Generation Adidas
Generation Adidas official logo
Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States.[1] The program, sponsored by Adidas, encourages early entry (without college graduation) of American players into MLS. Until 2005, the program was sponsored by Nike and was called Project-40.[2]
Carlos Parra was the first Project-40 player when he signed with the league and was allocated to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 1997. Since then, the program has included players such as Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Ben Olsen, Sacha Kljestan, Freddy Adu, Brad Guzan, Michael Bradley, and Kyle Beckerman.
Generation Adidas players do not count against the MLS senior roster and usually earn a much higher salary than the league minimum. Entering into the program automatically classifies a player as professional, and thus disqualifies them from playing college soccer. As a result, Generation Adidas players are also guaranteed scholarships to continue their college education should their professional career not pan out.
Players under the Home Grown Player rule are signed to Generation Adidas contracts.
From 1998 to 2000, MLS entered a team of Project-40 players, supplemented by other MLS players who did not get much playing time, into the A-League in the USL.
Players
Generation Adidas graduates are announced at the end of the MLS season (prior to 2008,[3] 2009,[4] 2010,[5] and 2011[6]) so in the charts below the graduation year represents the season after which the player was announced by MLS as a Generation Adidas graduate.
1997
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
| Ubusuku Abukusumo |
19 |
D |
Albuquerque, NM |
North Carolina State |
| Jose Botello |
20 |
M |
Los Angeles, CA |
East Los Angeles (Comm) College |
| Nino Da Silva |
17 |
M |
Hoffman Estates, IL |
|
| Joey DiGiamarino |
19 |
D |
Corona, CA |
Cal State Fullerton |
| Brian Dunseth |
19 |
D |
Upland, CA |
Cal State Fullerton |
| Carlos Parra |
19 |
M |
West Haven, CT |
|
| Eric Quill |
18 |
F |
Missouri City, TX |
Clemson |
| Esmundo Rodriguez |
19 |
M |
Dallas, TX |
Indiana |
| Tim Sahaydak |
19 |
D |
Bethlehem, PA |
North Carolina |
| Juan Sastoque |
19 |
F |
Brooklyn, NY |
Cal State Northridge |
1998
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
| Jamar Beasley |
18 |
F |
Fort Wayne, IN |
|
| Judah Cooks |
21 |
M |
Bethesda, MD |
Maryland |
| Tim Howard |
18 |
GK |
North Brunswick, NJ |
US Under-20 |
| Justin Cox |
16 |
GK |
Greensboro, NC |
US Under-17 |
| Andy Kirk |
20 |
GK |
Milwaukee, WI |
Maryland |
| Chad McCarty |
20 |
D |
Clovis, CA |
Washington |
| Matt Napoleon |
20 |
GK |
Feasterville, PA |
Columbia |
| Ben Olsen |
20 |
M/F |
Middletown, PA |
Virginia |
| Barry Swift |
20 |
F |
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad |
|
| Scott Vermillion |
21 |
D |
Olathe, KS |
Virginia |
| Brian West |
19 |
F |
Columbia, MD |
Virginia |
| Josh Wolff |
20 |
F |
Stone Mountain, GA |
South Carolina |
1999
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
| Chris Albright |
20 |
F |
Philadelphia, PA |
Virginia |
| DaMarcus Beasley |
16 |
M |
Fort Wayne, IN |
Bradenton Academy |
| Scott Bower |
20 |
F/M |
Tampa, FL |
Clemson |
| Sergi Daniv |
23 |
M |
Lviv, Ukraine |
