Soccer development program
Generation Adidas  is a joint venture  between Major League Soccer  and U.S. Soccer  aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer  talent in the United States.[ 1] Adidas , offers professional-ready players in the U.S. developmental system not yet eligible for the MLS SuperDraft  early entry, allowing MLS to compete with foreign professional clubs without comparable restrictions on player signing.[ 2] Nike  and was called Project-40 .[ 3] 
Carlos Parra  was the first Project-40 player when he signed with the league and was allocated to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars  in 1997. Since then, the program has included players such as Tim Howard , DaMarcus Beasley , Maurice Edu , Carlos Bocanegra , Clint Dempsey , Jozy Altidore , Ben Olsen , Sacha Kljestan , Freddy Adu , Brad Guzan , Michael Bradley , Nick Rimando , Kyle Beckerman , and NFL kicker Josh Lambo .
Generation Adidas players do not count against the MLS senior roster and usually earn a much higher salary than the league minimum.[ 4] professional , and thus disqualifies them from playing college soccer. As a result, Generation Adidas players are also guaranteed scholarships to continue their college education should they end their professional career early.[ 5] 
From 1998 to 2000, MLS entered a team of Project-40 players, supplemented by other MLS players who did not get much playing time, into the A-League  in the USL .[ 6] 
In 2017, MLS introduced Canadian Generation Adidas players, part of a new initiative with the Canadian Soccer Association . Canadian Generation Adidas players count as domestic players on US based MLS teams.[ 7] 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Assigned team
  
Ubusuku Abukusumo 
19
 
D
 
Albuquerque, NM
 
North Carolina State 
Columbus Crew 
 
Jose Botello 
20
 
M
 
Los Angeles, CA
 
East Los Angeles College 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Nino Da Silva 
17
 
M
 
Hoffman Estates, IL
 
 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Joey DiGiamarino 
19
 
D
 
Corona, CA
 
Cal State Fullerton 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Brian Dunseth 
19
 
D
 
Upland, CA
 
Cal State Fullerton 
New England Revolution 
 
Carlos Parra 
19
 
M
 
West Haven, CT
 
 
MetroStars 
 
Eric Quill 
18
 
F
 
Missouri City, TX
 
Clemson 
Tampa Bay Mutiny 
 
Esmundo Rodriguez 
19
 
M
 
Dallas, TX
 
Indiana
 
San Jose Clash 
 
Tim Sahaydak 
19
 
D
 
Bethlehem, PA
 
North Carolina 
Columbus Crew 
 
Juan Sastoque 
19
 
F
 
Brooklyn, NY
 
CSUN 
Dallas Burn 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Assigned team
  
Jamar Beasley 
18
 
F
 
Fort Wayne, IN
 
 
New England Revolution 
 
Judah Cooks 
21
 
M
 
Bethesda, MD
 
Maryland 
D.C. United 
 
Tim Howard 
18
 
GK
 
North Brunswick, NJ
 
 
MetroStars 
 
Andy Kirk 
20
 
GK
 
Milwaukee, WI
 
Maryland 
San Jose Clash 
 
Chad McCarty 
20
 
D
 
Clovis, CA
 
Washington 
Tampa Bay Mutiny 
 
Matt Napoleon 
20
 
GK
 
Feasterville, PA
 
Columbia 
Miami Fusion 
 
Ben Olsen 
20
 
M/F
 
Middletown, PA
 
Virginia 
D.C. United 
 
Barry Swift 
20
 
F
 
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
 
 
MetroStars 
 
Scott Vermillion 
21
 
D
 
Olathe, KS
 
Virginia 
Tampa Bay Mutiny 
 
Brian West 
19
 
F
 
Columbia, MD
 
Virginia 
Columbus Crew 
 
Josh Wolff 
20
 
F
 
Stone Mountain, GA
 
South Carolina 
Chicago Fire 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Assigned team
  
Chris Albright 
20
 
F
 
Philadelphia, PA
 
Virginia 
D.C. United 
 
DaMarcus Beasley 
16
 
M
 
Fort Wayne, IN
 
Bradenton Academy
 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Scott Bower 
20
 
