FRISCO, Texas – CF Montréal Academy's U15 squad will compete in the semifinals of the MLS NEXT Cup in Frisco, Texas, this Thursday at 11:15am EDT, as part of the closing tournament of the 2022-2023 MLS NEXT season.
Head coach Esteban Landazabal's players will face private academy Strikers FC for a place in the final.
This will be the third time in the Academy's history that one of its teams has qualified for the semifinals of the closing tournament: twice in the ex-North American USSDA league with the U18s in 2014 and with the U16s in 2018.
“What we're doing right now is historic,” said U15 head coach Esteban Landazabal. “The goal is to represent the Club well. It is a great source of pride for this group. We've had a lot of support from the Club, which is behind us. We must enjoy the moment, but also believe in the process, because it is not over yet.”
In an exceptional quarterfinal scenario, the young Montrealers secured a place in the final four against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday winning the shootout 11-10 following a 1-1 score after full-time. Eliott Germain-Aubrey scored for CF Montréal in the first half before Real Salt Lake equalized with a free kick in the dying moments.
Having earned playoff qualification following the regular season as the 31st seed out of 32, the U15 team defeated Southern Soccer Academy in the first round (2-0) before eliminating Austin FC, recent winner of this year's Generation adidas Cup, in the Round of 16 (2-1).
“Qualifying for the semifinals is not the result of chance but hard work from all the Academy staff and full support from the Club. This U15 group is part of a very good generation of players who herald a promising future for the Academy,” said CF Montréal Academy Director Marinos Papageorgopoulos. “The strength of character shown by the team in this journey, in the most important tournament of the season, is an excellent experience for the future. Congratulations to the staff for their hard work, and a big thank you to the Club for supporting our youngsters' performance throughout the season.”
