(MAY 6, 2025 | PEORIA, IL) – The growth of Peoria City’s soccer brand continued today with the announcement the club has entered a U-20 men’s team into the USL Academy program for the 2025 summer season.
The addition of the U-20 Academy team allows Peoria City to pair some of the area’s top talent with players from around the world to enhance their training and competition experience, while adding competitive depth to the club’s top-level USL League Two squad.
“After last season’s tremendous success with our USL League Two team, we were approached by USL leadership to explore the possibility of adding an U-20 Academy team to our club infrastructure,” said Peoria City president Jim DeRose. “Based on those conversations and the future vision of our club, we are tremendously excited to be joining the league to play a six-match schedule with teams from Chicago and Wisconsin this spring and summer for current and aspiring collegiate players.
“The uniqueness of the U-20 Academy was a driving force in our desire to affiliate with USL Academy,” added DeRose. “The vision of creating a two-way developmental system that allows for movement between both rosters to facilitate first-team success as a long-term goal was very important to us. USL-A rules enhance that vision by allowing teams to play a designated number of overage players, as well as international players, alongside those on the U-20 roster.“
Players of high school age and above will have the ability to trial, free of cost, for selection by Peoria City’s coaching and technical staff. Those selected will periodically train and compete with the Peoria City’s USL League Two first team and reserves, as well as separately in their own practice groups, to ensure a competitive environment. Players can remain affiliated with their current clubs and still participate with the Peoria City USL Academy team.
Peoria City’s franchise continues to deliver on USL League Two’s #Path2Pro mission, proving itself as a launching pad for top talent. This offseason alone, four Peoria City alumni signed their first professional contracts, further cementing the club’s reputation for player development and success.
The Peoria City U-20 Academy team will open its 2025 schedule May 25 by hosting Sueno FC at Peoria Notre Dame High School. The team also will host Chicago City SC June 4 at PND with an additional game versus RKC still to be added to the schedule. Admission will be free for all Peoria City Academy stand-alone home games.
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