Monday’s action at the Generation adidas Cup was do-or-die time for teams seeking to win the competition. The top 16 teams in the 10-group tournament would all secure progress to the Championship Bracket and a shot at winning the competition at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
San Jose Earthquakes U-17s continued to succeed, finishing as the only MLS side to win all three group games. Christopher Menjivar, Tomo Allen and Chance Cowell scored in a 3-0 win over CF Montréal.
FC Cincinnati U-17s built off their big upset on Sunday, securing a 1-0 victory versus Atlas FC. The victory ensured a first-place finish in Group A, thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Philadelphia Union. Stefan Chirila scored the lone goal in the 35th minute, and the defense held firm to advance to the Round of 16.
FC Dallas U-15 dramatics
There were also big moments and results for MLS sides outside the first-place finishers. FC Dallas U-15s drew 1-1 against Genk. Neither side managed to score through the game’s first 50 minutes. FCD eventually broke the deadlock, as a Christopher Cook through ball set the table for Jordyn Eason to open the scoring in the 53rd minute. The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Genk tied it one minute after through a header from Maxime Buekers.
FC Dallas defender Christian Wygant ended up in goal during the shootout, after goalkeeper Juan Carrera was sent off for handling the ball outside the box. In the ninth round, Wygant made a save that set the table for FCD to grab the extra point.
St. Louis U-17s dip deep
In the U-17 age group, St. Louis CITY SC finished on a high note by beating Flamengo, 1-0.
Stone Marion bagged the winner, cleaning up a rebound in the seventh minute. A stout defensive effort and strong performance by goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin helped St. Louis become the first team to defeat the Brazilian side in Florida.
Here’s a rundown of some of the other notable results from Monday.
Orlando City SC punched their ticket into the Championship bracket, finishing in second place behind Arsenal in Group J. It was the same trio that powered an opening-day win, as Jakob Garcia scored in the ninth minute against the New England Revolution. Mattew Belgodere added a second goal early in the second half, while Zachary Olah tallied the third in stoppage time for a 3-0 win.
The LA Galaxy captured first place in Group H with another win. Aaron Medina’s 40th-minute goal was enough to see off Toronto FC by a 1-0 scoreline.
New York City FC did their best to secure a spot in the Round of 16 as one of the best second-place finishers. A 3-2 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC secured the full points, but it required holding onto a narrow lead. Goals from Peter Molinari, Jaheem Bennett and Henrik Hvatum staked NYCFC to a three-goal lead with just over 10 minutes to go. Late goals from Vancouver's Tyler Brown and Ryder Sewell made it a nervy finish, though NYCFC persevered.
Anthony Capetillo’s stoppage-time winner against Weston FC secured Real Salt Lake a 1-0 win on Monday. It also clinched first place in Group A and a shot at winning the competition.
Meeting in a decisive clash in Group I, Inter Miami CF narrowly beat the Philadelphia Union by a 1-0 score to finish at the top. Gabriel Florentino scored the winning goal in the 40th minute.
St. Louis CITY SC's 1-0 win over Manchester United secured the top spot in Group F. Alexander Jundt converted a penalty kick in the 34th minute and St. Louis held on to finish group play unbeaten.
Facing Necaxa and needing a win to move atop Group I, FC Dallas got the job done on Monday. Midfielder Marlon Luccin provided a perfect start, scoring two minutes into the game. FCD’s defense clamped down, keeping a zero for the rest of the match. Ian Witis-Hughes put the game out of reach, securing a 2-0 victory.
After suffering an opening-day defeat against the Earthquakes, Chicago Fire FC secured a second straight win to slot into second place in their group. Matthew Maciulis, Damyan Villanueva and Vitaly Hlyut supplied the goals in a 3-0 win over AZ Alkmaar.
The Union secured a second-place group finish and a spot in the Round of 16 with a 4-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Yuma Tsuji put Vancouver up a goal just three minutes into the contest. From there, it was all Philly. Kellan Leblanc scored in the fourth minute, and defender Neil Pierre added another in the second half. A Jamir Johnson brace in stoppage time rounded out the scoring.
Real Salt Lake wrapped up a successful group stage with a second win, finishing unbeaten in their first three games. Zavier Gozo's goal in the 45th minute was enough in a critical clash with Inter Miami, with RSL holding on for the 1-0 victory to finish first in Group B.
A big win in the final group game against Atlético Nacional has Sporting Kansas City poised to qualify for the championship bracket. After a scoreless first half, Johann Ortiz found net in the 41st minute. Tomiwa Adewumi doubled the lead just over 10 minutes later, which was crucial, as Jhon Sebastian Carbonero Suarez scored for the Colombian side in the 60th minute to make it a 2-1 final.
Needing a win to bolster their chances of progressing as a second-place finisher, New York City FC picked up the win, beating Seattle Sounders FC 2-0. Luka Sunjic followed up his blocked shot to open the scoring in the 19th minute. Evan Lim added a second tally, as NYCFC finished second in Group H.