Wake Forest |
| Francisco Gomez |
19 |
M |
Watsonville, CA |
|
| Michael Green |
20 |
D |
Columbia, MD |
Virginia |
| Dema Kovalenko |
21 |
M |
Rochester, NY |
Indiana |
| Alen Kozic |
22 |
D/M |
Tampa, FL |
Florida International |
| Matt Nyman |
22 |
G |
Westbrook, CT |
Dartmouth |
| Antonio Otero |
21 |
M |
Tampa, FL |
American |
| Marvin Quijano |
19 |
F |
North Hollywood, CA |
Rio Honda Comm College |
| Maurizio Rocha |
22 |
M |
Santa Cruz, Bolivia |
Connecticut |
| Scott Vallow |
21 |
GK |
Naperville, IL |
Bowling Green |
2000
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
| Shaker Asad |
20 |
M |
Raleigh, NC |
North Carolina State |
New England Revolution |
| Kyle Beckerman |
17 |
M |
Crofton, MD |
US Under-17 |
Miami Fusion |
| Carlos Bocanegra |
20 |
D |
Alta Loma, CA |
UCLA |
Chicago Fire |
| Danny Califf |
19 |
D |
Orange, CA |
Maryland |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Bobby Convey |
16 |
M |
Philadelphia, PA |
Bradenton Academy |
D.C. United |
| Micah Cooks |
18 |
M |
Washington, DC |
|
D.C. United |
| Nick Garcia |
20 |
D |
Plano, TX |
Indiana |
Kansas City Wizards |
| Mario Longo |
19 |
M |
Apex, NC |
|
Columbus Crew |
| Rusty Pierce |
20 |
D |
The Woodlands, TX |
UNC Greensboro |
New England Revolution |
| Nick Rimando |
20 |
GK |
Montclair, CA |
UCLA |
Miami Fusion |
| Seth Trembly |
17 |
M |
Littleton, CO |
Bradenton Academy |
Colorado Rapids |
| Sergio Salas |
18 |
F |
Falls Church, VA |
|
D.C. United |
2001
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafted Team |
| Devin Barclay |
17 |
F |
Annapolis, MD |
US Under-20 |
Tampa Bay Mutiny |
| Isaias Bardales |
21 |
F |
San Jose, CA |
San Jose State |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Edson Buddle |
19 |
F |
New Rochelle, NY |
State Fair Comm College |
Columbus Crew |
| José Burciaga, Jr. |
19 |
D |
Duncanville, TX |
US Under-20 |
Kansas City Wizards |
| Chris Carrieri |
20 |
F |
Stafford, VA |
North Carolina |
San Jose Earthquakes |
| D.J. Countess |
19 |
GK |
Sacramento, CA |
UCLA |
MetroStars |
| Nick Downing |
20 |
D |
Redmond, WA |
Maryland |
New England Revolution |
| Eddie Johnson |
16 |
F |
Palm Coast, FL |
Bradenton Academy |
Dallas Burn |
| Martin Klinger |
20 |
F |
Kearny, NJ |
MetroStars Black |
MetroStars |
| Santino Quaranta |
16 |
F |
Baltimore, MD |
Bradenton Academy |
D.C. United |
| Miguel Saavedra |
17 |
M |
Milwaukee, WI |
US Under-18 |
Dallas Burn |
2002
2003
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
| Arturo Alvarez |
17 |
F/M |
Houston, TX |
US Under-17 |
San Jose Earthquakes |
| Brian Carroll |
21 |
M |
Fairfax, VA |
Wake Forest |
D.C. United |
| Ricardo Clark |
19 |
M |
Jonesboro, GA |
Furman |
MetroStars |
| Alecko Eskandarian |
20 |
F |
Montvale, NJ |
Virginia |
D.C. United |
| Eddie Gaven |
16 |
M |
Hamilton, NJ |
Bradenton Academy |
MetroStars |
| Guillermo Gonzalez |
16 |
M |
Paramount, CA |
Bradenton Academy |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Nate Jaqua |
21 |
F |
Eugene, OR |
Portland |
Chicago Fire |
| Jacob LeBlanc |
21 |
M |
Palo Alto, VA |
Virginia |
MetroStars |
| Ricky Lewis |
20 |
D |
Spring, TX |
Clemson |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Mike Magee |
18 |
F/M |
South Barrington, IL |
Bradenton Academy |
MetroStars |
