FRISCO, Texas – The CF Montréal Academy U15s fell 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls Academy in the MLS NEXT Cup final, on Saturday night, at Toyota Stadium.
In a match contested under sweltering conditions, head coach Esteban Landazabal's squad broke the deadlock late in the second half on a goal from Zaky Lachhab and assisted by Laurent Santana (74’). However, the New Yorkers drew level three minutes later before scoring the game-winner in the final minute of added time.
“We came within a hair's breadth of the cup,” said U15 head coach Esteban Landazabal. “We fought together until the very end. That's soccer and it didn't go our way today. Whatever happened, the staff and the Club are very proud of what the players achieved. It was a historic first final against arguably the best team in the league, and we almost beat them. We should be proud and hold our heads high.”
"If you had told me in the beginning of the year, when I stepped into my role, that we would be in the finals at the end of the season I would have been happy. Obviously getting here and losing is heartbreaking for everyone,” said CF Montréal Academy Director Marinos Papageorgopoulos. “The reality is that both the players and the entire Academy staff have now taken in this learning experience. This will only be beneficial for all future academy generations. Congratulations to all the players and staff and thank you to the Club for the resources and support provided to the Academy.”
The Montrealers, seeded 31 out of 32 teams, faced the fourth seed and were playing the first final in their history. It also marked the first final for a Canadian MLS academy in the MLS NEXT championship.
