| U-17/18 Knockout Round Matchups | |||
| Overall Seed | Home Team | Away Team | Overall Seed |
2 | Orlando City SC U-17/18 | Colorado Rapids U-17/18 | 30 |
4 | Real Salt Lake AZ U-17/18 | LA Galaxy U-17/18 | 32 |
18 | Seattle Sounders FC U-17/18 | Crossfire Premier U-17/18 | 27 |
20 | Texans SC Houston U-17/18 | Real So Cal U-17/18 | 28 |
U-17/18 CLUB NOTES
- Colorado Rapids took Group F by storm, winning all three of their Academy playoff games. The Rapids advance to the U-17/18 quarterfinals after missing the playoffs last year.
- Crossfire Premier hopes to make their second U-17/18 National Championship appearance since the 2009-10 season. Kelyn Rowe assisted on Crossfire's lone goal before Vardar came from behind to nab their first Academy Championship. Rowe was recently named to the official 23-man U.S. Men's National Team Gold Cup roster.
- Perhaps the biggest group upset of 2017, not only was LA Galaxy the last team to qualify for the Playoffs, but they were also the lowest overall seed at number 32.
- Under first year Academy Director David Longwell, Orlando City SC advance to their first-ever quarterfinals after taking all nine points from Group G play, including a final game thriller on the last day of the competition played on the stadium field in front of more than 1,000 fans.
- Qualifying to the U-17/18 quarterfinals has been a consistent theme for Real Salt Lake AZ, which join their U-15/16's quest to win the Academy Championship as the last Real Salt Lake Academy teams training in Casa Grande, Ariz. U.S. U-17 midfielder Taylor Booth, who helped the USA qualify for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, will continue to lead the RSL midfield's charge.
- Real So Cal advances to the Knockout Round for the second straight year.
- Qualifying for the quarterfinals along with their U-15/16 counterparts, Seattle Sounders FC advance from a very difficult Group C that included 2015-2016 Academy Champions FC Dallas, New York Red Bulls and Beachside Soccer Club.
- Texans SC Houston are one of only two teams in the Academy Playoffs to win all three games and advance to the quarterfinals after an impressive run through Group D.
Quarterfinal winners from both age groups advance to the Academy Championships set to take place at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif., beginning Friday, July 14. Championship games are scheduled for Sunday, July 16.
