Generation adidas Cup announces international clubs, full schedule

Generation adidas Cup announces international clubs, full schedule

Clubs from 14 different countries to participate in U-17, U-15 tournaments

Major League Soccer announced Tuesday the complete details for the 2019 Generation adidas Cup, including the participating international clubs and the full schedule of matches set to unfold throughout the tournament. Clubs from 14 different countries will convene at the Toyota Soccer Center at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas from April 13-20 in a tournament featuring elite professional club academies from North America, Asia, Europe and South America.

The future stars of MLS will test their skills against some of the most renowned professional academies in the world in the expanded U-17 competition that includes 15 premier international clubs. Among the esteemed international academies set to play in the 2019 Generation adidas Cup include England’s West Ham United, France’s Olympique Lyonnais, Spain’s Valencia, Argentine power River Plate, Brazilian side Flamengo, and Croatian giant Dinamo Zagreb, among others.

MLS clubs will also see regional rivalries play out in the tournament with eight Liga MX clubs playing in the U-17 and U-15 divisions. Club América, Monterrey, Tijuana and Deportivo Toluca will face MLS teams in the U-17 portion of play.

The newly formed U-15 tournament between MLS and Liga MX clubs is the latest competitive initiative in the collaboration between the two leagues, following in the footsteps of the Campeones Cup and the annual MLS Homegrown Game team which pits the MLS squad against a Liga MX U-20 opponent. Chivas de Guadalajara, Club Leon, Cruz Azul and Monterrey will each face the four MLS sides once, setting up an exciting fifth and final matchup pitting the first-place Liga MX side against the top MLS club in a winner-take-all showdown.

The Generation adidas Cup has developed into the premier youth tournament in which elite MLS academy players test their talents against international competition. Previous MLS academy products to participate in the tournament in recent years include Efrain Álvarez (LA Galaxy / LA Galaxy Academy), Weston McKennie (Schalke 04 / FC Dallas Academy), Djordje Mihailović (Chicago Fire / Chicago Fire Academy), and Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas / FC Dallas Academy), among others.