COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - MLS NEXT Pro announced today its second-ever international competition, the MLS NEXT Pro Invitational, taking place on July 18 through July 25 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. MLS NEXT Pro’s Colorado Rapids 2, Real Monarchs and Whitecaps FC 2 will play Crystal Palace U21 from England’s Premier League 2 and TSG Hoffenheim U23 from Germany’s Bundesliga.
“Providing an opportunity for our clubs to compete against international opponents is an important focus for our League,” said Ali Curtis, SVP of Competition and Operations. “We appreciate the collaboration and partnership with Premier League 2 and Bundesliga and look forward to a terrific tournament.”
As one of the participants in the competition, Colorado Rapids 2 will face off against TSG Hoffenheim U23 on Tuesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. MT. The hosts of the invitational Real Monarchs will take on both TSG Hoffenheim U23 and Crystal Palace U21 while Whitecaps FC 2 will play a single match against TSG Hoffenheim U23.
“We are excited to again be invited to participate in this event,” said Brian Crookham, Rapids 2 General Manager. “Exposing our players to international competition is an excellent development tool and we look forward to the challenge.”
Fans around the world will be able to watch the MLS NEXT Pro Invitational exclusively on mlsnextpro.com. For those interested in attending the matches, tickets are currently available at RSL.com. Click here to view the full schedule for the second-ever MLS NEXT Pro Invitational.
