2025 GA Cup Recap: Sporting KC U-18s and U-16s compete at prestigious international competition 

The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-18 and U-16 teams competed at the 2025 Generation adidas Cup at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, from April 12-20, playing 13 matches in 18 days and fighting to the bitter end of every competition. Both teams ended the prestigious event on high notes, winning their last matches and taking home positive records and goal differentials.

Sporting KC's U-18s, led by Lee Tschantret, came out firing on the first gameday, scoring twice against the San Jose Earthquakes to take a 2-0 lead. The first of two 30-minute halves got off to a quick start with Sporting putting two shots toward goal in the first minute of the match. The team's high press forced turnover after turnover, but the breakthrough did not come until the first minute of the second half. The team packed it in defensively, added an insurance goal in the dying moments of the match and held onto the clean sheet.

Their next two group stage games did not go their way as Atlanta survived a late SKC charge to win 1-0 before a 10-man Sporting side was defeated 2-1 by Santos Laguna on the final day of the group stages. In the match with Santos, SKC went down a goal early before going down a man due to a red card just minutes later. The group showed courage fighting back to even the score at one apiece before a stoppage time winner from the Liga MX side.

In the Premier Bracket Round of 16, the U-18s faced NYCFC and played to a 1-1 draw. Immediately going to kicks from the spot, Sporting clutched up to take the shootout 5-4 and advance to the Quarterfinals. Nashville SC outlasted Sporting in penalties, ending the knockout portion of the U-18s tournament. The group's final contest at GA Cup came in the form of a showcase showdown with the Seattle Sounders. A goal in the final moments of the first half was all that was needed for Sporting to take their fourth result in six matches in Florida.

Sporting Kansas City's U-16s, guided by Angel Rivillo, opened GA Cup against Barca Residency Academy. A back-and-forth affair arose in the opener with Barca scoring the first two goals of the game on either side of halftime. A valiant comeback effort saw Sporting halve the deficit and nearly find the leveler twice with a pair of close chances. The Arizona-based academy converted a late penalty to move the match to 3-1, however, a late SKC pk make brought the final score to 3-2 in favor of Barca.

Needing a win to keep pace in the group, Sporting bounced back the following day to take down D.C. United 2-0, avenging a defeat to the Black-and-Red at MLS NEXT Fest in Indios, California, back in December. On the third game day, Sporting took a 1-0 lead into halftime against PSV Eindhoven. The Dutch outfit evened the score off a penalty kick and then took the lead minutes later with an outside-the-box curler. They would hold the lead and go atop the group with nine points while SKC entered the Premier Bracket.

In the knockouts, the U-16s suffered consecutive shootout losses before rallying in the last two contests. They handled Nashville SC 2-1 on the penultimate day of GA Cup and knocked off Liga MX giants, Club America, 6-5 in a shootout after a 0-0 end to regulation.

With GA Cup in the rearview mirror, the attention for the U-18s turns to the rest of the MLS NEXT season as well as the pro ranks of Sporting KC and Sporting KC II. A pair of Sporting's U-18s, Ian James and Jack Kortkamp, who participated in GA Cup, will return to the first team as they prepare to take on FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on Saturday, April 26. Shane Donovan, Jacob Molinaro and Johann Ortiz, along with several Academy Amateurs, will rejoin SKC II for their midweek match against the Tacoma Defiance on Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. CT at Children's Mercy Victory Field.

Sporting KC's U-16s will now lock in for MLS NEXT Fest in Boyds, Maryland, in May and look to qualify for the 2025 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs in Nashville, Tennessee, in June. Fans can follow along with everything happening in the Sporting KC Academy by following the team on X or Instagram and by checking SportingKCAcademy.com.