The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-17's qualified for the Champions Division at the 2017-18 Generation adidas Cup Finals, to be held in April at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, with a 1-1 draw today against the Seattle Sounders U-17's at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Ryan Fessler scored the game's opening goal in the 11th minute on an assist from Jonathan Munoz as the Sporting KC Academy U-17's concluded GA Cup qualifying with a 3-1-2 record on the heels of a 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers U-17's on Saturday courtesy of goals from Cameron Duke and Danny Goddard.
The results secured a top-two finish in the West Region of GA Cup qualifying and an automatic berth as one of eight MLS academy teams which will participate in the Champions Division of the GA Cup Finals alongside top international opponents this Spring.
The Generation adidas Cup was founded in 2007, when Sporting KC finished runners-up of the inaugural edition, to emphasize player development while providing elite competition for MLS academies. Since then, the competition has built prestige as a premier youth tournament featuring the best clubs from around the world.
Past winners of the Champions Division at the GA Cup Finals include Argentina's River Plate (2015-2017) and England's Stoke City FC (2014).
The Sporting KC U-17's, led by by head coach Rumbani Munthali, will now continue play in the 2017-18 U.S. Soccer Development Academy season on Saturday against the Colorado Rush at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
