Congrats to the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Champions

The MLS NEXT Cup concluded over the weekend and it was a very entertaining week-long event!

Along with the Showcase games, the Cup matches were played at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, TN. The finals took place at GEODIS Park in Nashville.

Here are the champs for each respective age group…

• U-15: Chicago Fire defeated LA Galaxy 3-1 to bring home the crown. Darris Hyte was spectacular and dynamic up front for the Fire.
• U-16: FC Delco won over Real Colorado 3-0. FC Delco looked strong beating FC Dallas and Philadelphia Union. Michael Capretto led all scorers with 7 goals in 4 games.
• U-17: LA Galaxy defeated Charlotte FC 4-1. LA Galaxy was clearly the more dominant team. Led by Ruben Ramos Jr. who netted a hat trick, the Galaxy were able to play from the back and exploit a constant attack.
• U-19: Strikers FC defeated Cedar Stars Academy (Bergen) in pens. What an exciting game this was with Cedar Stars tying the game at the last second to bring it to extra time. Ultimately, the Strikers saved two PKs to secure the victory.

The tournament wasn’t just about the main matches; teams that didn’t make it through the playoffs still got to shine in the MLS NEXT Cup Showcase, giving all players a chance to impress scouts from colleges, pro teams, and beyond.

My son was there playing in the Showcase and there was so much talent on the fields!

This event concludes the season for MLS Next teams. Most teams will reconvene in August to kickoff their training for the 2024/2025 season.