was a great end to 2021, and we want to thank everyone at MLS Next for providing such a professional, competitive platform for our teams to play in.”
Generation Adidas Cup
The Generation Adidas Cup Qualifiers portion of MLS Next Fest, featured all MLS Academies across the U15 and U17 age divisions, competing for seeding in next year’s Generation Adidas Cup.
Generation Adidas Cup is North America’s elite tournament that in the past featured 40 of the top academies from 11 countries, normally held in April in Frisco, Texas. This is an opportunity for academy players to compete against some of the best young talent in the world.
The stakes were high and both Academy teams rose to the occasion in similar fashion. The Academy's stellar performances in the Generation Adidas Cup Qualifiers will give them higher seeding to help boost their chances in making a deep run in the Generation Adidas Cup in April, 2022.