F/M
 
Tampa, FL
 
Clemson 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Sergi Daniv 
23
 
M
 
Lviv , Ukraine 
Wake Forest
 
Chicago Fire 
 
Francisco Gomez 
19
 
M
 
Watsonville, CA
 
California Jaguars 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Michael Green 
20
 
D
 
Columbia, MD
 
Virginia 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Dema Kovalenko 
21
 
M
 
Rochester, NY
 
Indiana 
Chicago Fire 
 
Alen Kozić 
22
 
D/M
 
Tampa, FL
 
Florida International 
Miami Fusion 
 
Matt Nyman 
22
 
G
 
Westbrook, CT
 
Dartmouth 
Tampa Bay Mutiny 
 
Antonio Otero 
21
 
M
 
Tampa, FL
 
American 
D.C. United 
 
Marvin Quijano 
19
 
F
 
North Hollywood, CA 
Rio Hondo Comm College 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Maurizio Rocha 
22
 
M
 
Santa Cruz , Bolivia 
Connecticut 
Miami Fusion 
 
Scott Vallow 
21
 
GK
 
Naperville, IL
 
Bowling Green 
Dallas Burn 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Shaker Asad 
20
 
M
 
Raleigh, NC
 
North Carolina State 
New England Revolution 
 
Kyle Beckerman 
17
 
M
 
Crofton, MD
 
US Under-17
 
Miami Fusion 
 
Carlos Bocanegra 
20
 
D
 
Alta Loma, CA
 
UCLA
 
Chicago Fire 
 
Danny Califf 
19
 
D
 
Orange, CA
 
Maryland 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Bobby Convey 
16
 
M
 
Philadelphia, PA
 
Bradenton Academy
 
D.C. United 
 
Micah Cooks 
18
 
M
 
Washington, DC
 
 
D.C. United 
 
Nick Garcia 
20
 
D
 
Plano, TX
 
Indiana
 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Mario Longo 
19
 
M
 
Apex, NC
 
 
Columbus Crew 
 
Rusty Pierce 
20
 
D
 
The Woodlands, TX
 
UNC Greensboro
 
New England Revolution 
 
Nick Rimando 
20
 
GK
 
Montclair, CA
 
UCLA
 
Miami Fusion 
 
Seth Trembly 
17
 
M
 
Littleton, CO
 
Bradenton Academy
 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Sergio Salas 
18
 
F
 
Falls Church, VA
 
 
D.C. United 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Devin Barclay 
17
 
F
 
Annapolis, MD
 
US Under-20
 
Tampa Bay Mutiny 
 
Isaias Bardales 
21
 
F
 
San Jose, CA
 
San Jose State 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Edson Buddle 
19
 
F
 
New Rochelle, NY
 
State Fair Community College
 
Columbus Crew 
 
16
 
F
 
Houston, TX
 
 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
José Burciaga Jr. 
19
 
D
 
Duncanville, TX
 
US Under-20
 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Chris Carrieri 
20
 
F
 
Stafford, VA
 
North Carolina 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
D.J. Countess 
19
 
GK
 
Sacramento, CA
 
UCLA
 
MetroStars 
 
Nick Downing 
20
 
D
 
Redmond, WA
 
Maryland 
New England Revolution 
 
Eddie Johnson 
16
 
F
 
Palm Coast, FL
 
Bradenton Academy
 
Dallas Burn 
 
Martin Klinger 
20
 
F
 
Kearny, NJ
 
MetroStars Black
 
MetroStars 
 
Santino Quaranta 
16
 
F
 
Baltimore, MD
 
Bradenton Academy
 
D.C. United 
 
Miguel Saavedra 
17
 
M
 
Milwaukee, WI
 
US Under-18
 
Dallas Burn 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Arturo Alvarez 
17
 
F/M
 
Houston, TX
 
US Under-17
 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Brian Carroll 
21
 
