St. Louis CITY SC Academy enjoyed a successful trip to Indio, California, this past week, posting an overall record of 4-1-4 (with three penalty shootout wins) in the second edition of the MLS NEXT Fest. The seven-day competition featured more than 400 top youth teams from the United States and Canada, including three teams (U-15, U-16, U-17) representing St. Louis CITY SC across three separate competitions. The U-15 and U-17 squads participated in the Generation adidas Cup qualifiers to determine seeding for next year’s Generation adidas Cup meanwhile the U-16s competed in the MLS NEXT Fest Showcase.
U-15s go undefeated in GA cup qualifiers
The U-15s kicked off their tournament with a big 3-0 win over Nashville SC U-15s. In their second match, they battled to a 1-1 draw against LA Galaxy U-15s in regular time before edging them 5-3 in penalty shootout. The following day, the boys closed out the tournament with an impressive 2-1 win over New York City FC U-15s. Forward Stone Marion led the team with two goals throughout the qualifiers, with Lorenzo Cornelius providing a team-best three assists.
U-16s close out showcase with two wins and a draw
In their two opening matches, the U-16 squad recorded a pair of wins against Solar Soccer Club (3-2) and New York Soccer Club (2-0). The boys rounded out the showcase with a 2-2 draw with Strikers FC, earning seven points and maintaining their undefeated streak. Ryan Dugan was the U-16 squad’s top goal scorer in the showcase with three goals with Braden Missey providing three assists in the three games played.
U-17s earn two penalty shootout wins in GA cup qualifiers
After drawing 1-1 with Toronto FC in regular time, St. Louis CITY U-17s earned a 5-3 penalty shootout win to kickstart the tournament. The following day, the team fell 5-3 to FC Dallas U-17s in an entertaining matchup. In their final match, the boys played to a hard fought 3-3 draw in regular time with LA Galaxy before defeating them 2-1 in penalty shootout. Mykhi Joyner was the team’s leading goal scorer with three goals.
St. Louis CITY’s UPSL season ends in nine-goal thriller in conference playoff semifinals
St. Louis CITY’s UPSL team had a successful first season, earning a third-place finish in the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference with an overall record of 6-4. Last Saturday, the team faced off against second-place Beaman United FC in conference semifinal play. A wildly entertaining and competitive match, St. Louis CITY and Beaman United FC played to a 5-4 finish, with CITY coming up just short after conceding a late goal in regular time. Miguel Perez (2), Adam Boykin, and Tyler Sargent were all on target for CITY.
“I am extremely happy for the program, players and staff,” said Dale Schilly, St. Louis CITY SC Academy Director. “We played nine games overall against some of the best teams in the MLS Next and to only lose once is an incredible feat. Having our guys exceling in these pressure environments will not only drive continual improvement in our players individually but also for our club moving forward.”
