When the D.C. United U-17 Academy team takes the field in Frisco, Texas, to begin their run in the Champions Division of the 2018 Generation adidas Cup Finals, they will be facing some of the best youth players in the world, and they are ready for it.
On Friday, March 23, the U-17s will open play in the Champions Division of the tournament, which is one of the world’s premiere youth soccer competitions. United will play in Group A along with academy teams from Toronto FC, Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt, and Argentina’s River Plate.
The Black-and-Red will face River Plate first at 5:45 PM ET on Friday. Their full schedule can be found here.
“It’s going to be one of the most challenging tournaments in the country,” Ryan Martin, United Academy Director and U-17 Head Coach, said. “River Plate have won it three times in a row, so we’re looking at the team that has had the most success here. Then you have Frankfurt who had a good event last year, and Toronto who have perennially been very good. We’re expecting three very tough games.”
The U-17 side punched their ticket to Frisco after a 2-1-0 performance at the Presidents' Day Weekend portion of the Generation adidas Cup in Atlanta. After falling to NYCFC in their opener that weekend, the U-17s roared back with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union and an emphatic 8-1 victory against the New England Revolution.
Now the Black-and-Red will look to carry that momentum into their matches against international competition.
“The fun part for our guys is that we’re going to face three different styles of play,” Martin said. “It will be really interesting for us playing three different teams from three different continents. It’s a really exciting opportunity for players to test themselves and see where they stand. For our guys to have that opportunity to stack up against them is tremendous.”
D.C.'s first opponent, River Plate—one of the legendary sides in Argentina club soccer—has produced some of the country’s best talents through their academy. But Martin believes that United can match them.
“The DMV area is one of the best, in terms of talent, in the country,” Martin said. “We’ve worked with everybody to bring the best into the fold.”
Players like goalkeeper Dane Jacomen, who has remained a standout of the Academy over the years, and Gabe Segal, who led the team in scoring during the last two rounds, are expected to have big performances against the staunch competition.
Martin is also excited to see how 14-year-old Moses Nyeman performs against some of the top youth players. Though he's young for the age group, Martin sees a poise in Nyeman that can help him succeed against top-tier competition.
“He’s got a maturity to him that is not like a 14-year-old,” Martin said. “He’s dedicated to his craft and is the type of player that doesn’t solely rely on his physical tools. He sees the game at a different level.”
Above all, Martin hopes the players can use the tournament as an opportunity to elevate themselves to their next level of play. The tournament can be used as a springboard for development, and Martin believes the players should make the most out of it now that they have the opportunity.
“This is a chance to see if these guys can compete against the top players in the world. These are kids across the world looking for contracts and to make youth national teams. It’s about having the group mentality to represent D.C. United in the best way possible.”
