May 9, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK – The top 64 teams in the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19 age groups that qualified based on their points-per-game rank in the 2022-23 MLS NEXT regular season division standings descend upon the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md. for MLS NEXT Flex, with the opportunity to clinch a postseason berth in the 2023 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
Qualifying teams were drawn into sixteen groups of four, and the winners of each of these groups will automatically qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. The 80-minute U-15 matches and 90-minute U-16, U-17, and U-19 matches that end regulation in a draw will move to penalty kicks. The winner of penalty kicks will earn two points, while the loser will take home one point.
Eighteen MLS NEXT Flex games will stream live on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app, available in more than 100 countries and regions. All matches will feature MLS academies against non-MLS academies in the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19 age groups. MLS Season Pass marks the official kickoff of the 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple, a historic first for a major professional sports league.
“The excellent quality of play at MLS NEXT Flex provides a unique opportunity for players and teams to compete against the best clubs from all over the country,” said MLS Vice President of Player Youth and Development Fred Lipka. “With postseason berths at stake, this event demonstrates the rich talent and heightened level of competition that is evident throughout each age group in MLS NEXT.”
The MLS NEXT season concludes with the 2023 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs at Toyota Soccer Center and MoneyGram Soccer Park in Dallas-Fort Worth from June 17-25, 2023. A single-elimination competition, 32 teams per age group will qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their regular season play or by winning their group at MLS NEXT Flex. Teams who do not qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs participate in the MLS NEXT Cup Showcase, which will be held at the same venue.
MLS NEXT Flex Broadcast Schedule
Date Time (in ET) Age Group Home Team Away Team
May 12 9:00 AM U-16 Atlanta United Murrieta Soccer Academy
May 12 11:30 AM U-16 LA United Futbol Academy FC Dallas
May 12 2:00 PM U-16 Inter Miami CF San Francisco Glens
May 12 4:30 PM U-19 City SC Sporting Kansas City
May 13 …
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