From Friday, May 10 to Tuesday, May 14, Atlanta United’s Academy squads will be playing in MLS NEXT Flex in Boyds, Maryland. Follow the results this weekend by returning to our live blog.
The competition to qualify for the 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs is MLS NEXT Flex. 64 teams in each of the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-19 age categories will compete to secure a spot in the postseason based on their performance.
The top seed in each four-team group will earn a spot in the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs, which conclude the season.
A player’s qualification and seeding for MLS NEXT Flex will depend on how well they perform in league games between September 2023 and March 2024.
Teams in MLS NEXT will be attempting to make a last-ditch effort to win their division and guarantee a postseason spot as the season draws to a close. For teams in which winning the divisional title is unattainable,
MLS NEXT Flex becomes essential since it ensures a playoff berth regardless of a team’s position in the division. Finishing as the top seed in Flex can also provide additional security for players facing off against each other in the closing stages of the season.
Atlanta United’s U-15 team presently leads the East (South) Division with a 33-point record of 10-3-3. The U-15s can guarantee their place in the 2024 Olympics by having just three points more than Orlando City.
The U-16 team, with a 13-2-1 record (40 points), is also first in the Southeast Division standings. Like the U-15 team, Queen City Mutiny, in second place, and the U-16 team are tied for just three points. With a 5-9-3 record (19 points), Atlanta’s U-17 team is presently in fourth place in the East (South) Division.
With 29 points, Inter Miami CF is currently atop the group. For the U-17s to have any chance of making the playoffs, they will need to participate in MLS NEXT Flex, as a playoff berth through the division appears unattainable.
