Sporting Kansas City's U-17s punched their ticket to the GA Cup Quarterfinals with a thrilling 5-4 win in penalties after erasing a two-goal, second-half deficit against FC Cincinnati at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. With their gritty victory, the U-17s will now take on the LA Galaxy on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in the Quarterfinals of the prestigious, international MLS NEXT competition.
Today's kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT, on Field 1 at IMG Academy and will stream live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as the two MLS originals' U-17s look to secure a spot in tomorrow's semifinals.
The U-17s, led by head coach Angel Rivillo, showed true perseverance in their most recent match with familiar foes FC Cincinnati. After finding themselves in a two-goal deficit, the U-17s cleverly struck on a quickly taken free kick with 15 minutes to play to cut the opposition's lead in half.
Moments later, a soaring header on a perfectly dropped cross leveled the match as Sporting's U-15s, there to support their fellow club mates, erupted with excitement in the corner. Cincinnati would pull back ahead as stoppage time loomed with a curling effort from the left side of the box.
Despite the long odds, the group rallied together and converted a penalty with no more than two minutes remaining in stoppage time. With the score even at the end of regulation, the contest headed straight to kicks from the spot where all five of Sporting's takers sank their kicks. One save was all that was needed as Sporting advanced to the semis on the backs of a gutsy, come-from-behind triumph in kicks from the spot.
This type of performance is not new for this group at GA Cup in 2024. After suffering an opening match defeat to Real Salt Lake in the Group Stage, the lads rallied to rattle off two straight wins to earn a wild card spot in the Championship Bracket.
The U-17s took down Inter Miami with a last-minute winner in a 1-0 victory before sinking Atletico Nacional in a hard-fought 2-1 win to close out the group stages. There is no quit in this group as the attention now turns to LA Galaxy and the GA Cup quarterfinals.
First Name | Last Name |
Tomiwa | Adewumi |
Dominik | Baczewksi |
Aiden | Benitez |
Leo | Christiano |
Carter | Derksen |
Shane | Donovan |
Ian | James |
Andrew | Johnson |
Jaxson | Kalinka |
Jack | Kortkamp |
Damian | Linarez |
Troy | Lor |
Ronald | Lozano Del Angel |
Renan | Mendoza |
Jacob | Molinaro |
Johann | Ortiz |
Chinelo | Robinson |
Zane | Wantland |
Trajan | Wormington |
Nate | Young |
Sporting fans can follow the Sporting KC Academy's GA Cup journey by following @SKCAcademy on X and Instagram. Both will feature score updates, starting XIs as well as photos from all of Sporting's matches. Updated broadcast schedules regarding the streaming of matches on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will be made available at the end of each round.
Subscribing to MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is available on the Apple TV app for $14.99 (U.S.) per month during the season or $99 (U.S.) per season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 (U.S.) per month or $79 (U.S.) per season. A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.
MLS Season Pass is available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. To learn more about how to subscribe to MLS Season Pass, visit apple.co/\_MLS\_.
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer -- celebrating its 29th season in 2024 -- features 30 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including a new expansion team in San Diego that will debut in 2025. All MLS, Leagues Cup, and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches can be watched through MLS Season Pass, available on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. MLS Season Pass features the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming ever for MLS fans. For more information about MLS, visit mlssoccer.com. For more information about the Apple TV app, visit apple.com/apple-tv-app.
