York United Expands Academy, Will Field Two League1 Ontario Teams

Canadian Premier League side York United put its money where its mouth was when it launched an academy side to compete in the current League1 Ontario season.

Midway through the academy side’s inaugural campaign, the Nine Stripes are doubling down and expanding its academy system with a second League1 Ontario entrant: the club has just announced that a U-19 team will join the fray next year, while the current U-20 setup will shift into a U-21 side.

Given that an entirely new academy side will be formed, the club will open new roles for coaching and support staff to help bring in the new youth team.

“By transitioning to a U-21 format, the academy can continue supporting players who are still developing while remaining on the path to the professional game,” reads a release from the club. “The introduction of the U-19 team creates a new entry point for younger talent to join the system and grow within the same technical framework.”

The York United academy team is currently second in the League1 Ontario Championship, the second tier of the province’s pro-am ranks. Through eighteen matches, they’ve won nine, tied four, and lost five, and are second only to the Sudbury Cyclones.

The York United Academy has seen some of its youngsters progress on the international stage, too: Joshua Lopez, who has made four appearances for the first team, was recently invited to train with a Uruguay U-20 scouting camp, while the likes of Anthony Umanzor and David Chhoeun have also featured for youth national team training camps.

The club has confirmed that it will host tryouts and scouting initiatives in the fall, which sometimes have prospects pay for the opportunity to impress in an effort to join the ranks of the CPL club’s affiliate side.

Header Image Photo Credit: York United FC