FUTURE STARS OF MLS: 2016 GENERATION ADIDAS CUP

17 MLS Academy Teams and 11 International Clubs Kick Off Tournament

MLSsoccer.com to live stream select games, including the Generation adidas Cup final

Republished News from MLS – Major League Soccer announced the details for the 2015-16 Generation adidas Cup hosted by FC Dallas. The week-long elite youth competition featuring MLS and top international youth academies will kick off on March 18 at the Toyota Soccer Center at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Select matches, including the Cup semifinals and final, will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com.

The future of MLS Homegrown talent will be on display this week, as 17 MLS Academy teams will participate in the U-17 competition, in addition to 11 premier international clubs – the most ever to partake in the Generation adidas Cup since their inclusion in 2013. Representing some of the most accomplished clubs on the world stage, this year’s participants include Mexican giants C.F. Monterrey, C.D. Guadalajara and Pumas UNAM, Argentine powerhouse River Plate and Spanish forces Valencia CF and Villarreal CF, as well as Qatar’s Aspire Academy, Chile’s Club Universidad de Chile, Brazil’s C.A. Paranaense and Japan’s FC Tokyo. Rounding out the international contingent is the Mexican U-17 National team, which marks the first time a national squad has competed in the tournament.

“The Generation adidas Cup is a world-class competition that offers MLS Academy teams the opportunity to compete against some of the most talented youth players and established clubs in the world. Every year, the level of the competition continues to rise and provides a platform in which to display and evaluate the growth of MLS’ youth development system across North America,” said Alfonso Mondelo, MLS Technical Director of Competition.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, D.C. United has won the title a record three times (2007, 2009, 2010), while Real Salt Lake (2008), LA Galaxy (2011) and Philadelphia Union (2012) have each won once. International clubs have taken home the top prize the last two years, with the English Premier League’s Stoke City winning in 2013 and Argentina’s River Plate claiming the title in 2014.

Tournament play began with three regional tournaments (East, Central and West) featuring U-17 academy teams from nearly all 20 MLS clubs. Each team competed in two regional qualifying events from August 2015 to February 2016, with the top three finishers in each region advancing to the Champions Division of the GA Cup finals and sorted into the following three groups:

Champions Division

The remaining MLS Academy teams will compete in the Premier Division, consisting of the following four groups:

Premier Division

“adidas is thrilled to once again partner with Major League Soccer for the Generation adidas Cup. Mirroring the league’s rapid rise to international prominence, the Generation adidas Cup has quickly established itself as one of the best youth tournaments in the world. We’re excited to welcome a new group of top domestic and international players to Generation adidas. We have no doubt that they will prove themselves to be creators on and off the field for years to come,” said Zola Short of adidas America, Senior Manager Sports Marketing Soccer.

The 2016 Generation adidas Cup will also deliver the first MLS Academy action for future expansion clubs Atlanta United – which is set to join the league in 2017 – and LAFC, as both teams will field U-12 Academy sides in the second annual U-12 tournament.

Generation adidas group play begins on Friday, March 18 with the tournament final set for Saturday, March 26. A full Generation adidas Cup competition and live stream schedule, and further information on the tournament can be found here.

Source: MLS Soccer (www.MLSsoccer.com)