HARRISON, N.J. (April 4, 2023) – This weekend was jam packed with success for Red Bulls Academy, with the U14s, U15s, and U17s all producing great results in their respective tournaments. With the U14s competing in Dubai for the Mina Cup and the U15s and U17s rolling through their Generation Adidas Cup schedule, all three squads have a lot to be proud about following the weekend.
Mina Cup - U14s
The U14 squad had a fantastic weekend in Dubai, putting up solid performances against some of the most talented academies in the world. Their group included Barca Academy, Yokohama FC, and Fursan Hispania, and the squad still put out quality results.
In their first match against Yokohama FC on Saturday, the squad took care of business and won the match 1-0. A Tafsir Diop goal was the difference in the Mina Cup opener as New York kept the clean sheet.
Barca Academy were next on the U14s schedule, and they did not shy away from the challenge. In convincing fashion, New York beat Barca 3-0 thanks to a tremendous defensive performance from the entire team as well as goals from Astin Mbaye, Kevin Elezi and Josh Jimenez.
New York closed out the group stage against Fursan Hispania, who gave them their biggest test in the tournament by holding the matchup to a 1-1 draw with Ryon Choi scoring the lone goal. The U14s still finished at the top of their group and moved on to the Semi Final round of the tournament.
In a pivotal Semi Final match, the boys took care of business against Dubai City FC by a score of 2-1. The squad went up 2-0 early with goals in quick succession and then held it down for the rest of the match to move on to the Mina Cup Final against Fursan Hispania.
The Mina Cup Final was one that showed just how tough our U14s played their opponents throughout the tournament. With no scoring through regulation, the Mina Cup was decided by a shootout that went eight rounds where New York ended up taking the loss.
While they were not the last team standing, anyone who looks back at this team’s performance would be impressed with the product that the U14s put on the pitch every single match.
GA Cup – U15s
Rapidly becoming one of the favorites to win their age group, the U15 squad has been dominant so far in the Generation Adidas Cup. In a tough group that included the Chelsea F.C., FC Dallas, and CF Montréal academies, New York seemed to have no trouble making their way to the top.
On Saturday, the squad introduced themselves to the tournament by making a statement as they beat CF Montréal by a final score of 7-1. A hattrick for Tanner Rosborough highlighted the fantastic performance from New York and set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
The success continued Sunday, as the boys grabbed another three points in the group following a 2-0 win against FC Dallas. The defensive performance from New York kept Dallas out of the back of the net and Julian Hall got on the scoresheet to secure the victory.
Monday was a match that had been circled on the calendar ever since the schedule came out, as New York was set to face Chelsea F.C. in a much-anticipated matchup. The entire U15 squad was up for the challenge, as they shutout the English side 3-0. Julian Hall recorded a brace in the match and Aidan Stokes maintained his second clean sheet with help from an impressive defensive performance all-around.
The U15s will face off against Houston Dynamo FC tomorrow, April 5th, at 10 am ET.
GA Cup – U17s
Similar to the rest of the Academy teams over the weekend, the U17s had some fantastic performances at IMG Academy in the GA Cup Group Stage. Even with a challenging group that included the LAFC, Inter Miami CF, and Club América academies, the squad finished at the top of the group with eight points.
Like the U14s and the U15s, the U17s started their tournament off with a win and set the tone for the group stage. New York defeated Inter Miami CF 3-2 to grab three points in their first match at IMG Academy.
In a defensive battle against LAFC, both teams failed to score a goal in regulation and the match went to a shootout to determine who would claim the second point in the standings. After a fantastic performance by Alan Rutkowski in net, New York came out on top by a shootout score of 4 to 2.
To close out the group stage, the U17s took care of business by taking down Club América 1-0. With eight points after three matches, the squad ended the group stage at the top and now look to continue that success in the knockout stage.
The U17s will face off against Palmeiras tomorrow, April 5th, at 2:30 pm ET.
