Group play was hotly contested, with most of the games being very close fights from both sides. Many of the groups came down to the final day to decide who would be progressing to the knockout stages. The competition has been fierce and the skill and talent on display has been at a very high level. As we move into the last 16, let’s take a quick look back at how the group stages unfolded. The U16s saw some great action through each day, and there were some shock results as to who didn’t progress. Some of the top international teams heading into the tournament were unable to make it out of their respective groups. Bayern Munich missed out on the back of two penalty shootout losses. Toulouse, a finalist in the U15 bracket last year, couldn’t replicate their success. Stuttgart showed a high level of skill throughout their matches but couldn’t squeeze out of Group D. The teams going through promise to provide an electric conclusion to an already incredible tournament. Charlotte FC and Philadelphia Union will match up for what will certainly be a hard-fought battle between two teams that have boatloads of talent on the pitch. Real Salt Lake, who topped the Union in their group, will have their hands full with a very fast-paced FC Tokyo side who love to find quick passes up the field. The Portland Timbers will have to try and push through a Genk team that is always tough to beat. Austin FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps both looked incredibly strong in their group stage performances and will likely have a closely contested battle for that quarterfinal spot. PSV was one of the few teams to remain perfect in the groups, taking maximum points from their three games, and they will look to best a quality LAFC team with tons of skill. Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes had similar records in the groups and the winner of their matchup with see either PSV or LAFC in the quarters. Nashville SC and LA Galaxy are set to go at each other in a matchup of two top US academies. The final round of 16 matchup will be between CF Montreal and the Barca Residency Academy. Barca have been very impressive and will look to continue forward as the lone non-MLS affiliate club from North America moving past the groups.

U18 Group Stage Breakdown

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