The Seattle Sounders Academy U-16 squad is in Carson, Calif., for the second phase of Generation adidas Cup qualifying. As the premier tournament that contains every MLS U-16 academy team, the GA Cup serves as a showcase for the future stars of North American soccer.
For qualifying, the teams are divided into three groups: West, Central and East. The top two teams from each pool advance to the Championship Division, where they will compete against international youth teams like Spain’s Valencia and Argentina’s River Plate. The remaining MLS sides head to the Premier Division.
The young Sounders enter the weekend in second place in the West Region behind the Colorado Rapids. In the first round of qualifying, the Rave Green registered 4-0 wins over the San Jose Earthquakes and the Portland Timbers after dropping the first match against the LA Galaxy. Young striker Alfonso Ocampo Chavez (U-14) enjoyed a breakout weekend last time out at GA Cup with five goals and three assists.
Although positive results against fellow MLS academies are nice, the ultimate goal of the Sounders’ youth system is to develop players for the first team. With that in mind, the Rave Green staff brought a young team containing 12 players from the U-14s and U-15s to the first round of qualifying. The justification is two-fold: get the top prospects in the club in front of U.S. youth national team scouts and give promising young players unique developmental opportunities. As a result, the Sounders Academy has enjoyed plenty of success so far in the 2016-17 edition of the GA Cup.
“We hope to continue where we left off at qualifying in October,” said Academy Technical Director Marc Nicholls. “GA Cup is the highest level of youth soccer, and it serves as a very important event where we can test ourselves against best in the country. I expect three really tough games, and for the guys to rise to the challenge.”
Since those dominant displays in October, four starters from the showcase earned their first USYNT call ups. Three of the standouts were brought up from the Sounders U-14 team and have gone on to become regulars with the Rave Green U-16s and U.S. U-15s.
This commitment to promoting youth in an effort to accelerate development can be seen throughout the organization, like in the decision to bring Academy standouts to preseason with the first team. Two prospects who participated in preseason training, striker Azriel Gonzalez and goalkeeper Sam Fowler, will look to apply the lessons learned from training with the reigning MLS Cup Champions to their upcoming matches in the GA Cup.
Routinely fielding the youngest U-16 team in the country, the Sounders Academy staff will turn to youth once again as the team looks to qualify for the Championship Division. With five U-14s and six U-15s drafted into the team, upcoming matches at StubHub Center against the likes of the LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, the young Sounders will have plenty of opportunities to showcase their talents on a massive stage.
The full schedule for the event can be found here.
