For the next eight days, The Revolution Academy’s Under-16 team will take the field in Frisco, Texas to compete in one of world’s premier tournaments in youth soccer – the Generation adidas Cup. The GA Cup has become a stage for the best young talent to test themselves against other MLS and foreign professional academies.
Just six years ago, four months prior to signing his first professional contract, Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez played in his second GA Cup as a Revolution Academy player. This weekend, Fagundez is set to become the first field Homegrown Player in the history of Major League Soccer to amass 10,000 minutes this weekend. Needless to say, Fagundez is someone who understands the importance of playing in competitions such as the GA Cup.
“It’s definitely important, especially because it’s new competition, competition you haven’t seen,” Fagundez said, “It’s a huge opportunity that [the players] have and I remember when I was there, we played against other teams and all I wanted to do was win games. It’s one of those things you have to have fun, but of course, compete to the max and prove that you’re there to win and that you should be there.”
Prior to this weekend, a pair of GA Cup qualifying events were held, one in the fall from Oct. 7-10, 2016 at Talen Energy Stadium in Philadelphia, and one in the spring from Feb. 17-20 at the University of Central Florida to determine the Champions and Premier Divisions. Once the field was set, it was determined the Revolution would compete in Group B of the tournament’s Premier Division.
In the group stage, the Revs will play against a pair of MLS academy sides in the Philadelphia Union (April 7) and the Chicago Fire (April 9), as well as a Liga MX academy team In C.F. Monterrey (April 11). Following group play, the Revolution will play two teams to be determined in the knockout stage of the tournament on April 13 and 15.
LIVE STREAM: Revolution vs. C.F. Monterrey on April 11 at 12:15p.m. ET
Under-16s head coach Jonathan Pereira is excited for the opportunity for his team to square off with top level competition.
"Being able to participate in the Generation adidas Cup each year is important for the club, it’s a good way to measure our development system as we get to compete against other MLS and international clubs,” Pereira said, “It is good for the boys to play in high-level games and the week ahead gives us five challenging matchups.”
While each team seeks to emerge from their respective division with a trophy, the opportunity provided to all of the players is invaluable.
“You can’t simulate experiences like these,” Pereira said, “The Generation adidas Cup as a whole is very important to the development process of the young academy players in the country. We’re fortunate and grateful to be a part of it.”
In addition to the U-16s, the Revolution Academy will send an Under-12 team to compete in the GA Cup’s 7-v-7 tournament in the first year of its U-12 Alliance with partner clubs Bayside FC, NEFC, and Valeo FC. The Academy coaching staff selected a number of players from the partner clubs to participate in Invitational Revolution Training Centers to finalize the 12-player roster which will travel for the tournament.
“We are excited to see this select group of young players participate in this prestigious event,” Revolution U-12 Alliance Director Gary Hall said, “This is the youngest team to have travelled to a tournament with the club and we are looking forward to seeing them compete against the other MLS Academies and International teams in what will provide a significant development opportunity for this U-12 age group."
Given that the U-12s compete in a 7-v-7 format, the schedule is condensed into a few days. The team will play in Group D of the competition and will square off with Seattle Sounders FC (April 13), New York Red Bulls (April 13), Houston Dynamo (April 14), and Malaga C.F. (April 14). The U-12s will close out the tournament on Saturday, April 15 with a pair of matches yet to be determined.
Players to Watch
Kevin Vang – Vang has had success in each of his three years with the Academy. Though eligible to play for the U-16 team, Vang has played primarily for the U-18s. Prior to the start of the 2017 Major League Soccer season, the midfielder spent a week in preseason training with the Revolution first team in Tucson, Ariz. As a creative midfielder, Vang could very well provide a spark for the Revolution attack throughout the tournament.
Tyler Freitas – Now in his third year with the Revolution Academy, Freitas has routinely played up with the U-18s this season. He has made 16 appearances, including 14 starts, which have primarily come at right back. Freitas’s experience at the Youth National Team level will serve the backline well. He spent the 2016 spring semester in the USMNT U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla. Prior to his time in Bradenton, Freitas was called in for the U.S. Youth National Team Futures Camp in May 2015.
Tim Ennin – Much like the previous two players, Ennin is a U-16 eligible forward that has primarily played at the U-18 level this season. He has made 17 appearances, including 13 starts, all but one have come with the U-18s. Ennin has recently spent time as both a lone striker, but has also partnered with Izaiah Jennings when the team has employed a two-striker formation. As an Academy veteran, Ennin looks to be on the end of a few goals in Frisco.