| Logan Pause |
21 |
D |
Hillsborough, NC |
North Carolina |
Chicago Fire |
| David Stokes |
20 |
D |
Dumfries, VA |
North Carolina |
D.C. United |
| Jason Thompson |
21 |
F |
Garland, TX |
Eastern Illinois |
Dallas Burn |
2004
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
| Freddy Adu |
14 |
M |
Potomac, MD |
US Under-17 |
D.C. United |
| Michael Bradley |
16 |
M |
Palatine, IL |
US Under-17 |
MetroStars |
| Ryan Cochrane |
20 |
D |
Portland, OR |
Santa Clara |
San Jose Earthquakes |
| Steve Cronin |
20 |
GK |
Sacramento, CA |
Santa Clara |
San Jose Earthquakes |
| Clint Dempsey |
20 |
M |
Nacogdoches, TX |
Furman |
New England Revolution |
| Josh Gardner |
21 |
M |
Houston, TX |
Cincinnati |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Clarence Goodson |
21 |
D |
Springfield, VA |
Maryland |
Dallas Burn |
| Ned Grabavoy |
20 |
M |
New Lenox, IL |
Indiana |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Chad Marshall |
19 |
D |
Riverside, CA |
Stanford |
Columbus Crew |
| Danny Szetela |
16 |
M |
Clifton, NJ |
US Under-17 |
Columbus Crew |
2005
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
| Chad Barrett |
19 |
F |
Beaverton, OR |
UCLA |
Chicago Fire |
| Nikolas Besagno |
16 |
M |
Maple Valley, WA |
US Under-17 |
Real Salt Lake |
| Hunter Freeman |
20 |
D |
Allen, TX |
Virginia |
Colorado Rapids |
| Brad Guzan |
20 |
GK |
Homer Glen, IL |
South Carolina |
Chivas USA |
| Christian Jimenez |
18 |
M |
San Dimas, CA |
US Under-20 |
Chivas USA |
| Will John |
19 |
F |
Kansas City, MO |
Saint Louis |
Chicago Fire |
| Quavas Kirk |
16 |
F |
Aurora, IL |
US Under-17 |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Drew Moor |
20 |
D |
Dallas, TX |
Indiana |
FC Dallas |
| Michael Parkhurst |
20 |
D |
Cranston, RI |
Wake Forest |
New England Revolution |
| Ryan Pore |
21 |
F |
Mansfield, OH |
Tulsa |
Kansas City Wizards |
| Tim Ward |
17 |
D |
Waukesha, WI |
Saint Louis |
MetroStars |
| Jamie Watson |
18 |
F |
Dallas, TX |
North Carolina |
Real Salt Lake |
2006
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
| Jozy Altidore |
16 |
F |
Boca Raton, FL |
US Under-20 |
MetroStars |
| Yura Movsisyan |
18 |
F |
Pasadena, CA |
Pasadena Lancers |
Kansas City Wizards |
| David Arvizu |
17 |
F |
Santa Ana, CA |
US Under-20 |
MetroStars |
| Patrick Ianni |
20 |
D/M |
Lodi, CA |
UCLA |
Houston Dynamo |
| Kei Kamara |
21 |
F |
Lawndale, CA |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
Columbus Crew |
| Sacha Kljestan |
20 |
M |
Huntington Beach, CA |
Seton Hall |
Chivas USA |
| Dax McCarty |
18 |
M |
Winter Park, FL |
North Carolina |
FC Dallas |
| Jacob Peterson |
19 |
F |
Portage, MI |
Indiana |
Colorado Rapids |
| Willie Sims |
21 |
F |
Los Angeles, CA |
Cal State Northridge |
New England Revolution |
| Nathan Sturgis |
18 |
D/M |
St. Augustine, FL |
Clemson |
Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Blake Wagner |
17 |
D |
Tampa, FL |
US Under-20 |
FC Dallas |
| Marvell Wynne |
19 |
D |
Poway, CA |
UCLA |
MetroStars |
| Jed Zayner |
21 |
D |
Orland Park, IL |
Indiana |
Columbus Crew |
2007
2008
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/prior |
Drafting Team |
Graduated |
| Eric Avila |
20 |
M |
San Diego, CA |
UC Santa Barbara |
FC Dallas |
2010 |
