The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-16s will host the Real Salt Lake AZ U-16s in the 2017 U.S. Soccer Development Academy quarterfinals on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Park.
The single-elimination showdown will kick off at 3 p.m. CT, taking place at the world-class venue prior to Sporting Kansas City’s home game against the Philadelphia Union at 7:30 p.m. CT. The occasion marks the first time a Sporting KC Academy team has played a competitive match inside Children's Mercy Park.
All fans with a ticket to the Sporting KC match that evening are welcome to attend the U-16 quarterfinal contest. Please note:
- All parking for the Academy match will be available in the secondary Nebraska Furniture Mart lot. Parking opens at 2 p.m. CT.
- Ticket holders attending the Academy match must enter through the East Gate at the northeast corner of Children’s Mercy Park. The East Gate will open at 2:30 p.m. CT and seating will be available in Sections 129 and 130.
- There will be no re-entry once fans enter the stadium. When the Academy match ends, fans in attendance will be ushered to the Sporting Plaza until the stadium bowl opens at 6 p.m. CT for the Sporting KC match.
The Sporting KC U-16s punched their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time after finishing atop Group E at the Development Academy Playoffs in Westfield, Indiana. A strong regular season saw the club earn second place in the Frontier Division of the Development Academy’s Central Conference, posting a record of 17-6-3. The team features a pair of promising U.S. youth internationals in 15-year-old Gianluca Busio and 16-year-old Cameron Duke — the brother of Swope Park Rangers captain Christian Duke — and Abdu Kikhia leads the side with 12 goals.
Based in Casa Grande, Arizona, the Real Salt Lake AZ U-16s went 22-8-6 in the regular season to finish runners-up in the Southwest Division. Sebastian Soto has exploded for 34 goals in 32 Development Academy appearances this season, while Luis Arriaga has netted 17 goals of his own. Real Salt Lake AZ were crowned U-15/16 Development Academy national champions in 2013.
The winner of Thursday’s game will advance to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Championships at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. Semifinal matchups will kick off next Friday, July 14, with third-place and championship matches set for Sunday, July 16. The U-16s are looking to become the first Sporting KC Academy club to advance to the Development Academy Championships.
