The Sporting Kansas City Academy dropped its opening match in the Championship Division of the 2016-17 Generation adidas Cup on Friday at Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas.
Abdu Kikhia scored in the 66th minute of Sporting KC’s 5-1 defeat to the LA Galaxy on the first day of Major League Soccer’s annual elite youth tournament for the best U-17 academy teams from across the globe.
Sporting KC qualified for the Championship Division of this year’s Generation adidas Cup thanks to a strong qualifying campaign, which was split into two stages in October and February, respectively. With Friday’s result behind them, the club turns its attention to two remaining group stage matches — against German side Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday (2:30 p.m. CT) and Brazilian side Flamengo on Tuesday (2:30 p.m. CT).
The Championship Division is comprised of 16 teams divided into four groups of four. Eight of the 16 participants represent MLS clubs, while the remaining eight hail from Europe or South America.
All teams will play five matches over the course of the competition, which culminates next Saturday, April 15. Each group winner will advance to the semifinals, while the other 12 clubs will play two consolations matches each.
Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates throughout the tournament.
