ROGERS, Ark. — The United Soccer League (USL) team coming to Northwest Arkansas has announced the formation of a youth academy league, the U20 Academy team, open to anybody born after 2004.
In 2023, it was announced that Northwest Arkansas will soon host a men's and women's professional soccer team, which will play in a 5,000+ seat stadium planned for Rogers.
Since the new team was announced, USL Arkansas has been gathering feedback from fans as they work to create their team's name and brand.
According to a USL statement, the U20 Academy team is being created with the help of Sporting Arkansas and will play in USL Academy competitions, as well as the United Premier Soccer League UPSL, starting in the fall of 2024.
Chris Martinovic, the co-founder of USL Arkansas and a former youth club coach, said he's excited to connect the area's youth talent to its pro talent. "This academy team is just the first step towards helping develop a player pathway to pro as we look ahead to the launch of the senior teams in the coming years.”
Scott Marksberry, the director of coaching for Sporting Arkansas said the region's youngest soccer talent oftentimes end up moving away to continue their careers in search of "high-level competition necessary to continue their development and pursue college or professional aspirations," which he hopes will be addressed by the formation of the academy team.
The U20 team will be coached by experienced former college and pro players, and the team will compete in friendly matches with pro academies connected to Major League Soccer, as well as various USL events, according to USL.
USL is accepting applicants born after 2004, with tryouts scheduled for the week of May 20.
USL notes that the best players will be accepted to the team, despite where those players may compete now.
For more information, anybody interested can learn more on the USL website here.
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