IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. played host to the most talented and action-packed Generation adidas Cup tournament yet, and two of Atlanta United's Academy teams were right in the center of competition.
The 5-Stripes sent their under-16 and under-18 squads to play in the 2025 GA Cup, and both teams won knockout round fixtures over notable clubs in world football.
The tournament format consisted of U16 and U18 group stages, where the best 16 teams based on points after three matches qualified for the Championship bracket and the next best 16 for the Premier bracket. If a match was tied after 90 minutes, it went straight to penalties, with the winner taking a second point.
In a field full of notable European clubs — such as Barcelona Residency Academy and FC Bayern Munich on the U16 side and Inter Milan and Leicester City in the U18s — Atlanta United's squads made their mark. Here's how the week went for the Academy teams:
U18s: Dramatic semifinal run and win over an Italian powerhouse
Atlanta United's U18 team featured the likes of Atlanta United 2 players Adyn Torres, Kaiden Moore, Ashton Gordon, Santiago Pita and Cooper Sanchez, most of whom have trained with the first team at some point this season. The squad made a run for it all in the Championship bracket.
It all started in the group stage, where the head coach Steven Turek's side got off to a flying start with a 2-1 win Saturday, April 12 over Liga MX squad Santos Laguna. The Mexican club went on to the semifinals of the Championship bracket, proving a worthy opponent and a quality win to begin the tournament.
Next up was a more familiar club in Sporting Kansas City. The U18s turned in a composed 1-0 win Sunday, April 13, all but securing their spot in the Championship bracket. They finished up with a match against San Jose Earthquakes, a 1-0 loss Monday, April 14 to end group play.
Atlanta United finished top of Group G over Santos on a tiebreaker, setting up a date Wednesday, April 16 with an Italian powerhouse in the round of 16: Inter Milan. I Nerazzurri finished with seven points in Group J and featured the top scorer of the group stage, Roberts Kukulis.
It was a hard-fought 90 minutes, but neither team was able to find the back of the net. Straight to penalties they went, and that's when things got really dramatic.
Atlanta United keeper Jonathan Ransom came up with two huge saves, and Moore struck the winning penalty beautifully to send the 5-Stripes to the quarterfinals. Moore slowly walked to the corner, hitting Viktor Gyökeres' signature mask celebration while his teammates came sprinting from midfield to congratulate him and Ransom. The party spilled over into the stands, as the U16s joined in on the fun.
Ransom was recognized for his heroics, earning the Player of the Day honors (and a comment shoutout from Brad Guzan).
Atlanta United wasn't done with the penalty shootouts yet, though, winning 5-4 against Portland Timbers in the quarterfinals Thursday, April 17 after another 0-0 draw in regulation.
It was Colorado Rapids standing opposite of the 5-Stripes in the semifinals Saturday, April 19, and after yet another scoreless match through 90 minutes, Atlanta United had its third penalty shootout in as many games. Ransom came up with yet another save, and teams had to switch sides of the pitch after making a divot at the penalty spot. Colorado's keeper Kendall Starks made a kick save, and Atlanta United fell 5-4 in the shootout.
The 5-Stripes lost a rematch to Santos in the third place match, but the semifinal run was a huge energizer for the team, and they created some lasting moments along the way, especially with the Inter Milan win.
U16s: Taking down a top club of the Americas
Atlanta United's U16 squad was also chock full of talent, with one of the headliners being Ignacio Suarez, who recently signed a professional contract with Atlanta United 2.
Head coach William Bates led his U16s to a big win of their own in knockout play. After finishing third in Group B with a win over Minnesota United Sunday, April 13 providing the points, the 5-Stripes qualified for the Premier bracket. Their round of 16 matchup was set, and they stood across another American giant of a club in Club América from Liga MX.
After a hard-fought battle, it was the 5-Stripes that came out on top 2-1. The win in the morning Wednesday, April 16, was the first huge result of the weekend for Atlanta United, and it set the tone for the U18s big win later that afternoon.
As evidenced by the Homegrowns like Will Reilly, Matt Edwards and Dominik Chong Qui — who have already made an impact on the first team in the 2025 season — Academy players are the future of the club. This past weekend's GA Cup proved these players are already competitive on a world stage, and 17s have got plenty to look forward to watching these kids develop into true ballers.