M
 
Fairfax, VA
 
Wake Forest 
D.C. United 
 
Ricardo Clark 
19
 
M
 
Jonesboro, GA
 
Furman
 
MetroStars 
 
Alecko Eskandarian 
20
 
F
 
Montvale, NJ
 
Virginia 
D.C. United 
 
Eddie Gaven 
16
 
M
 
Hamilton, NJ
 
Bradenton Academy 
MetroStars 
 
Guillermo Gonzalez 
16
 
M
 
Paramount, CA
 
Bradenton Academy
 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Nate Jaqua 
21
 
F
 
Eugene, OR
 
Portland 
Chicago Fire 
 
Jacob LeBlanc 
21
 
M
 
Palo Alto, VA
 
Virginia 
MetroStars 
 
Ricky Lewis 
20
 
D
 
Spring, TX
 
Clemson 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Mike Magee 
18
 
F/M
 
South Barrington, IL
 
Bradenton Academy
 
MetroStars 
 
Logan Pause 
21
 
D
 
Hillsborough, NC
 
North Carolina 
Chicago Fire 
 
David Stokes 
20
 
D
 
Dumfries, VA
 
North Carolina 
D.C. United 
 
Jason Thompson 
21
 
F
 
Garland, TX
 
Eastern Illinois 
Dallas Burn 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Freddy Adu 
14
 
M
 
Potomac, MD
 
US Under-17
 
D.C. United 
 
Michael Bradley 
16
 
M
 
Palatine, IL
 
US Under-17
 
MetroStars 
 
Ryan Cochrane 
20
 
D
 
Portland, OR
 
Santa Clara 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Steve Cronin 
20
 
GK
 
Sacramento, CA
 
Santa Clara 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Clint Dempsey 
20
 
M
 
Nacogdoches, TX
 
Furman
 
New England Revolution 
 
Josh Gardner 
21
 
M
 
Houston, TX
 
Cincinnati 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Clarence Goodson 
21
 
D
 
Springfield, VA
 
Maryland 
Dallas Burn 
 
Ned Grabavoy 
20
 
M
 
New Lenox, IL
 
Indiana
 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Chad Marshall 
19
 
D
 
Riverside, CA
 
Stanford 
Columbus Crew 
 
Danny Szetela 
16
 
M
 
Clifton, NJ
 
US Under-17
 
Columbus Crew 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Chad Barrett 
19
 
F
 
Beaverton, OR
 
UCLA 
Chicago Fire 
 
Nikolas Besagno 
16
 
M
 
Maple Valley, WA
 
US Under-17
 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Hunter Freeman 
20
 
D
 
Allen, TX
 
Virginia 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Brad Guzan 
20
 
GK
 
Homer Glen, IL
 
South Carolina 
Chivas USA 
 
Christian Jimenez 
18
 
M
 
San Dimas, CA
 
US Under-20
 
Chivas USA 
 
Will John 
19
 
F
 
Kansas City, MO
 
Saint Louis 
Chicago Fire 
 
Quavas Kirk 
16
 
F
 
Aurora, IL
 
US Under-17
 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Drew Moor 
20
 
D
 
Dallas, TX
 
Indiana 
FC Dallas 
 
Michael Parkhurst 
20
 
D
 
Cranston, RI
 
Wake Forest 
New England Revolution 
 
Ryan Pore 
21
 
F
 
Mansfield, OH
 
Tulsa 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Tim Ward 
17
 
D
 
Waukesha, WI
 
Saint Louis 
MetroStars 
 
Jamie Watson 
18
 
F
 
Dallas, TX
 
North Carolina 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Jozy Altidore 
16
 
