mls next

On April 16, 2020, it was announced that the United States Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) would be closing due to the ongoing pandemic. The Development Academy, which was designed to identify and develop young talent in the U.S., had played a vital role in the success of the players playing at the next level. The […]

Girls Academy (GA) soccer is a program that provides young female soccer players with high-level training and competition. The GA soccer league is designed to improve the technical and tactical skills of players, as well as their physical and mental preparation for the demands of the game at the highest level. For top-level girls in […]

Every year, MLS NEXT organizes showcases across the nation over a ten-month period. The official 2023 MLS NEXT Showcase schedule is released and we have the dates to start planning your trip. These showcases are outside of normal league play and provide an opportunity for players to get scouted by colleges, youth national teams and […]

Established in 2020, the roster of MLS NEXT teams continues to grow. At the time of this article (January 2023), there are 590 teams representing 133 soccer clubs across the U.S. and Canada. As part of the MLS NEXT league, U13-u19 boys soccer teams compete each year at the highest level of youth soccer in […]

My son plays on an u14 MLS NEXT team and absolutely loves it. He loves the coaching, teammates, soccer organization and competitive play. But, as many know, the youth soccer scene in the U.S., is more of a pay-to-play model. I’m not a huge fan of this because it doesn’t provide equal opportunity to every […]

MLS NEXT is a U.S. and Canadian youth soccer league that is organized and controlled by the Major League Soccer (MLS). It was first introduced in 2020 and replaced U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA) which found itself in a financial hardship after the pandemic. With 11,000+ players and 590 teams from 133 different soccer clubs, […]

Youth soccer in the U.S. has evolved tremendously over the past couple of decades. Where town travel used to rule the soccer scene, now soccer clubs have advanced to support athletes who are looking to play more competitively.  With all the changes taking place it can be very confusing. At the youth level there’s three […]