MLS Cup Recap
Intercontinental Football Academy of New England (IFA) closed a memorable 2025-26 MLS NEXT season this past week at the MLS NEXT Cup. Three IFA sides competed across the league's national championship at the Regional Athletics Complex.
Highlighting the trip was the outstanding run from the U15 Homegrown squad who reached the final four in Utah. Coach Matt Hardiman's side came agonizingly close to reaching the final, after falling 3-2 to City SC San Diego in the semi-finals.
IFA opened their campaign with a 5-0 win over Atletico Santa Rosa on May 23, then defeated Players Development Academy 5-2 in the round of 16. In the Quarter-Finals they overcame Albion SC to set up the meeting with San Diego. The two sides traded blows in the first-half with Kaden Cardoza scoring for IFA. After a strong start to the second period, City SC turned the game in their favour with two breakaway goals, before Emiliano Avila, reduced the deficit with a late penalty.
Though the end result was not what the team wanted, the performance in the MLS Cup caps one of the strongest single-age campaigns in IFA's MLS NEXT history. The U15s claimed the MLS NEXT Flex League title and Flex Group title, finished second in league play, and earned an invitation to the Generation adidas Cup at IMG Academy where IFA became the first non-MLS Massachusetts club to participate. They also reached the Generation adidas Qualifier final earlier in the season.
Scott Black's U19 Homegrown Boys split their two HD Showcase matches to close out their MLS NEXT careers, following their 5-2 defeat to FC Delco in the playoff round. IFA fell 2-1 to IMG on May 25 before beating Queen City Mutiny FC 3-2 on May 27. Reaching the pre-eminent event again in their final year highlights the outstanding quality of the 2026 class, as illustrated by a college commitment list that includes Notre Dame, Northwestern, Boston College, and the University of New Hampshire.
Coach Chris Bingham's U15 Academy Division side lost their knockout game 3-1 to Players SC on May 23 but rebounded at the AD Showcase with wins over Monarchs AZ 4-3 on and 6-0 win over Tampa Bay United.
The Salt Lake trip caps a year that also produced a U16 National Academy Championship at IMG Academy in February marking one of the most decorated MLS NEXT seasons IFA has had since joining the league. The season also saw four IFA teams at MLS NEXT Flex in Frisco, Texas in April - the strongest showing in the club's six-year MLS NEXT history.
The Intercontinental Football Academy of New England's MLS NEXT program is the premier development pathway for boys aged U13 through U19. Learn more about IFA's boys academy at https://www.ifanewengland.com/boys-academy.
