Sporting KC U-17s and U-19s learn group stage opponents for 2018 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs

The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-19s and U-17s learned their group stage opponents on Wednesday for the 2018 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs, with the group stage and quarterfinal knockout round taking place from June 18-26 at the SoCal Sports Complex in Oceanside, California.

The tournament’s official draw split 32 academy clubs at each age level into eight groups of four. The group stage runs June 18-24 — consisting of a three-game round-robin — and will send every first-place finisher to the Development Academy quarterfinals, which will follow on June 25-26. Those matches will see the eight group winners stay in Oceanside to play for one of four spots in the Development Academy semifinals, set to kickoff at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, July 8, followed by the championship games on July 10.

Sporting KC is one of 26 academies to send both its U-17s and U-19s to the postseason this summer. The U-17s (15-7-4, 49 points) placed third in the Central Conference's Frontier Division and were propelled throughout the season by the likes of Gabe Findley (nine goals), Jahon Rad (eight goals) and U.S. youth international Cameron Duke.

The U-19s finished with an identical 15-7-4 record and a third-place finish in the Frontier Division. Among the standout performers were U.S. youth international Wilson Harris (16 goals), Roman Knox (11 goals) and Sporting KC homegrown midfielder Gianluca Busio, who in Wednesday's 2-0 U.S. Open Cup win over Real Salt Lake became the youngest player in club history to feature in a match at 16 years and nine days.

The U-17s join a group that includes No. 2 overall seed Seattle Sounders FC, while the U-19s enter a group highlighted by the No. 1 overall seed New York Red Bulls.

2018 Development Academy Playoffs: U-17 Group C

2018 Development Academy Playoffs: U-19 Group F

Follow the Sporting KC Academy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat (skcacademy) for updates throughout the playoffs and for all the latest information on the club's youth development teams.