The New York Red Bulls have withdrawn from the Generation Adidas (GA) Cup after the club’s U-17 team said it was the victim of multiple instances of on-field racism.
U-17 goalkeeper Joshua Grant said he was targeted by a Monterrey player and that his teammate, defender Eric Tai, was targeted in another game by a Hajduk Split player.
In response, the Red Bulls said Friday that they had pulled their U-15 and U-17 teams out of the competition. The U-17 team had already been eliminated, while the U-15s had advanced to the quarterfinal.
“The New York Red Bulls have decided to withdraw from the U-15 and U-17 tournaments,” the club said.
“There is no room for discrimination around competitive play. As an organization, we stand together with our players on and off the pitch.”
— New York Red Bulls (@NewYorkRedBulls) April 5, 2024
In response, MLS Next released a statement of its own on Friday, saying that it had issued suspensions to players who wouldn’t be named due to being minors.
“Following three allegations of discriminatory language used during two recent GA Cup matches, MLS Next immediately investigated and then issued suspensions in accordance with the MLS Next Disciplinary Code to the offending individuals for violating the MLS Next Safety & Wellbeing Policy,” it said. “In addition, MLS Next immediately made resources available onsite to the affected players and clubs.
“Due to the minors’ age, further details regarding the individuals involved will not be disclosed.
“MLS Next acknowledges the New York Red Bulls’ decision to withdraw their U-15 and U-17 teams from the tournament and will continue providing all those impacted with the necessary support and resources.
“MLS Next remains steadfast in its commitment to eradicating discriminatory and racial incidents at every level of the game and will continue to work with all players to properly educate, train and swiftly address any incidents.”
The GA Cup is one of the country’s premier youth tournaments, featuring all 29 MLS academies plus several teams invited from abroad to participate.
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