Major League Soccer on Friday announced details for the second edition of the adidas MLS College Showcase, which will take place from Dec. 10-12 in conjunction with the 2021 NCAA Men’s College Cup in Cary, N.C. The three-day event will give technical staffs from every MLS club an opportunity to scout top collegiate prospects in the nation, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility.
The 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase will feature 44 top college players, ranging from freshmen to graduate students, participating in a series of training sessions, testing, interviews and match play. This event will allow MLS clubs to scout and interact with potential MLS SuperDraft selections across different stages of their collegiate careers without jeopardizing players’ collegiate eligibility.
Eleven players who participated in the 2019 adidas MLS College Showcase are currently on MLS rosters, including the No. 1 overall selections in the past two editions of the MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas: Robbie Robinson of Inter Miami CF (2020) and Daniel Pereira of Austin FC (2021).
Pereira used the inaugural event in December 2019 to showcase his talent to coaches and scouts before returning to Virginia Tech for his sophomore season in 2020. Following his sophomore campaign, Pereira was signed to a Generation adidas contract and was selected first overall by Austin FC.
The 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase is a closed-door scouting event officially sanctioned by the NCAA. Players on the four remaining teams in College Cup contention will not participate in the 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase; however, technical staff from MLS clubs will attend the remaining College Cup matches in Cary, N.C. on Dec. 10 and Dec. 12.
Homegrown-eligible underclassmen players – young talents developed by MLS club academies – are eligible to participate in the 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase.
The full list of 44 players invited to attend the 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase will be released early next week. Please note that the list of invitees is subject to change prior to the event. The eligible player list for the 2022 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas will be announced at a later date following the 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase.
