Many of the best U-17 players from around the world will convene in Frisco, Texas from April 13-20 for the annual Generation adidas Cup finals.
The Dynamo Academy U-17s will feature in Group B of the Premier Division, but unlike most tournaments, they will not be playing the teams also in their group. Instead, all Group A teams will face off against Group B teams, and all Group C teams will face off against Group D teams for the group stage. Then the top teams from each of the four groups will go on to compete in the semifinals.
Group play will kick off for the Houston Dynamo with a game against D.C. United on April 13 at 9 a.m. CT. D.C. United has had a fairly successful season so far, only losing 2 out of their 12 games. Both defenses will be facing strong forwards. Houston defense will have to look out for D.C. United forward Griffin Yow, who is currently the leading scorer for his team by 5 goals. On the opposite side of things, Kaya Ignacio is the leading scorer for the U-17 Dynamo squad, averaging one goal per game this season.
On Sunday, April 14, the Dynamo have a doubleheader against fellow MLS clubs, taking on the Chicago Fire at 9 a.m. and then Atlanta United at 4 p.m.
After a rest day, the Dynamo will face off against Club Tijuana on April 16, also at 9 a.m. The Dynamo and Xolo U-17 teams faced each other in last year’s tournament, with Houston dominating by 4-1. Even though the teams contain a whole new set of players, Tijuana will without a doubt be looking to redeem themselves based off of tournament history. You can watch this match and others throughout the tournament via Twitch.
To finish out group play, Houston will go up against the San Jose Earthquakes at 10:45 a.m. on April 17. The two teams last played in December at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase. The Dynamo were on their game that day, putting together a strong 4-1 win over the Quakes. Once again it seems that we have a team set on redemption against Houston, hopefully leading to a beautiful game of competitive soccer.
The winner of each group will be set to play in the semifinals in Frisco on April 18th, followed by the finals on the 20th.
