The 2024 Generation adidas Cup concluded on Sunday, with Valencia CF winning the U-15 tournament and the Philadelphia Union capturing a second consecutive U-17 crown.
Philadelphia have now lifted three GA Cup titles in their history – 2024 (U-17), 2023 (U-17) and 2012, tying D.C. United and River Plate (Argentina) for the most in the competition’s history.
After the tournament, MLS NEXT announced individual award winners from the competition.
With two international sides in the final, it was no surprise that Toulouse FC (France) and Valencia (Spain) dominated the individual honorees.
Toulouse midfielder Aymen Amaaouch earned the Most Valuable Player award, anchoring a central midfield that reached the final against Valencia. He scored the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC and helped marshall a midfield that kept opposing attacks at bay.
Teammate and goalkeeper Victor Lanlo was named the Generation adidas Cup Best Goalkeeper presented by Allstate after producing three clean sheets and winning two shootouts. That included a victory against Toronto FC in the semifinals. Before Sunday’s semifinal defeat, the Ligue 1 Academy side conceded just two goals from the first six games in the competition.
Valencia’s Marc Martinez scored six times in the competition, including three across the semifinal and final, to win the Top Scorer honor.
Philadelphia nearly swept the U-17 individual award winners. Diego Rocio’s big-time performance in the knockout rounds led the Union to victory and secured him a Most Valuable Player nod. One of the top goalscorers in MLS NEXT, Rocio caught fire in the quarterfinals (five knockout-round goals). He bagged braces in consecutive games, scoring twice against Croatian side Hajduk Split and twice against Brazilian side Flamengo. In Sunday’s final vs. the LA Galaxy, Rocio scored the first goal and slotted home his penalty kick in the shootout.
Teammate Gavin Atkinson took home Generation adidas Cup Best Goalkeeper presented by Allstate honors. He started all four knockout games for the Union, earning shutouts against South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Flamengo. A big stop in the shootout kept the Union alive.
The U-17 Generation adidas Cup Top Scorer was FC Cincinnati’s Stefan Chirila. The striker recorded five goals and won the award via tiebreaker (goals per minute) for a Cincinnati team that advanced out of group play for the first time in club history.
