Philadelphia Union Academy's U-15's Advance to MLS Next Semifinals

June 29, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Philadelphia Union News Release

CHESTER, Pa. - The Philadelphia Union Academy's U-15 squad defeated Austin FC yesterday afternoon to secure their spot in the semifinals in the inaugural MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs. After a scoreless draw at the end of regulation, the teams went to penalty kicks that saw the Union Academy win by a 3-1 margin.

MLS NEXT launched in 2020 as a model for player development and to ensure players have a viable pathway to reach the highest levels of the game. The inaugural playoffs, where the best 32 teams from each age group qualified, prioritize talent identification as well as providing the opportunity for youth players to earn meaningful match minutes against the best players in the country.

Philadelphia Union U-15s now advance to the semifinals, where they will play New England Revolution, on Wednesday, June 30th at 10:05 a.m. ET. The match will be streamed on MLSSoccer.com.

The Union Academy made it to the quarterfinals after defeating Portland Timbers 2-0, and the top seeded LA Galaxy 1-1 (5-4 in penalty kicks). In the quarterfinals, forward Matt Routzahn put away his second game-winning PK of the tournament, while goalkeeper Andrew Rick made three saves in the shootout to earn their spot in the semifinals.

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• Charlotte FC Signs North Carolina Native Adam Armour - Charlotte FC
• 2021 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge Presented by AT&T 5G to Feature MLS against LIGA MX - MLS
• New England Revolution Academy Under-15s Advance to MLS NEXT Cup Semifinals - New England Revolution
• The Pitch: Columbus Crew's Lower.com Field Continues MLS Stadium Tradition - MLS
• Philadelphia Union Academy's U-15's Advance to MLS Next Semifinals - Philadelphia Union

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