F
 
Boca Raton, FL
 
IMG Soccer Academy 
MetroStars 
 
Yura Movsisyan 
18
 
F
 
Pasadena, CA
 
Pasadena 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
17
 
F
 
Santa Ana, CA
 
US Under-20
 
MetroStars 
 
Patrick Ianni 
20
 
D/M
 
Lodi, CA 
UCLA 
Houston Dynamo 
 
Kei Kamara 
21
 
F
 
Lawndale, CA
 
Cal State Dominguez Hills 
Columbus Crew 
 
Sacha Kljestan 
20
 
M
 
Huntington Beach, CA
 
Seton Hall 
Chivas USA 
 
Dax McCarty 
18
 
M
 
Winter Park, FL
 
North Carolina 
FC Dallas 
 
Jacob Peterson 
19
 
F
 
Portage, MI
 
Indiana 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Willie Sims 
21
 
F
 
Los Angeles, CA
 
Cal State Northridge 
New England Revolution 
 
Nathan Sturgis 
18
 
D/M
 
St. Augustine, FL
 
Clemson 
Los Angeles Galaxy 
 
Blake Wagner 
17
 
D
 
Tampa, FL
 
US Under-20
 
FC Dallas 
 
Marvell Wynne 
19
 
D
 
Poway, CA
 
UCLA 
MetroStars 
 
Jed Zayner 
21
 
D
 
Orland Park, IL
 
Indiana 
Columbus Crew 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Eric Avila 
20
 
M
 
San Diego, CA 
UC Santa Barbara 
FC Dallas 
 
Tony Beltran 
20
 
D/M
 
Claremont, CA 
UCLA 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Roger Espinoza 
21
 
M
 
Aurora, CO 
Ohio State 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Josh Lambo 
17
 
GK
 
Middleton, WI 
US Under-17
 
FC Dallas 
 
Chance Myers 
20
 
D/M
 
Thousand Oaks, CA 
UCLA 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Alex Nimo 
17
 
F/M
 
Portland, OR 
US Under-17
 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Patrick Nyarko 
22
 
F
 
Kumasi, Ghana 
Virginia Tech 
Chicago Fire 
 
Ciaran O'Brien 
20
 
M
 
Tacoma, WA 
UC Santa Barbara 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Brek Shea 
17
 
M/D
 
College Station, TX 
US Under-17
 
FC Dallas 
 
Rob Valentino 
22
 
D
 
Cave Creek, AZ 
San Francisco 
New England Revolution 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Corben Bone 
21
 
M
 
Plano, TX 
Wake Forest 
Chicago Fire 
 
Teal Bunbury 
19
 
F
 
Prior Lake, MN 
Akron 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
Dilly Duka 
20
 
M
 
Montville, NJ 
Rutgers 
Columbus Crew 
 
Blair Gavin 
20
 
M
 
Louisville, KY 
Akron 
Chivas USA 
 
Luis Gil 
16
 
M
 
Garden Grove, CA 
US Under-17
 
Kansas City Wizards 
 
17
 
D
 
Port St. Lucie, FL 
US Under-17
 
Toronto FC 
 
Sean Johnson 
20
 
GK
 
Lilburn, GA 
UCF 
Chicago Fire 
 
Jack McInerney 
17
 
F
 
Alpharetta, GA 
US Under-17
 
Philadelphia Union 
 
Danny Mwanga 
18
 
F
 
Kinshasa , DR Congo 
Oregon State 
Philadelphia Union 
 
Amobi Okugo 
18
 
M
 
Sacramento, CA 
UCLA 
Philadelphia Union 
 
Ike Opara 
20
 
D
 
Durham, NC 
Wake Forest 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Tony Tchani 
20
 
M
 
Norfolk, VA 
Virginia 
New York Red Bulls 
 
Andrew Wiedeman 
20
 
F
 
San Ramon, CA 
California 
FC Dallas 
 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
David Bingham 
21
 
