NEW YORK– Major League Soccer announced that the MLS Homegrown Team, coached by Columbus Crew SC, U.S. Soccer and MLS legend Brian McBride and assisted by former MLS MVP Mike Magee, will take on Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara’s Under-20 team in the fourth annual MLS Homegrown Game presented by Energizer on August 1 at 8 p.m. ET at Toyota Park as part of the events leading up to the 2017 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.
In his first year participating as coach of the MLS Homegrown Team, McBride brings a winning pedigree as a MLS legend and Chicago native. McBride — the first player acquired in MLS history, as the No. 1 draft selection in the 1996 SuperDraft to MLS Charter Member #01 Crew SC — participated in three World Cups with the United States National Team. McBride retired second all-time in Columbus history with 62 goals scored and helped the Black & Gold to their first silverware ever in franchise history: the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He was the first inductee into the Black & Gold's Circle of Honor and is enshrined in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
For the second consecutive year, the MLS Homegrown Game will be broadcast live on national television on UDN.
The latest formidable opponent to participate in the MLS Homegrown Game, Chivas de Guadalajara’s Under-20 team brings an accomplished track record to the match. The club captured the Liga MX Under-20 title in May and features numerous players that have received time with the Chivas reserve team along with the first team side that captured its record 12th Liga MX title in May. Additionally, Chivas had five players represent Mexico at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the most of any Liga MX team.
In his first year participating as assistant coach of the MLS Homegrown Team, Magee brings a winning pedigree as a MLS legend and Chicago native. During his playing career, Magee won 2013 MLS MVP honors playing for the Chicago Fire,
One of the many highly anticipated events during the week of events surrounding the 2017 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, the MLS Homegrown Game provides an annual platform in which to showcase MLS’ burgeoning young talent and demonstrate the growth of the League’s youth development system. MLS academies continue to attract and cultivate topflight prospects and have now produced over 150 Homegrown Players who have signed professional contracts with MLS clubs. Vital to the long-term success of their clubs, Homegrown Players now serve more important and visible roles than ever, with academy products logging a record 54,000 minutes played in 2015, more than quadruple the minutes played from 2011.
Homegrown Players have also become significant contributors at the international level with the U.S. and Canadian youth and senior national teams relying on some of the league’s most exciting and promising young players. In 2017, seven Homegrown standouts: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Jesse Gonzalez (FC Dallas), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Juan Agudelo (New England Revolution) and Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC), have been called to represent the senior U.S. Men’s National Team.
In addition, nine Homegrown Players played for the United States in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup earlier this year. Outside of the U.S., five Homegrown Players have been tapped for the Canadian Men’s National Team on its 2017 Gold Cup roster, with Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Anthony Jackson-Hamel (Montreal Impact), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Maxime Crepeau (Montreal Impact), and Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) all receiving the call up for The Reds.
“The continued growth of Major League Soccer’s youth academy system and development of the future stars of the sport remain at the forefront of the league’s long-term initiatives,” said Todd Durbin, Executive Vice President of Player Relations and Competition. “The MLS Homegrown Game offers a unique opportunity to showcase the talent our clubs have produced. We are excited to have the Chivas Under-20 team as this year’s opponent and we look forward to what promises to be a competitive match.”
“In the months since Target announced our partnership with Major League Soccer, many of our vendor partners joined us as we enter a sport that has become a huge passion point for our guests,” said Target Chief Marketing Officer Rick Gomez. “Energizer has been a part of Target’s sports marketing program for more than 15 years, and we’re thrilled to have their help in showcasing some of the best young players in the world.”
MLS Homegrown Players are a specialized group of players that have been a member of an MLS club’s youth development program for at least one year and have met the necessary training and retention requirements. Players that meet those qualifications can sign a professional contract with the club’s senior team without being subject to the SuperDraft.
MLS Homegrown Game History
2016: MLS Homegrown Team 0-1 Mexico U-20s
2015: MLS Homegrown Team 1(4)-1(5) Club América U-20s
2014: MLS Homegrown Team 0–0 Portland Timbers U-23s
MLS HOMEGROWN PLAYERS are a specialized group of players who have been a member of an MLS club’s youth development program for at least one year and have met the necessary training and retention requirements. Players that meet those qualifications can sign a professional contract with the club’s senior team without being subject to the SuperDraft.
Columbus Crew SC will travel to Minnesota after a quick three-day turnaround from Atlanta United. Crew SC will be meeting the 23rd Major League Expansion club Minnesota United FC for the first time at TCF Bank Stadium on July 4 for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff.
The Black & Gold welcome German Bundesliga-side and DFB Pokal-finalist Eintracht Frankfurt to MAPFRE Stadium for an international friendly on Monday, July 17. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Columbus returns to MLS action at home on July 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Philadelphia Union.
