CHESTER, Pa.—On a day with the landscape blanketed with snow and the “feels like” temperature hovering around the single digits, it seems only fitting that the Union would announce the inaugural “Snow Bowl” at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Presented by The SWAG and YSC Academy, it will feature some of the top youth talent from North America and abroad.
Spanning February 9-14, 2026, this academy tournament will feature elite clubs like Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, Monterrey Rayados, and S.L. Benfica. The Union’s U-15, U-16, and U-18 squads will participate.
With the 2026 World Cup quickly approaching, a lot of attention will fall on cities like Philadelphia, one of the hosts of that tournament, and this youth showcase further builds on that excitement.
“With all eyes on soccer this summer, especially here in Philadelphia, the Snow Bowl is designed to inspire the next generation of youth soccer players and introduce them to the highest level of international youth competition,” said Rich Graham, founder of YSC Academy and a Philadelphia Union investor in a press release by the club.
“At The SWAG, which is philanthropically funded, we provide aspiring youth players from across the Greater Philadelphia Region with the opportunity to experience the game 100% free of cost. By eliminating the ‘pay-to-play’ model, The SWAG enables young players both access and opportunity, with an accelerated development pathway for the most talented participants to someday compete at the professional or collegiate levels,” Graham said.
(For more on The SWAG and the great work they do, please check out our interview with Darra and Romaine Griffin, which was a wonderful conversation.)
“We are incredibly proud to launch the Snow Bowl and welcome some of the most historic professional clubs in world football to Philadelphia,” said Jon Scheer, Director of Academy and Professional Development for the Philadelphia Union, in the press release.
Photo by Jillian Almoney
With a reputation of excellence in youth development within the United States and beyond, the Philadelphia Union Academy looks forward to hosting some of the top academies and young athletes in Chester at their state-of-the-art facilities.
“This event is about high-performance preparation and showcasing our Academy’s elite youth development environment. It provides our Union Academy players with the opportunity to test themselves against the very best ahead of the upcoming Generation adidas Cup and MLS Next Playoffs, while also highlighting the world-class facilities we have built here at the Sportsplex. We are grateful to The SWAG and YSC Academy for making this tournament possible as many of their participants will get to see and experience some of the highest level of competition in our sport,” Scheer said.
Photo credit: Philadelphia Union Academy
The Snow Bowl will consist of the following teams:
U-15: Philadelphia Union, Manchester United (England), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Newcastle United (England), C.F. Monterrey Rayados (Mexico), Chicago Fire FC (USA).
U-16: Philadelphia Union, S.L. Benfica (Portugal), Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Lyngby Boldklub (Denmark), Chicago Fire FC (USA).
U-18: Philadelphia Union, S.L. Benfica (Portugal), Lyngby Boldklub (Denmark), Alberg Next Gen (South Africa).
Find complete information on the tournament webpage. Full tournament schedule and links to live streams can be found here. All matches will be streamed live and played on the indoor IBX Field at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex. Follow us at The One Team We Agree On for future coverage of the Snow Bowl and other Union Academy news.
Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union Academy
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