Major League Soccer today announced the details for the 2022 Generation adidas Cup, an elite youth tournament featuring MLS and professional club academies from around the globe. A total of 80 professional academies from 10 countries across four continents will compete in U-17 and U-15 tournament play at the Toyota Soccer Center at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas from April 9-17.
The Chicago Fire U-15s will face Vancouver Whitecaps on April 9, Chivas on April 10, and LAFC on April 11. The U-17s will take on Minnesota United on April 11, Manchester United on April 11, and Orlando City on April 12.
Forty teams, divided into 10 groups of four, will compete in each of the two age divisions. MLS club seeding was determined by Generation adidas Cup Qualifiers at the inaugural MLS NEXT Fest in December 2021. The Fire U-17s qualified first in their group, while the U-15s qualified third.Â
Each team will play three group matches to determine qualification for the knockout round. Sixteen teams will qualify for the winner’s side of the draw with winning teams advancing to play in a bracket-style elimination format. All teams competing in GA Cup are guaranteed to compete in seven matches and matches will be 60 minutes in length, comprised of two 30-minute halves. Select matches played inside Toyota Stadium, the home of FC Dallas, will feature 35-minute halves.
All 28 MLS clubs will have academy representation in both the U-17 and U-15 divisions.
Adding to the largest field in the 13-year history of the Generation adidas Cup are 23 international teams from several of the premier clubs in the global game. Represented in both the U-17 and U-15 divisions are Manchester United of the Premier League, River Plate of the Argentine Primera División, Celtic of the Scottish Premiership, Flamengo of Serie A, and several clubs from Liga MX.
More than 30 games throughout Generational adidas Cup will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube. Additional GA Cup broadcast details, including the schedule of games featured, will be announced in advance of the tournament.
Following tournament play, awards will be presented in both age groups to the Generation adidas Cup Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer, as well as the Generation adidas Cup Best Goalkeeper presented by Allstate. The Generation adidas Cup XI presented by BODYARMOR will highlight the top performing MLS academy players from each position at GA Cup.
