Swope Soccer Village and the Sporting Kansas City Academy will host 2017-18 Generation adidas Cup West Region qualifying matches this weekend, showcasing Major League Soccer's best youth talent from the U-15 and U-17 levels.
The Generation adidas Cup was founded in 2007 at the U-17 level, emphasizing 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.
The Sporting KC U-17s will play three qualifying matches this weekend, while the U-15s will play three friendlies against other U-15 academy sides as part of a GA Cup test run for the U-15 age group. Other participating U-17 clubs include LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders FC. The U-15 division will include LA, Portland, Real Salt Lake, San Jose and the Houston Dynamo.
The full GA Cup qualifying schedule can be found below. All matches at Swope Soccer Village will be free and open to the public. The Sporting KC Academy will announce its U-15 and U-17 rosters later this week. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates of each game involving Sporting KC.
2017-18 Generation adidas Cup: U-17 Qualifying Schedule
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Time (CT)</strong> |
<strong>Match</strong> |
Friday, Oct. 6 |
2pm |
LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers |
4:30pm |
Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
|
7pm |
Sporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders FC |
|
Saturday, Oct. 7 |
2pm |
Portland Timbers vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
4:30pm |
LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC |
|
7pm |
Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting KC |
|
Monday, Oct. 9 |
9am |
Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
11am |
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake |
|
1pm |
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC |
2017-18 Generation adidas Cup: U-15 Friendly Schedule
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Time (CT)</strong> |
<strong>Match</strong> |
Friday, Oct. 6 |
2pm |
Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
4:30pm |
LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo |
|
7pm |
Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers |
|
Saturday, Oct. 7 |
8am |
Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
10am |
LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers |
|
12pm |
Real Salt Lake vs. Sporting KC |
|
Monday, Oct. 9 |
9am |
Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes |
11am |
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake |
|
1pm |
Portland Timbers vs. Houston Dynamo |
2017-18 Generation adidas Cup Format
The 2017-18 Generation adidas Cup consists of three rounds. Two sets of regional qualifiers will lead to the final event in April 2018 in Frisco, Texas.
The regional qualifiers are split across two weekends. The first round is slated for this weekend, with games to be played Friday, Saturday and Monday. The next batch of qualifying matches will take place Feb. 16, 17 and 19, 2018.
Participating academy clubs are split into three regions — East, Central, West — with teams squaring off at least once in a round-robin for a total of six matches.
At the end of the second qualifying weekend, the top two teams in each region will advance to the Championship Division for the 2018 Generation adidas Cup proper in Frisco. Those clubs will be joined by top international talent as they battle for the Generation adidas Cup crown.
MLS teams that failed to earn a top-two finish in qualifying will compete in the Premier Division alongside international clubs next April in Frisco.
U-17 qualifying matches will unfold with two 40-minute halves, and three points will go to the victor. In the event of a draw, both teams will earn one point and an extra point will be decided via penalty kicks. U-15 matches will be played in two 35-minute halves.
