The Earthquakes under-17 academy team, led by Amir Bashti, is excited to be competing in the Champions Division of the Generation adidas Cup finals at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
The Quakes, who topped their group in regional qualifying, will open play in their tough four-team group against Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) on March 29. They will face Palmeiras (Brazil) on March 30 and the Philadelphia Union on April 1. The knockout stages will follow in the weeklong event.
This is a big deal for the Quakes.
“It’s gonna be pretty cool,” Quakes Academy Technical Director Chris Leitch said. “It’s going to playing against two teams that we’ve never played before and another team that we don’t play against all that often in Philly, so we’re gonna need everybody, that’s for darn sure. I like our chances, honestly I do.”
The GA Cup finals will feature 17 MLS academy teams as well as the Chivas USA youth squad and 10 international clubs in the Champions and Premier divisions. The other Champions international teams are: River Plate (Argentina), Athletic Bilbao (Spain), Pumas UNAM (Mexico) and Aspire (Qatar). The Premier international teams are: Recife (Brazil), Tigres (Mexico), Sagan Tosu (Japan) and Medellin (Colombia).
The Quakes are in a tough group, but Leitch likes it that way. He wants to face the best. His players do too.
“It’s the best competition we will get all year,” Leitch said. “It’s normally representative of the brightest players in the various academies. I think they’re up for it. Now they get to compare themselves with foreign teams, and I think they’re gonna be pumped up about that too.”
Leitch believes the Quakes will draw from last year’s GA experience, when they had maybe a little too much reverence for the international sides.
“It was almost like at first, ‘Oh wow, we’re playing a team from another country and they’re supposed to be better. Oh, we watched Chivas of Guadalajara play.’” Leitch said. “I think they’re over the myth now that they play a different sport than those other countries. I’m hoping they take the experience they gained from last year, and I think it’s a pretty confident bunch anyway, and have a good little run next week.”
Great Ball (Bashti) Relay:
Bashti was involved in the memorable pregame festivities for the Inaugural Game against the Chicago Fire on Sunday, when the Quakes took a 2-1 win in front of 18,000 at Avaya Stadium.
Bashti, U.S. women’s soccer legend Brandi Chastain, Earthquakes Hall of Fame inductee Paul Child and Lola Herning, a Quakes under-8 player, took the final passes in the Great Ball Relay. Herning was the last one to dribble up the podium. She lifted the ball and showed it to everyone like she was in the Olympics.
Bashti had a great time, by the way.
“He sent me a note after the game that said he’ll remember it for the rest of his life,” Leitch said.
U-14s:
The U-14s were the only Quakes academy team in action last week, and they took a 3-2 victory over San Mateo County Star, an affiliate team. Jason Yanez had two goals, and Adonis Diaz scored and played well on the wing. The Quakes gave some youngsters a chance to play, and Julian Steinbrenner, a 2003, not only got into the game, but he nearly scored.
