Philadelphia Union Academy secured two more spots in the prestigeous MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs next month with the U-16s and U-15s winning their groups at MLS NEXT Flex over the weekend.
With the U-18s team in a firm spot for the postseason already, both the U-16s and U-15s headed to Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, needing wins to secure their automatic spots into the season's biggest tournament.
The U-16s under the direction of Pedro Cavalcanti will began the event with a resounding 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes to set the tone. The squad followed it up with a 4-0 victory over Total Futbol Academy before sweeping their group with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City to book their ticket to the Music City.
The U-15s needed just two wins and did just that with back-to-back highscoring affairs to knock off Cedar Stars Bergen (5-1) and Los Angeles SC (5-0).
The culminating event of the season, the 2024-25 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase will feature thirty-two of the top teams from the regular season competing to win a championship in four different age groups (U15, U16, U17, U19). The event will be held from June 14-22 at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Nashville, Tenn. Teams who do not qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs along with those in the U13 and U14 age groups can participate in the MLS NEXT Cup Showcase, which will be held at the same venue.
Sixteen of the 32 teams will qualify for MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their standings in the league table. League matches will be played on a regional basis from September 2024 to June 2025, featuring eight divisions – Florida, Frontier, Mid-America, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest. The other 16 teams will qualify for MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on their performance at MLS NEXT Flex.
