The Rapids Academy is set to face off against some of the biggest clubs in the region as they compete in the Generation adidas Cup from April 1-9 in Bradenton, Florida, at IMG Academy. Featuring 49 different clubs from 12 countries and four continents, the U-15 and U-17 tournament features the largest field in the 14-year history of the competition.
All 29 current MLS clubs will have academy representation in both divisions.
In 2022, MLS Teams won both the U-17 (Seattle Sounders FC) and U-15 (Portland Timbers) divisions for the first time in the competition’s 14-year history.
The Rapids Academy will send both a U-15 and U-17 team to the tournament and will face clubs New York City Football Club, Club Bolívar, San Jose Earthquakes, Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, LA Galaxy and FC Cincinnati.
Both teams' schedules are as follows:
U-15 Schedule
Saturday, April 1 at 9:30 a.m. MT - Colorado Rapids vs San Jose Earthquakes
Sunday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m. MT - Colorado Rapids vs Club Bolívar
Monday, April 3 at 9:30 a.m. MT - New York City Football Club vs Colorado Rapids
U-17 Schedule
Saturday, April 1 at 2:30 p.m. MT - Colorado Rapids vs Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sunday, April 2 at 12:30 p.m MT - Colorado Rapids vs LA Galaxy
Monday, April 3 at 2:30 p.m. MT - FC Cincinnati vs Colorado Rapids
Find the entire tournament's schedule here.
Competition Format
- 40 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.
- 16 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.
How to Watch
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.
Rapids fans can tune in on MLS Season Pass to watch the Rapids Academy U-15 team take on Club Bolívar on Sunday, April 2, at 10:00 a.m. MT. The match hub for Sunday's Rapids Academy U-15 game versus Club Bolívar can be found here.
