Major League Soccer Friday announced details for the MLS College Showcase, which will take place in conjunction with the 2021 NCAA Men’s College Cup in Cary, N.C. from Dec. 10-12.
The three-day event will give technical staffs from every MLS club an opportunity to scout top collegiate prospects in the nation, including players with remaining NCAA eligibility.
The showcase will feature 44 top college players, ranging from freshmen to graduate students, participating in a series of training sessions, testing, interviews, and match play. This event will allow MLS clubs to scout and interact with potential MLS SuperDraft selections across different stages of their collegiate careers without jeopardizing players’ collegiate eligibility.
Eleven players who participated in the 2019 showcase are on MLS rosters, including the No. 1 overall selections in the past two editions of the MLS SuperDraft: Robbie Robinson of Inter Miami CF (2020) and Daniel Pereira of Austin FC (2021). Pereira used the inaugural event in December of 2019 to showcase his talent to coaches and scouts before returning to Virginia Tech for his sophomore season in 2020. Following his sophomore campaign, Pereira was signed to a Generation adidas contract and was selected first overall by Austin FC.
The showcase is a closed-door scouting event officially sanctioned by the NCAA. Players on the four remaining teams in College Cup contention will not participate in the event. However, technical staff from MLS clubs will attend the remaining College Cup matches in Cary, N.C. on Dec. 10 and Dec. 12.
Homegrown-eligible underclassmen players – young talents developed by MLS club academies – are eligible to participate in the showcase.
The full list of 44 players invited to attend the 2021 adidas MLS College Showcase will be released early next week.
