Rising Talent of MLS NEXT Set to Compete in DallasArea This SummerMLS NEXT championship is scheduled for June 25 – July 3
NEW YORK (Wednesday, May 12) – The future of the sport descends on the Dallas Metroplexas the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs will take place from June 25 – July 3 to crown MLSNEXT Cup champions in four age groups (U15, U16, U17, U19). The top 128 teams in thenation will participate in the championship tournament to conclude the ten-month inauguralseason. Twenty-five matches will be streamed live on MLSsoccer.com with six matches takingplace on FC Dallas’ stadium field in Frisco, Texas.
The MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs will be a single-elimination competition with 32 teams in each agegroup. Teams will qualify for MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs on a points per game basis from theirperformance in the MLS NEXT regular season.
“The MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs will provide more opportunity for clubs to play importantmatches and our players to further showcase their abilities in front of scouts and coaches,” saidMLS NEXT Technical Director Fred Lipka. “This will be the culmination of an exciting seasonand serve as a celebration of everything our players, coaches, referees and staff achieved overthe last year.”
“We are very excited to host the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup at our facilities,” said LuchiGonzalez, Head Coach of FC Dallas. “As a club, developing homegrown talent is something wehave been focused on for many years and is evident in the talented players emerging from ourclub. MLS NEXT is an extremely valuable component as we continue to enhance theprofessional player pathway and we look forward to welcoming the best players in our country toDallas in June.”
MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase will include a significant focus on talent identificationand technical analysis with MLS NEXT Match Evaluators, U.S. Soccer’s Director of TalentIdentification, Tony Lepore, youth national team coaches and a vast assortment of collegecoaches in attendance. MLS NEXT Match Evaluators are former professional players andcoaches, evaluating MLS NEXT matches to assess the quality of play and identify top talents.The MLS NEXT Match Evaluator Program will debut at the event this summer and continue intothe 2021-22 MLS NEXT regular season and beyond. In addition, each match will be filmed and then analyzed so each team is able to review their match. MLS NEXT will also produce a post event technical report and analysis.
Prior to arrival in Frisco, MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase will include a week of virtualeducation programming for all players, coaches and referees designed to prepare the clubs fortheir participation and provide valuable insight into what it takes to improve as players, coachesand referees to reach each individual’s maximum potential.
Teams that do not qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs have the opportunity to play in theMLS NEXT Cup Showcase, which provides an exposure platform for players to play in front ofcollege, youth national team, and professional coaches and scouts. All clubs participating in theMLS NEXT Cup Showcase will have three matches in four days. In the evenings, players will beselected to participate in the MLS NEXT Showcase Best Of matches.
Official MLS NEXT partner, adidas, will supply match balls for the entire tournament and willhave additional programming around the event. More information about MLS NEXT CupPlayoffs and Showcase can be found at MLSsoccer.com/MLSNEXT.
ABOUT MLS NEXT
MLS NEXT is a new paradigm for player development, launched in 2020 to transform youthsoccer in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and acommitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest level of competition,training and personal development opportunities that will prepare them for their futures, both insoccer and in life. Current membership includes 118 clubs, 521 teams and over 11,000 playersacross the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas and Carolina Onlineat the University of South Carolina. For more information about MLS NEXT,visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext