Sunday marked the beginning of group play at the Generation adidas Cup for the Under-17 teams. It was a chance for MLS academies to once again test themselves against academies from around the world.
Austin FC Under-17s were one of the MLS teams that rose to the challenge and picked up a win against overseas competition. Two well-worked team goals on either side of the half provided enough for Austin to hold on for a 2-1 win against Liga MX's Santos Laguna.
US youth international Micah Burton lashed home the opener in the 28th minute. Burton dribbled into the box, playing a pass to midfielder Bryan Arellano at the top of the penalty area. After Burton looped his run away from goal, curling back into the box, Arellano backheeled to Burton, who did the rest.
Aidan Lopez extended the lead just a minute into the second half.
Lopez was the recipient of excellent work down the left flank by Arellano and Diego Rodriguez. After Arellano played Rodriguez into space, the forward managed to wriggle his way past a Santos Laguna defender. He found Lopez in front of goal, who glanced home the second goal of the day for Austin.
With the win, Austin sit in first place in Group D, as Seattle Sounders FC and Charlotte FC drew 1-1 on penalty kicks.
San Jose Earthquakes 2, Nashville SC 0
Regarded as one of the top teams in the Under-17 age group, the San Jose Earthquakes backed that up with a strong 2-0 opening day effort. While Nashville SC defended well and kept the Quakes at bay for the first half, San Jose were finally able to unlock the Nashville defense, and it was Cruz Medina that supplied a finish at the far post from a cross by Martin Kwende Jr.
Two substitutes linked up for the second, as Alex Chow sent in a low, driven ball that Sebastian Carbajal slotted home. US Under-17 forward Fidel Barajas impressed, while Ethan Kohler helped Medina boss the midfield.
Inter Miami 1, Sporting KC 0
Early goals from Benjamin Cremaschi and Samuel Basabe gave Inter Miami CF a two-goal lead just 15 minutes into the game. And that would be enough for the South Florida squad to best Sporting KC. The Basabe goal was a nicely-finished team move that featured a 12-pass sequence.
Philadelphia Union 1, Weston FC 0
Philadelphia Union II signee Nelson Pierre scored the lone goal of the game for the Union Under-17 squad in a 1-0 victory over Weston FC.
Vancouver Whitecaps 1, NYCFC 2
Despite going down by a 1-0 score on an early penalty kick by Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Michael Hennessy, New York City FC bagged a pair of unanswered goals to win the Group E clash. Francesco Di Ponzio scored both goals for NYCFC in the come-from-behind win.
LAFC 0, Flamengo 0
After a 0-0 draw against Flamengo, LAFC managed to grab the extra point by virtue of the penalty kick shootout win. Goalkeeper Jay Sonthalia was one of the stars of the day for LAFC. Along with a clutch couple of saves in the game, he stopped one of the penalties in the 4-2 shootout victory.
Portland Timbers 2, FC Porto 1
The Portland Timbers capped off a second-half comeback with a pair of late goals from Noah Santos and Max Eisenberg.
Trailing by a goal with just seven minutes to play, Santos tied the game with an impressive individual effort, slaloming through several Porto defenders before finding the bottom corner. Close to stoppage time, Eisenberg slotted home the winning goal from a saved Santos shot to kick off a celebration for the Portland academy teams.
Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia Union 0
Two first-half goals from Ashton Gordon provided enough offense as Atlanta United beat Philadelphia Union 2-0. Atlanta sit atop Group G with five points.
New York Red Bulls 1, Pumas 0
After a tough defeat against a very talented River Plate squad on Saturday, the New York Red Bulls wasted no time in bouncing back. An early goal from Pipeloore Olanrewaju was enough, while goalkeeper Aidan Stokes helped his defense secure the 1-0 shutout over Liga MX's Pumas.
FC Dallas 1, Club Tijuana 0
FC Dallas topped Liga MX opponent Club Tijuana by a 1-0 score, as a second-half winner from Brice Miller provided the winning margin.
Chicago Fire 1, Club Leon 1
A frenetic finish took place in Chicago Fire FC’s Group C clash against Leon. With the score tied at 0-0 heading into stoppage time, Leon’s Tadeo Mundo put the Liga MX side up by a 1-0 with only a few minutes remaining. The Fire’s Carlos Gael Melo managed to score with nearly the last kick of the game. Goalkeeper Aleksander Kapciak saved three shootout attempts to help the Fire secure the extra point.
