Real Salt Lake (RSL) Academy is in Bradenton, Florida, to participate in Generation adidas Cup, a premier global youth tournament featuring all MLS academies and renowned international clubs. A record 49 different clubs from 12 countries and four continents will compete in Under-17 and Under-15 tournament play at IMG Academy from April 1 through April 9.
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 MLS NEXT Fest in December 2022. 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 Generation adidas Cup are guaranteed to play seven 60-minute matches, comprised of two 30-minute halves.
Twenty-eight Generation adidas games, including championship matches in both divisions, will stream live on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app. 12 group play matches will feature MLS academies against international clubs in the U15 and U17 age groups. The remaining 16 games will include select Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matchups, along with all Semi-Final, Third Place and Championship matches. These games will be available in more than 100 countries and regions. MLS Season Pass marks the official kickoff of the 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple, a historic first for a major professional sports league.
In 2022, MLS teams won both the U-17 and U-15 divisions for the first time in the competition's 14-year history. Real Salt Lake has participated in the tournament since its inception in 2007, qualifying for the final three times (2008, 2010, and 2014), and winning the tournament in its second year, lifting the 2008 trophy after defeating D.C. United on penalty kicks.
The RSL Academy U-15 team will begin their tournament play on Saturday, April 1 at 8:00 a.m. MDT against Toulouse FC. The game will stream live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. The RSL Academy U-17 team will take the pitch for the first time on Saturday, April 1 at 2:30 p.m. MDT against CF Montreal. The complete Group Stage schedules are:
