April 3 update
Philadelphia Union Academy's U15 squad went the distance in their Group Stage finale against Valencia C.F., claiming the top spot of the group with a 4-3 win from the penalty spot!
Henry Apaloo's side faced a tough challenge in their Group 6 finale, taking on a Valencia C.F. side that had momentum of their own after a 4-1 victory against Inter Miami CF the previous day. The sides would showcase great defensive talent, limiting each offense to just a handful of scoring chances where each starting keeper would prevent a goal.
When the final whistle rang out, the match remained scoreless with kicks from the penalty spot determining who would take the victory and all three points. Both sides traded goals in the early rounds and as the pressure intensified, the Union stayed calm and collected to earn a 4-3 victory and claim the top spot in the group.
April 2 update
Philadelphia Union Academy's U15 squad continued to roll in the Group Stage of the 2023 Generation adidas Cup with another 2-0 victory. Facing off against Sporting Kansas City on Sunday morning, the squad racked up its second-consecutive clean sheet to extend its lead in the standings with one match to play.
Nehan Hasan opened the scoring in the first half for the Boys in Blue, making a smooth finish to put visitors on the back foot. With the match still in the balance, Gabriel Wesseh doubled the Union lead for the insurance goal to propel the Union to a perfect 2-0-0 record in the Group Stage.
April 1 update
Philadelphia Union Academy's U15 squad opened its participation in the 2023 Generation adidas Cup in Florida with a 2-0 victory over Inter Miami CF on Saturday morning. Displaying brilliant defense, the U15s picked up the shutout in Union fashion with the offense getting an early lead from Anisse Saidi. With the opposition pushing for an equalizer, the Union's counter attack struck with Jordan Griffin doubling the Union's advantage for three points to open the Group Stage.
Philadelphia Union Academy is headed to the Sunshine State for the 2023 2023 Generation adidas Cup that will take place at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., starting on April 1st and running through April 9th.
The 2023 edition of the event will be a premier global youth tournament featuring representation from every MLS academy and renowned club academies from around the world. A record 49 different clubs from 12 countries and four continents will compete across the U-17 and U-15 tournament.
The U15s group stage features a pair of MLS Academies and then a marquee test against an international side. The event kicks off with the U15s facing off against MLS NEXT rival Inter Miami CF at 9AM ET on Saturday, April 1st. Just over a day later the U15s will square off against Sporting Kansas City at 10 a.m. ET before wrapping up the Group Stage with a battle against La Liga side Valencia C.F. on Monday, April 3rd at 5 p.m. ET.
Twenty-eight Generation adidas games, including championship matches in both divisions, will stream live on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app. These games will be available in more than 100 countries and regions. Additional Generation adidas Cup broadcast details, including the schedule of games featured, will be announced in advance of the tournament. MLS Season Pass marks the official kickoff of the 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple, a historic first for a major professional sports league.
12 players who appeared at previous Generation adidas Cups were on FIFA 2022 World Cup rosters, with eight on the U.S. Men’s National Team. Notable alumni include Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union/Leeds United), Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas/LAFC), Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls/Leeds United), and Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas). Additionally, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and Manchester City forward Julián Álvarez was the top scorer for River Plate (Argentina) when they won the U-17 age group in 2017.
Forty teams, divided into 10 groups of four, will compete in each of the two age divisions. MLS club seeding was determined by Generation adidas Cup Qualifiers at MLS NEXT Fest in December 2022. Each team will play three group matches to determine qualification for the knockout round. Sixteen teams will qualify for the winner’s side of the draw with winning teams advancing to play in a bracket-style elimination format. All teams competing in Generation adidas Cup are guaranteed to play seven 60-minute matches, comprised of two 30-minute halves.
After the conclusion of the tournament, awards will be presented in both age groups to the Generation adidas Cup Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer, as well as the Generation adidas Cup Best Goalkeeper presented by Allstate. The Generation adidas Cup Rising XI presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink will highlight the top performing MLS academy players from each position at the competition.
MLS NEXT Match Evaluator Program
At the 2023 Generation adidas Cup, MLS NEXT is collaborating with U.S. Soccer to lead a specialized Talent ID and Scouting pilot course which will be made available through the MLS NEXT Match Evaluator Program. Upon successful completion of this pilot course, MLS NEXT Match Evaluators will be issued a Level 2 US Soccer Talent Scout License. Launched in the summer of 2023, the MLS NEXT Match Evaluator Program has hosted former and current professional players who are interested in learning more about scouting and player analysis in the MLS NEXT landscape. Match Evaluators take part in education programming and are given scouting assignments at various MLS NEXT events.
Coaching Education Opportunities at Generation adidas Cup
Major League Soccer, in conjunction with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Coaching Education Department, will deliver two in-person coaching education opportunities at Generation adidas Cup. The MLS Coaching Education Development Pathway, led by U.S. Soccer Director of Coaching Education Didier Chambaron, will help to further educate nearly 60 MLS academy coaches who have the intention to become USSF coaching license educators in the future.
MLS will also provide additional development opportunities to coaches in the MLS NEXT community through Continuing Professional Development (C.P.D). These educational sessions will be led by MLS Vice President of Player Development Fred Lipka, MLS Player Development consultant and former French National Technical Director Jean-Claude Giuntini, U.S. Soccer Director of Coaching Education Didier Chambaron, and several MLS academy coaches and Elite Formation Coaching License graduates.
Subscribing to MLS Season Pass
With an MLS Season Pass subscription, fans can enjoy all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, and hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games, on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month or $79 per season.1 A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each MLS Club full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.
1To watch MLS Season Pass, customers must update to iOS 16.2 or later, iPadOS 16.2 or later, tvOS 16.2 or later, and macOS 13.1 or later. Fans around the world can enjoy Major League Soccer matches on MLS Season Pass in English, Spanish, or French where available, including closed captions.