| Tony Beltran |
20 |
D/M |
Claremont, CA |
UCLA |
Real Salt Lake |
2009 |
| Roger Espinoza |
21 |
M |
Aurora, CO |
Ohio State |
Kansas City Wizards |
2010 |
| Josh Lambo |
17 |
GK |
Middleton, WI |
US Under-17 |
FC Dallas |
2011 |
| Chance Myers |
20 |
D/M |
Thousand Oaks, CA |
UCLA |
Kansas City Wizards |
2010 |
| Alex Nimo |
17 |
F/M |
Portland, OR |
US Under-17 |
Real Salt Lake |
2010 |
| Patrick Nyarko |
22 |
F |
Kumasi, Ghana |
Virginia Tech |
Chicago Fire |
2009 |
| Ciaran O'Brien |
20 |
M |
Tacoma, WA |
UC Santa Barbara |
Colorado Rapids |
2010 |
| Brek Shea |
17 |
M/D |
College Station, TX |
US Under-17 |
FC Dallas |
2010 |
| Rob Valentino |
22 |
D |
Cave Creek, AZ |
San Francisco |
New England Revolution |
|
2009
2010
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/Prior |
Drafting Team |
Graduated |
| Corben Bone |
21 |
M |
Plano, TX |
Wake Forest |
Chicago Fire |
|
| Teal Bunbury |
19 |
F |
Prior Lake, MN |
Akron |
Kansas City Wizards |
2011 |
| Dilly Duka |
20 |
M |
Montville, NJ |
Rutgers |
Columbus Crew |
2011 |
| Blair Gavin |
20 |
M |
Louisville, KY |
Akron |
Chivas USA |
2011 |
| Luis Gil |
16 |
M |
Garden Grove, CA |
US Under-17 |
Kansas City Wizards |
|
| Zachary Herold |
17 |
D |
Port St. Lucie, FL |
US Under-17 |
Toronto FC |
Retired |
| Sean Johnson |
20 |
GK |
Lilburn, GA |
UCF |
Chicago Fire |
2011 |
| Jack McInerney |
17 |
F |
Alpharetta, GA |
US Under-17 |
Philadelphia Union |
2012 |
| Danny Mwanga |
18 |
F |
Kinshasa, DR Congo |
Oregon State |
Philadelphia Union |
2011 |
| Amobi Okugo |
18 |
M |
Sacramento, CA |
UCLA |
Philadelphia Union |
2012 |
| Ike Opara |
20 |
D |
Durham, NC |
Wake Forest |
San Jose Earthquakes |
|
| Tony Tchani |
20 |
M |
Norfolk, VA |
Virginia |
New York Red Bulls |
2011 |
| Andrew Wiedeman |
20 |
F |
San Ramon, CA |
California |
FC Dallas |
|
2011
| Player |
Age |
Pos |
Home Town |
College/Prior |
Drafting Team |
Graduated |
| David Bingham |
21 |
GK |
Castro Valley, CA |
California |
San Jose Earthquakes |
2014 |
| Will Bruin |
21 |
F |
St. Louis, MO |
Indiana |
Houston Dynamo |
2013 |
| Corey Hertzog |
20 |
F |
Reading, PA |
Penn State |
New York Red Bulls |
n/a |
| Perry Kitchen |
18 |
M |
Indianapolis, IN |
Akron |
D.C. United |
2011 |
| Zac MacMath |
19 |
GK |
St. Petersburg, FL |
Maryland |
Philadelphia Union |
2013 |
| Darlington Nagbe |
20 |
M |
Lakewood, OH |
Akron |
Portland Timbers |
2013 |
| Michael Nanchoff |
22 |
M |
North Royalton, OH |
Akron |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2013 |
| Omar Salgado |
17 |
F |
El Paso, TX |
US Under-20 |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2014 |
| Kofi Sarkodie |
19 |
D |
Huber Heights, OH |
Akron |
Houston Dynamo |
2013 |
| Michael Tetteh |
21 |
D |
Accra, Ghana |
UC Santa Barbara |
Seattle Sounders FC |
n/a |
| Zarek Valentin |
19 |
D |
Lancaster, PA |
Akron |
Chivas USA |
2011 |
2012
2013
2014
2015
Project-40 in the A-League
| Year |
Division |
League |
Reg. Season |
Playoffs |
Open Cup |
| 1998 |
2 |
USISL A-League |
5th, Pacific |
Did not qualify |
Did not qualify |
| 1999 |
2 |
USL A-League |
2nd, Central |
Quarterfinals |
Did not qualify |
| 2000 |
2 |
USL A-League |
4th, Central |
Did not qualify |
3rd Round |
Notes
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