Preview | NYCFC Academy To Compete In 2023 Generation Adidas Cup

Caroline Oatway

New York City Football Club’s Under-17s and Under-15s are set to compete in the Generation Adidas Cup this weekend.

The 2023 tournament takes place in Florida between Saturday, April 1 and Monday, April 10, kicking off with the group stage, as MLS Academy squads and top international Clubs lock horns at IMG Academy.

A record 49 different clubs are attending from 12 countries and four continents - eighty teams in total, while all 29 MLS clubs will have Academy representation in both the U-17 and U-15 divisions.

NYCFC's U17s have been pitted against Atlanta United, Pumas UNAM, and Austin FC in Group 7, while our U15s will face Club Bolivar, San Jose Earthquakes, and Colorado Rapids in Group 8.

The Boys in Blue won the tournament at U16 level back in 2017. U17s Coach José Jiménez says the City Boys are eager to test themselves against some of the world’s best teams, highlighting the importance of the experience in the players’ development.

“What excites me the most to play in the GA Cup is the quality of the competition, the intensity,” he told NYCFC.com. “We're going to have to adapt daily – every opponent is going to be different, and going to present different challenges for our players.

“We have the opportunity for them to showcase their quality, and their level. We’re going to face Mexican teams, Brazilian teams, and European teams, and they're going to bring something new to the table.

“Competing against the international teams helps our players develop because the challenge that they are going to present is different. Our players are going to have to adapt a new challenge, and that's the beauty of this tournament.”

U15s Coach Michael Dal Pra added: “The international competition is the most exciting part: playing in a tournament-style outside of our normal league competition.

“International competition just helps us understand the standard around the world. We were able to take a trip to Manchester to see the level over there in England, and now getting to play against the South American teams in our group, it’s very exciting to see what the level is of players at those ages, and to test our talent in global competition.

“The quality of the tournament is massive. Every year, it's probably the most exciting tournament the 15s and 17s are looking after. For us to test ourselves against some of the best players around the world, and in the country, is a great opportunity. The boys are buzzing for it, and they're absolutely ready to go.”

Format

In the group stage, forty teams are divided into 10 groups of four in each of the age ranges. Seeding was determined by the MLS NEXT Fest qualifiers back in December.

Each team will play three group matches (60 minutes) in a bid to secure passage to the knock-out round. Sixteen teams will advance to a bracket-style elimination format.

After the tournament, 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 Rising XI presented by BODYARMOR will highlight the top-performing MLS Academy players from each position at the competition.