GK
 
Castro Valley, CA 
California 
San Jose Earthquakes 
 
Will Bruin 
21
 
F
 
St. Louis, MO 
Indiana 
Houston Dynamo 
 
Corey Hertzog 
20
 
F
 
Reading, PA 
Penn State 
New York Red Bulls 
 
Perry Kitchen 
18
 
M
 
Indianapolis, IN 
Akron 
D.C. United 
 
Zac MacMath 
19
 
GK
 
St. Petersburg, FL 
Maryland 
Philadelphia Union 
 
Darlington Nagbe 
20
 
M
 
Lakewood, OH 
Akron 
Portland Timbers 
 
Michael Nanchoff 
22
 
M
 
North Royalton, OH 
Akron 
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 
 
Omar Salgado 
17
 
F
 
El Paso, TX 
US Under-20
 
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 
 
Kofi Sarkodie 
19
 
D
 
Huber Heights, OH 
Akron 
Houston Dynamo 
 
Michael Tetteh 
21
 
D
 
Accra, Ghana 
UC Santa Barbara 
Seattle Sounders FC 
 
Zarek Valentin 
19
 
D
 
Lancaster, PA 
Akron 
Chivas USA 
 
The 2023 class was announced on December 19, 2022, prior to the 2023 MLS SuperDraft .[ 8] Hamady Diop  from Clemson , were Generation Adidas players.[ 9] 
Player
 
Age
 
Pos 
Hometown
 
College/prior
 
Draft team
  
Joey Akpunonu 
20
 
D
 
Toledo, OH 
Bowling Green 
FC Cincinnati 
 
Joshua Bolma 
20
 
M
 
Accra, Ghana 
Maryland 
New England Revolution 
 
Moïse Bombito 
22
 
D
 
Montréal, QC 
New Hampshire 
Colorado Rapids 
 
Hamady Diop 
20
 
D
 
Dakar, Senegal 
Clemson 
Charlotte FC 
 
CJ Fodrey 
18
 
M
 
San Diego, CA 
San Diego State 
Austin FC 
 
Bertin Jacquesson 
21
 
F
 
Lorrez-le-Bocage-Préaux , France 
Pittsburgh 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Shak Mohammed 
19
 
F
 
Kumasi, Ghana 
Duke 
Orlando City SC 
 
J.C. Ngando 
23
 
M
 
Paris, France 
UNC Greensboro 
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 
 
21
 
M
 
Cary, NC 
Creighton 
St. Louis City SC 
 
Ilijah Paul 
20
 
F
 
Gilbert, AZ 
Washington 
Real Salt Lake 
 
Joey Skinner 
19
 
D
 
Charlotte, NC 
Clemson 
Nashville SC 
 
The two-member 2024 class was announced on December 19, 2023, the same day as the 2024 MLS SuperDraft .[ 10] 
The 2025 class was announced on December 18, 2024, prior to the 2025 MLS SuperDraft .[ 11] 
Project-40 in the A-League [ edit ] 
Year
 
Division
 
League
 
Reg. Season
 
Playoffs
 
Open Cup
  
1998 
2
 
USISL A-League
 
5th, Pacific
 
did not qualify 
did not qualify 
 
1999 
USL A-League
 
2nd, Central
 
Quarterfinals
  
2000 
4th, Central
 
did not qualify 
3rd round
  
^ "U.S. U-20 players headline 2006 class" . ESPNFC.com .^ "McCabe Explains Generation adidas" . US Soccer Players .[permanent dead link  ^ "US Soccer Players" . ussoccerplayers.com . Archived from the original  on December 5, 2004. Retrieved January 29,  2007 .^ Palmer, Tod (May 16, 2014). "Generation adidas program has been beneficial to Sporting KC" . Kansas City Star . Retrieved December 19,  2023 . ^ Galarcep, Ives (December 10, 2008). "The Generation adidas targets" . Soccer By Ives . Retrieved December 19,  2023 . ^ Firchau, Nick (April 2, 2020). "Project-40: The story of the original MLS youth super team" . MLSsoccer.com . Retrieved April 19,  2020 . ^ "MLS announces 2017 Generation adidas class and senior signings" . MLSSoccer.com .^ "2023 Generation adidas class announced" . MLSsoccer.com . December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19,  2023 .^ "Charlotte FC picks Clemson's Hamady Diop No. 1 in MLS SuperDraft" . ESPN. Reuters . December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 19,  2023 .^ "2024 Generation adidas class announced" . MLSsoccer.com . December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19,  2023 .^ "2025 Generation adidas class announced" . MLSsoccer.com . December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18,  2024 .  
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