2 Minnesota clubs joining MLS elite player development platform

Major League Soccer is transforming the way it develops youth academies across the United States and Canada, and two Minnesota clubs will be a part of it.

Officials announced Wednesday the MLS Elite Youth Development Platform, which will include the league’s existing club academies as well as 65 elite academies currently affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Altogether, there will be 95 academies across the country, and two of them will be in Minnesota.

They will be based out of Shattuck-St. Mary’s, and Minnesota United. The clubs involved will have access to elite year-round competition, player identification initiatives, coaching education opportunities and additional programming to create premiere player development.

The focus will be on maximizing each player’s potential, while providing high-level competition for as many as 8,000 players.