Opening weekend of the inaugural MLS NEXT season is here, and fans can tune into the first matches when the Colorado Rapids host Real Colorado tonight at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Their U-17 teams will clash at 7 pm ET, and then the U-19 sides are set for a 9:30 pm ET kickoff. Both matches will be streamed via ColoradoRapids.com and the Rapids’ YouTube channel.
MLS NEXT emerged after the U.S. Soccer Development Academy ceased operations in April. All told, the league encompasses over 489 teams across 113 clubs and six age groups in Canada and the United States. It includes six age groups (U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-19), with the inaugural season’s schedule to be announced in four-week phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can view the full opening weekend schedule here for the complete rundown of which MLS and other elite academies are gearing up for high-level games across the continent.
