MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs: What to Know Ahead Of the U15 and U16 Finals

By Sean Maslin
SoccerWire Staff Writer

The MLS NEXT Cup Finals will be taking place this weekend in Frisco, Texas. See below for a look ahead at the U15 and U16 title matches, which are taking place Saturday.

(All games will be available via streaming through Apple+)

U15

CF Montreal vs New York Red Bulls  (9:00 p.m. ET | Watch Here)

A match-up of two different styles of play, Saturday’s U15 final between New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal will certainly be an interesting clash and a real barometer for the level of attacking  and defensive development at the U-15 level.

For New York Red Bulls, the path to the final was led by the play of their talisman striker Julian Hall. The top goalscorer at this year’s Generation Adidas Cup netted the critical go-ahead goal for the Red Bulls in their 2-1 win in the semifinals over LAFC. Hall is direct with his runs to goal and uses strength and speed to blow past defenders. He has already made an appearance for the Red Bulls MLS NEXT Pro side and has earned call-ups to both the United States and Poland Youth National Teams.

In the midfield, keep an eye on Jaylen Lester. The midfielder from New Jersey works seamlessly with Hall to create goal-scoring opportunities for each other. He is also a real asset on set pieces, as evidenced by his perfectly placed free kick in the semifinals to make things level.

New York booked their spot in the finals with three consecutive shutout wins over St. Louis Scott Gallagher (2-0), Colorado Rapids (2-0), and Seattle Sounders (4-0). In the semifinals, they defeated LAFC 2-1.

CF Montreal should more than match them with their dogged persistence, and plenty of heart. They earned their spot in the finals thanks to massive wins over Southern Soccer Academy (2-0), Austin FC (2-1), Real Salt Lake (1-1, 11-10 in penalties), and Strikers FC (2-2, 5-4 in penalties). This is very much a Cinderella story as Montreal were the 31st side of 32 to qualify for this year’s Cup competition, and as evidenced by their magic doesn’t seem to be done yet.

In terms of tactics, head coach Estaban Landazabal will use the strength along the defensive line to absorb the Red Bulls early pressure, and then hit back on the counter-attack. Eliott Germain-Aubrey has been their main source of goals all season and seems to be rising to the occasion down in Texas, scoring their first goal in regulation against Strikers FC and their lone goal against Real Salt Lake.

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— MLS NEXT (@MLSNEXT) June 22, 2023

U16

Strikers FC vs Atlanta United FC (6:00 p.m. ET | Watch Here)

The Strikers come into Saturday’s final in fine attacking form, having just held off the Michigan Jaguars 4-2 in Thursday’s semifinals. Mateos Carvalho once again, provided the spark for Strikers, giving them their third of the match. He had previously scored the match-winner in their 1-0 win over FC United, one of the top sides at this year’s competition.

Defensively, they have stifled opponents throughout their time in Texas, earning two shutouts over United and Inter Miami CF (2-0), while holding Oakwood Soccer Club in the opening round to just one goal in their 2-1 victory. Center back Cristiano Flores has led the defensive line throughout the tournament and has made several key tackles to keep his side going. He is also a threat on set pieces, scoring the opening goal for Strikers off of a corner kick against the Jaguars.

Flores and the Strikers backline will have their hands full against Atlanta United and their star striker Ashton Gordon. Gordon, who has represented Jamaica at the U-17 National Team level, scored a brace in Atlanta’s 2-0 win over Weston FC in the Quarterfinals. What makes him such a dangerous player is his poise, he is calm when he gains possession and can hit a shot from  both short and long range with relative ease.

United continued their strong attacking play in the semifinals, outlasting Solar SC 2-1. After some close results earlier in the tournament (they narrowly defeated Florida Rush 1-0 and held off Real Colorado 5-3 in penalties after going scoreless in regulation), they seem to be finally finding their groove.