Sporting Kansas City welcomed 44 teams from 18 different MLS Academies across three different age groups to Kansas City this weekend as Patterson Cup made its return after a two-year hiatus.
The 2022 rendition of Patterson Cup hosted teams from the U12, U13 and U14 age levels, with the Sporting KC Academy fielding teams in the U12 and U14 age groups. It was a strong showing for both of Sporting KC's Academy teams as the U12s placed third in their age group and the U14s earned a fourth-place finish.
With 12 teams competing in the U12 age group, and 14 playing in the U13 and U14 divisions, this was one of the most competitive Patterson Cups to date. The LA Galaxy U12s, New York City FC U13s and New York Red Bulls U14s took home first place in their respective age groups this past weekend.
The Patterson Cup is named after Sporting KC co-owner Neal Patterson and his wife Jeanne, both of whom lost their lives to cancer in 2017. For more than a decade, the Patterson Family helped transform Sporting KC into the model MLS organization it is today. Their unwavering commitment to the growth of soccer in Kansas City has been manifested through the development of state-of-the-art facilities, technological innovation at sporting events and significant investment in soccer at the youth level.
The inaugural Patterson Cup took place in March 2019 with six MLS academies squaring off at the U-12 level. The 2022 edition adds two age groups and three times as many MLS academies from the United States and Canada.
