The Girls Development Academy season kicks off on Saturday for the third season in the U.S. Soccer run league. While the Girls DA expands with each season, the league continues to face challenges from the ECNL and difficulty in designing the ideal development environment for the U.S. player. 

This season’s change to the Girls DA was the addition of a new age group as the U16 and U17 age groups were separated. The oldest age group remained the same though with a combined U18/19. 

The oldest age group has always been a challenge in the Girls Development Academy with many players leaving early for college prior to the playoffs. Midwest United won the title in 2019. Will they repeat in 2020?