St. Louis CITY SC Academy’s U15 squad has clinched a berth to compete in the 2025 MLS NEXT Cup in Nashville, Tennessee from June 14-22 at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. The single-elimination knockout tournament will conclude with two championship matches held on June 21 and the final four championship games on Sunday, June 22.
The tournament consists of 32 of the top teams in four different age groups (U15, U16, U17, U19) that qualified for the tournament based on league play or by winning their respective group at MLS NEXT Flex. For CITY SC’s U15 squad, they finished top of the Mid-America (West Division) group, granting them automatic qualification for this year’s cup. The U15s went undefeated this season with an impressive 8-0-1 record, finishing with 25 points.
The U15 boys will open tournament play facing off against the New York Red Bulls in the Round of 32. If the squad were to advance to the Round of 16, they would take on either Sacramento Republic FC or Queen City Mutiny FC.
The MLS NEXT Cup playoff schedule can be found below:
U15
June 14: New York Red Bulls at 8 a.m. CT
For the first time in the event’s history, the U13 and U14 age groups will each feature 24 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket to take home the title, with both championship matches on June 22. CITY SC’s U14 squad were invited to the competition based on the Quality of Play rankings. Each match will be 60 minutes with 30-minute halves and go straight to penalty kicks in the event of a tie.
The MLS NEXT Cup Championship schedule can be found below:
U14
June 19: Athletum FC at 8 a.m. CT
Additionally, CITY SC’s U19 team will participate in the Showcase. The Showcase provides opportunities for MLS NEXT players to compete in front of collegiate, international, and professional coaches and scouts. All clubs participating in MLS NEXT Cup Showcase will play three matches over a four-day span. Clubs who are eliminated in the first two rounds of MLS NEXT Cup will be eligible to participate in the Showcase.
The MLS NEXT Cup Showcase schedule can be found below:
U19
June 15: Nashville SC at 4:45 p.m. CT
June 16: De Anza Force at 7 p.m. CT
June 18: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 p.m. CT
Nineteen MLS NEXT Cup games, including all four championship matches, will stream live on MLS’ YouTube page. The full schedule for MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs will be available HERE and the final 2024-25 final league standings are available HERE. Follow along on St. Louis CITY SC’s Academy Instagram and X accounts to stay updated with tournament news.
