Portland To Face Academy Competition In Premier Division
The Portland Timbers U-16 Academy team was drawn into Group D in the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup Premier Division along with MLS Academy sides representing the Colorado Rapids, New England Revolution and Colombian club Independiente Medellin, as Major League Soccer unveiled the full schedule and group pairings for the prestigious week-long tournament in Frisco, Texas.
Portland (12-5-5, 41pts in league play) begins group play on Sunday, March 29, at 10 a.m. (Pacific) against Independiente Medellin. Continuing play in Group D, the Timbers U-16s face the New England Revolution on Monday, March 30, at 8 a.m. (Pacific) and Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, April 1, at 10 a.m. (Pacific). Each of the four group winners from the Premier Division advances to the semifinals, with the tournament concluding on April 4.
Tournament play began with three regional tournaments (East, Central and West) featuring teams from nearly all 20 MLS clubs. Each team competed in two regional qualifying events from August 2014 to February 2015, with the top three finishers in each region advancing to the Champions Division of the GA Cup finals. Portland, which finished fourth in the West regional group with a 2-1-2 record (8pts), was drawn into the Premier Division along with 10 other MLS Academy sides from the East, Central and West regional tournament, the Chivas USA youth academy and four international opponents.
Each match will consist of two, 35-minute halves with a 10-minute halftime break. Matches ending in a draw after regulation will be recorded as such with each team earning one point, but a penalty-kick shootout will be utilized to determine a winner, who will receive an additional point in the standings.
The Generation adidas Cup is an annual academy showcase now in its eighth year featuring the top MLS Academy teams as well as some of the best youth sides from around the world. Rostered players for the 2014-15 Generation adidas Cup must be born on or after Jan. 1, 1998.
All group pairings and schedules in the Champions Division and Premier Division can be found here.
Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers
