ST. LOUIS — Nearly two weeks ago, St. Louis CITY SC introduced its U-16 and U-17 academy team rosters to the public. Now, the soccer club is announcing the schedule ahead of the MLS NEXT season.
MLS NEXT is a system of youth soccer leagues that are managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer.
This season, nearly 600 teams will compete in more than 9,000 matches over a 10-month regular season, which starts Aug. 21. Top prospects in the U.S. and Canada will have the chance to become MLS NEXT Champions by winning the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs in July 2022. New to the second edition of the competition, the 2021-22 MLS NEXT campaign will feature two national events, a winter event, and a qualifying event for the annual MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
“We are excited to launch our second year of competition, providing the most meaningful competition for the top players in the U.S. and Canada,” said MLS Technical Director of Youth Development Fred Lipka. “When we launched MLS NEXT, we intended to provide the most competitive matches for the best players in North America and our second season brings us closer to this goal.”
The club also says an efficient travel schedule is one of its top priorities, especially for the younger age groups. They will ensure teams are competing in a manner consistent with local, state, and federal health recommendations.
St. Louis CITY SC Academy teams kick off their first official MLS NEXT regular season match on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Chicago Fire FC. Their first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 4 at Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex Field. St. Louis CITY will take on Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Minnesota).
You can get more information about individual team schedules here.
