RSL Academy U17s Take on CF Montreal

The RSL Academy U17 team, winners of the 2021 MLS NEXT Cup, begin the quest for a second major trophy this Sunday, April 10, against CF Montreal at 1:00 p.m. MT. The Club is now under the leadership of former Real Salt Lake standout, Head Coach* Jordan Allen*, an Academy product himself.

Unlike many of the opposing teams, Allen’s roster boasts eight players with professional game experience, several of which arrived in Dallas, Texas Saturday morning following their appearance with the Real Monarchs on Friday night. 

With so many of his players being utilized at the MLS NEXT Pro level with Real Monarchs, Allen’s team enters the first match of the Generation Adidas Cup winless in its last two matches. However, despite volatile roster changes, the U17 squad has earned a 14-8-1 (W-L-D) record across all competitions this season. 

Additionally, in the team's last four matches at full strength, RSL outscored opponents 12-5, a period during which forward Terron Williams recorded seven goals. 

On the other hand, Sunday’s opponent, CF Montreal enters the match with a 1-5-3 record thus far this season. They have been outscored 6-14, their only win coming against a non-Major League Soccer affiliated program. However, it is worth noting that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and strict guidelines in their home country of Canada, Montreal have had less game experience than the remaining U.S. based clubs. 

Of note, Axel Kei and Jude Wellings were named to the Generation Adidas Cup Rising XI presented by Body Armor Sports Drink, recognizing the top 11 players to watch for at the tournament. The RSL Academy is one of only two clubs with two players recognized on the list, with the other being New England Revolution.

The remaining group stage matches for the RSL Academy’s U17 team will be played on Monday, April 11 at 11:00 a.m. MT against Mexican power, Tigres UANL, and then on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 a.m. MT against Houston Dynamo. 

The match against Tigres will be streamed live for all fans of the Claret-and-Cobalt to watch on both Twitch and YouTube. The other two group stage matches will not be streamed, however updates on scores and results can be found on the RSL Academy social media channels, as well as at RSL.com/Academy.