With the start of the 2021-22 MLS NEXT season just around the corner, Sporting Kansas City will host a series of preseason friendlies involving six elite MLS academy clubs from Aug. 20-23 at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
Sporting KC Academy teams at the U-15, U-17 and U-19 levels will compete on home turf against the likes of Atlanta United FC, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo FC, LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC. The friendly matches will serve as valuable tune-ups ahead of the MLS NEXT regular season campaign, which will begin in September.
The Sporting KC friendlies will consist of 35-minute halves in the U-17 and U-19 age groups and 30-minutes halves at the U-15 level. Matches will be open to the public and free of admission. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for updates next weekend and throughout the 2021-22 MLS Next season.
Sporting KC Friendlies Schedule: Aug. 20-23, 2021 at Swope Soccer Village
U-15 Division
- Friday, Aug. 20 (9am CT): Sporting KC vs. LA Galaxy
- Friday, Aug. 20 (9am CT): Atlanta United vs. Colorado Rapids
- Friday, Aug. 20 (9am CT): Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (9am CT): Sporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (9am CT): Atlanta United vs. Houston Dynamo
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (9am CT): Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy
- Monday, Aug. 23 (8am CT): Sporting KC vs. Colorado Rapids
- Monday, Aug. 23 (8am CT): Atlanta United vs. Seattle Sounders
- Monday, Aug. 23 (8am CT): Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
U-17 Division
- Friday, Aug. 20 (11am CT): Sporting KC vs. LA Galaxy
- Friday, Aug. 20 (11am CT): Atlanta United vs. Colorado Rapids
- Friday, Aug. 20 (11am CT): Houston Dynamo vs. Seattle Sounders
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (11am CT): Sporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (11am CT): Atlanta United vs. Houston Dynamo
- Saturday, Aug. 21 (11am CT): Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy
- Monday, Aug. 23 (10am CT): Sporting KC vs. Colorado Rapids
- Monday, Aug. 23 (10am CT): Atlanta United vs. Seattle Sounders
- Monday, Aug. 23 (10am CT): Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
U-19 Division
- Friday, Aug. 20 (1pm CT): Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo
- Sunday, Aug. 22 (10am CT): Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo
The Sporting KC Academy is coming off a successful campaign in the inaugural MLS NEXT season that spanned from September 2020 to June 2021. The U-19s and U-15s advanced to the MLS NEXT Cup playoffs, with the U-19s notably advancing to the quarterfinal stage.
Additionally, Sporting Kansas City’s first team currently boasts 11 Sporting KC Academy products, the most academy products on an MLS roster in 2021. The likes of Daniel Salloi, Jaylin Lindsey, Felipe Hernandez and Cam Duke have helped Sporting to first place in the Western Conference, while midfielder Gianluca Busio was among the league’s best midfielders this season before transferring to Venezia FC in the Italian Serie A.
