Generation adidas Recap: U15 MLS NEXT HG
Intercontinental Football Academy of New England (IFA) U15s have returned to New England following an amazing week at the Generation adidas Cup in Florida. Held March 27 through April 4 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, the event featured 88 teams from 14 countries and four continents. Highlighting the International flavor of the tournament, both winners came from outside the US. La Liga outfit Valencia CF (Spain) beat Seattle Sounders FC to win the U15 title, whilst Red Bull Bragantino (Brazil) topped FC Copenhagen (Denmark) at the under-16 level.
IFA became the first non-MLS club from Massachusetts to participate in the tournament. and faced off against six MLS academies, posting a solid 2-4 record.
"The level of competition at the GA Cup is among the highest in the nation for this age group," said Matt Hardiman, IFA U15s Coach. "We entered the event looking to play proactively while maintaining strong tactical discipline. The games provided a demanding test and a strong platform to demonstrate our qualities. It also provided lessons to refine key areas as we progress. We're disappointed with how a couple of the games turned out but for the major takeaway for the group was that they belong at this level,” said Hardiman.
Players Camden Lewis and Owen Rabel gave their thoughts: “It was really fun event, We noticed the teams were big and aggressive and it was a step-up from regular league play,” said Lewis. “The opponents definitely like to build more, are smarter with their decisions and are able to think on their feet quickly. It was a great test for us,” added Rabel.
Game 1 vs Orlando City (3-1 Loss): In a closely contested fixture, IFA were reduced to 10-men in the first half but responded from the penalty spot through Cam Lewis to draw level, unfortunately two late Orlando goals made the difference in a tough opener.
Photos by @chasingninety
Game 2 vs Seattle Sounders (3-0 Loss): A difficult result against an excellent Seattle side. Despite the scoreline, the game provided clear learning moments heading into the must-win final group match. Seattle would go on to defeat FC Bayern Munich 4-0 in the knockout rounds before losing to Valencia in the final.
Photos by @chasingninety
Game 3 vs Minnesota United (1-0 Win): A strong IFA performance in which Landon Martin's goal sealed the victory and clinched third place in the group, earning IFA a spot in the Premier Bracket.
Game 4 vs FC Dallas (0-1 Loss): A tight game in which IFA were unfortunate to come out on the losing side.
Game 5 vs Sporting KC (3-0 win): The most dominant performance of the campaign. IFA swept aside the MLS Academy outfit courtesy of goals from Emi Avila, Jacob Thorpe and Aidan McLoughlin secured a convincing victory.
Game 6 vs St Louis FC (0-3 loss): A disappointing ending to the tournament as IFA are punished by the mid-western outfit.
“One of our player development pillars is ‘Elite Competitions”, said Technical Director Mark Spalding. “We constantly strive to have our players gain exposure to the best events possible and the Generation adidas tournament is arguably the highest-level event in the nation, and one of the strongest Internationally. For our boys to feature, it’s about more than just winning games, it’s about consistently performing to a high level to gain access to opportunities to play the best players and teams in the country. We are proud of how they performed but very keen to also apply all the learnings we took from the six matches,” said Spalding.
The U15s will be on the road again at the end of the month, this time to Texas for the MLS Flex tournament. where they will be hoping to punch their ticket to the MLS Cup playoffs. One thing is for certain, they will be all the better prepared thanks to this experience at the GA Cup.
Take the Next Step with IFA
IFA has opened our environment to players who are ready to compete and train at the highest levels.
Rather than attending a traditional tryout, players are invited into a session based on their level and location. This allows players and families to experience the IFA environment firsthand through training with current teams and working directly with our coaching staff.
Following the session, our staff will outline the most appropriate pathway within the club.
