The 2024 Generation adidas Cup knockout rounds began Thursday with the Round of 16, kicking off a busy stretch that culminates with U-15 and U-17 championship games on Sunday.
LA Galaxy made waves in the U-17 age group, topping Argentine powerhouse River Plate on penalty kicks (5-4) to reach the quarterfinals.
The game itself was a wild affair. LA’s Ricky Moreno opened the scoring in the 28th minute, giving the Galaxy a slim lead before the half. Kevin Silva answered for River Plate, tying things five minutes into the second half. Lucas Flores put River up a goal in the 54th minute, but Moreno quickly answered with his second of the game, tying it at 2-2.
Toronto FC also secured a head-turning result, as their U-15s beat Sporting Clube de Portugal in a shootout after a 1-1 draw. The young Canadian side went down early when Duarte Tomás put his side ahead. Matthias Olivares equalized in the 33rd minute, sending the game to penalty kicks. TFC made all five from the spot, punching a ticket to the quarterfinals with a 5-4 win.
Here’s a rundown of some of the other action from Round of 16 games in the Championship Bracket:
The San Jose Earthquakes earned a big Cali Clásico result, knocking out LA Galaxy with a 4-1 win. Will Ostrander scored two goals for San Jose, while Kaedren Spivey and Roi Shalon also found the back of the net.
Looking like one of the contenders after the Group Stage, Brøndby IF reinforced that with an impressive comeback victory over FC Cincinnati. It was a dream start for the MLS side, as Jared Cardenas latched onto a through ball from Chance Malilo. He also had plenty to do, around 30 yards from goal with just a sliver between the goalkeeper and post. But Cardenas hit a right-footed shot that narrowly beat Tobias Heilbuth.
From there, the Danish side rallied. Elias Broberg slotted home a left-footed shot from outside the box after a blocked attempt. Nicolai Lintrup scored the second, looping a finish just over FC Cincinnati goalkeeper David Paz. Trailing by a goal, Cardenas and Malilo had opportunities to pull one back, narrowly missing. But Broberg added a third for Brøndby to make it 3-1 late in the match and secure a matchup with the Earthquakes.
Inter Miami’s U-15s have leaned on stout defense at the GA Cup, a theme that continued when they earned a 2-0 win against Atlanta United. Sean Gormley scored in the 27th minute and defender Gabriel Florentino added another goal three minutes into the second half.
There was heartbreak for Orlando City SC, who impressed during the group stages. Locked at 0-0 against Valencia, one of the best teams in the competition, Orlando took a 54th-minute lead through Brady Kendall's goal. Santiago Tomas Del Río Piñeiro answered a minute later, and the game went straight to penalty kicks. Valencia won the shootout by a 4-3 margin to advance.
The same fate befell Charlotte FC, who put in a strong shift against Toulouse FC. Trailing 1-0, Keegan Kerr tied the game in the 50th minute against the French side. Yet the Ligue 1 academy emerged as 5-4 winners on penalty kicks.
New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake also went to spot kicks, as the two teams drew 1-1. Hunter Peralta and Paul Sokoloff traded first-half goals, then neither side could break the deadlock in the second half. However, the Red Bulls converted all five penalties to win the shootout 5-4.
The Philadelphia Union survived a tough draw against South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. While the Union attack fashioned several dangerous looks, it wasn't until Jamir Johnson’s 57th-minute goal that the 1-0 victory was secured. He ghosted to the back post, volleying home a recycled set piece.
The Union will face Hajduk Split in the quarterfinals. The Croatian squad knocked out the New York Red Bulls on penalties (5-3) after a 1-1 draw.
Sporting Kansas City will face the LA Galaxy in the quarterfinals after Aiden Benitez’s last-gasp equalizer tied matters at 3-3 against FC Cincinnati. That sent the game to penalties, which SKC edged 5-4 to advance.
Regulation time was a wild, back-and-forth affair. Stefan Chirila, who finished the game with a hat trick, opened the scoring for FC Cincinnati in the 12th minute. He added a second in the 40th minute, before defender Ian James pulled one back seven minutes later. SKC defender Andrew Johnson tied it at 2-2, yet Chirila put FCC back up a goal in the 57th minute. Benitez tied the match in stoppage time, setting up spot kicks.
It was a fourth straight win for the San Jose Earthquakes, beating Houston Dynamo FC by a 3-0 score. Tomo Allen scored two goals and Isaiah Barajas added a third in the win. They’ll face another MLS side in the quarterfinals after Real Salt Lake defeated Chicago Fire FC, 2-0, via late goals from Omar Marquez and Zavier Gozo.
