In short time, New England's five boys Development Academy clubs will venture out to Oceanside, Calif., for the 2019 Summer Showcase and Playoffs.
As valued as the U-15 and U-17 showcases are, some extra attention is put on the playoff groups. From a local perspective, that means keeping tabs on the New England Revolution U-19s in Group A and the Beachside U-17s in Group H.
While there's a certain level of familiarity with the region's teams by now, little is often known about group-stage opponents. DA clubs play the vast majority of their matches against divisional foes, with the Winter Showcase, Generation adidas Cup action and scrimmages the only real exposure to out-of-region clubs.
As do-or-die time nears, let's take a look at what the Revs and Beachside could encounter. Both have difficult draws, though there are no easy games when the country's top 32 teams at the U-17 and U-19 age groups gather for playoffs.
