Coming off an exciting year full of domestic and international competitions amid the ever-evolving MLS NEXT Pro Pathway age groups, the San Jose Earthquakes Academy is aiming to raise the bar even higher for the 2025-26 MLS NEXT campaign.
With new faces on the rosters and Academy Director Luchi Gonzalez entering his first full season heading the charge, this season shapes up to be another memorable one for San Jose’s four teams as they Quakes look to solidify their claim as one of the elite Academies in Major League Soccer.
U-14:
The U-14 squad is once again led by head coach Luis Garcia, who is entering his sixth year. Under his tutelage, the team finished last season on top, clinching the MLS NEXT Northwest division title. The Black and Blue tallied 180 goals scored and conceded just 12 in both international and local tournaments.
In April, the team traveled to England for an action-packed week where they took on five top academies—Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Brentford, as well as visiting German side SG Barockstadt Fulda-Lehnerz—and won four of those clashes.
This year’s edition of the U-14s will face some preseason competition locally before MLS NEXT regulation games begin in September against the Woodside and Almaden U-15 teams. Prolific striker Juan Pablo Torres looks to build off another impressive season where he had 48 goals, shattering his tally of 32 the campaign prior.
U-15:
The U-15s also enter this season fresh off being crowned MLS NEXT Northwest Division Champions under head coach Ivan Mirković, who took over midway through the campaign. They won their MLS NEXT Flex Group in Maryland and scored the most goals in the conference.
In April, the team traveled to England for a week of immersion into football culture where they beat Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Brentford academies, while also competing against Aston Villa.
The U-15s will close the preseason with friendlies against The Town FC U-16 team and De Anza Force’s U-16s before kicking off the actual 2025-26 MLS NEXT season against their counterparts at the Portland Timbers.
U-16:
On the coaching front, newcomer Renato Bustamante has taken the reins from Erin Lycan Ridley, whose U-16s advanced to the Round of 16 at Generation adidas Cup last year.
“I’m grateful for the belief and opportunity to join the San Jose Earthquakes organization,” said Bustamante, formerly of USL League One Spokane Velocity FC, where he was an assistant coach. “To work under the guidance of Luchi Gonzalez, a proven elite youth developer and top senior coach while head coaching the top U-16 talent in Northern California is a dream come true. I’m here to make a positive impact in the growth and development of the U-16 Boys."
Bustamante’s new crew will hit the ground running as they on Ballistic United, The Town FC U-17 squad as well as De Anza Force’s U-17s before commencing their official MLS NEXT journey in September.
U-18:
Head coach Alex Covelo took the helm of the U-18s in the middle of last season and led them to a strong finish. Now entering his first full campaign, the team has already faced Cabrillo College, West Valley College and NPSL amateur sensations El Farolito SC to prepare for MLS NEXT.
It was another successful year for the Quakes’ pro pathway, as midfielder Kaedren Spivey (playing up with the U-18s from U-16) signed a contract as a Homegrown Player, joining current U-18 teammates Chance Cowell (2023) and Rohan Rajagopal (2024). Spivey was also named to the MLS NEXT All-Star Game in July.
Meanwhile, 2024 MLS NEXT All-Star Tomo Allen was the only soccer player featured in a Men’s Health Magazine article titled, Meet the Gen Z Athletes Redefining Sports Excellence. Allen heads to Stanford this fall as one of nine U-18s starting their college journeys: The others are Connor Owen (Columbia), Hudson Kohler (Dartmouth), Scott Chavira Robles (UNLV), Sean Lee (Claremont McKenna), Omar Arechiga Martinez (CSU Monterey Bay), Mathew (Cal Poly SLO), and Oliver Hernandez Para (Oregon State). There were a total of 11 graduates from the 2024-2025 U18 squad.
This year’s edition of the U-18 team already has four college commitments: the Stanford-bound trio of Alex Ling, Yujin Kikuchi and Jayden Boes, and Nikko Perez to Cornell.
