The United Soccer League announced today the 33 USL clubs that will compete in the USL Academy Cup, a new event beginning this year featuring the country’s elite youth players from the U-13 and U-17 age groups. The SAFC Pro Academy will compete in the inaugural event, while San Antonio FC will host the U-17 Western Conference Regional Event at STAR Soccer Complex from October 11-14.
The cup competition will see academy teams from all three levels of the USL represented, with clubs from the Championship, League One, and League Two all competing against one another. These events will be designed to better identify and accelerate the development of elite youth players with the potential to reach the professional ranks.
The makeup of the competition will include 22 teams representing the USL Championship, with three League One clubs and eight League Two clubs rounding out a growing footprint that already reaches 21 states across the country.
“The USL Academy Cup is a testament to the great work being done by leaders in youth development across the country and shows a strong belief in supporting environments that will push our top youth players to grow and evolve,” said Liam O’Connell, USL Sr. Director of Youth Development. “We are incredibly proud to launch this competition this year and to see our clubs continue to take on an even bigger role in driving the growth of our game for many years to come.”
For information on conference alignment, competition structure, and the latest on the USL Academy initiatives, visit USL-Academy.com.
The United Soccer League announced today the 33 USL clubs that will compete in the USL Academy Cup, a new event beginning this year featuring the country’s elite youth players from the U-13 and U-17 age groups. The SAFC Pro Academy will compete in the inaugural event, while San Antonio FC will host the U-17 Western Conference Regional Event at STAR Soccer Complex from October 11-14.
The cup competition will see academy teams from all three levels of the USL represented, with clubs from the Championship, League One, and League Two all competing against one another. These events will be designed to better identify and accelerate the development of elite youth players with the potential to reach the professional ranks.
The makeup of the competition will include 22 teams representing the USL Championship, with three League One clubs and eight League Two clubs rounding out a growing footprint that already reaches 21 states across the country.
“The USL Academy Cup is a testament to the great work being done by leaders in youth development across the country and shows a strong belief in supporting environments that will push our top youth players to grow and evolve,” said Liam O’Connell, USL Sr. Director of Youth Development. “We are incredibly proud to launch this competition this year and to see our clubs continue to take on an even bigger role in driving the growth of our game for many years to come.”
For information on conference alignment, competition structure, and the latest on the USL Academy initiatives, visit USL-Academy.com.
