April 11, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release
Generation adidas Cup is one of the season’s highlights for MLS clubs across the country and for many international clubs who make the trip to partake in the prestigious tournament.
With a host of coaches, scouts, and sporting directors present, GA Cup is a way for academy teams to compete against the best while also showcasing some of the best young players in the world.
This year, Charlotte FC participated in their third GA Cup since the inception of the Academy. It had its highs and lows, but it was a challenge that helps all who travel grow.
“Between the opponents, the high-quality games that you’re getting, the length of the tournaments, the amount of concentration and the mentality that it takes to succeed and survive…,” explained Executive Director of the Academy Bryan Scales. “This event really tests the players, the staff, the coaches, everybody.”
Regardless of what the results are and how far you go in the tournament, it’s an invaluable experience that is difficult to replicate in any other environment in the world.
U-17
For Charlotte’s U-17s, the tournament didn’t go the way they had hoped, as they fell short in their group to secure qualification for the Championship knockout rounds. Nevertheless, their display of true resilience and tenacity throughout the matches, as well as how they ended the tournament, was commendable.
“The 17s had to really grind out the results they had,” said Scales. “They had a little bit of a difficult time scoring goals, so they were in every game, but they lost more games because they just couldn’t get a timely goal.
“But I was most proud of the 17s because of the way they finished the event. They beat Monterey 2-0 on the last day of the event. It’s a very difficult game to play in, but our guys and the staff showed an exceptional level of professionalism.”
Despite results not going their way, the U-17s experienced growth throughout the tournament and can take pride in their ability to compete head-to-head with some of the world’s premier academies.
Results
Group Play
FC Dallas 1 : 0 Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC 1 : 1 Club Necaxa (NCX Win Penalty Shootout)
Toronto FC 2 : 1 Charlotte FC
Consolation Groups
Charlotte FC 2 : 2 Colorado Rapids (CLT Win Penalty Shootout)
Charlotte FC 1 : 3 Atlético Nacional
AZ Alkmaar 1 : 0 Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC 2 : 0 C.F. Monterrey
The U-15s had a contrasting experience compared to the U-17s, securing victories in nearly all of their…
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