The Sporting Kansas City Academy U-18s and U-16s will begin their respective journeys in the 2017 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs today at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.

For the second straight year, the Sporting Kansas City U-18s and U-16s have qualified for the Development Academy Playoffs in the same year. Both clubs enjoyed successful regular season campaigns, earning second-place finishes in the Frontier Division behind table-toppers FC Dallas.

The Sporting KC U-18s enter the 2017 postseason with hopes of eclipsing their run to the Development Academy quarterfinals last summer. In order to do so, head coach Jon Parry’s men will have to finish atop a loaded Group B that includes No. 1 overall seed Atlanta United, fellow MLS academy LA Galaxy and FC Boston Bolts.

The U-18s will open group stage action this afternoon against FC Boston Bolts before battling LA Galaxy on Saturday—coincidentally the same day Sporting KC’s senior team visits the Galaxy at StubHub Center in Carson, California—and rounding out pool play versus Atlanta United FC on Monday. All three matches will kick off at 4:30 p.m. CT with live updates on Twitter via @SKCAcademy.

2017 Development Academy Playoffs: U-17/18 Group B

Sporting KC vs. FC Boston Bolts

Thursday, June 22, 4:30 p.m. CT

Thursday, June 22, 4:30 p.m. CT Sporting KC vs. LA Galaxy

Saturday, June 24, 4:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, June 24, 4:30 p.m. CT Sporting KC vs. Atlanta United FC

Monday, June 26, 4:30 p.m. CT

Team League

Record League

PPG GF GA Atlanta United FC 23-2-5 2.47 92 28 Sporting Kansas City 15-8-3 1.85 60 46 FC Boston Bolts 12-6-6 1.75 40 25 LA Galaxy 17-11-8 1.64 81 46

The Sporting KC U-16s bowed out of the group stage in the 2016 playoffs, but an excellent 2016-17 season has the side confident of going at least one step further this time around. Their Group E campaign kicks off today against Everton FC Westchester, resumes Saturday against Pateadores and concludes Monday against Weston FC. Follow @SKCAcademy on Twitter for live updates of all matches.

2017 Development Academy Playoffs: U-15/16 Group E

Sporting KC vs. Everton FC Westchester

Thursday, June 22, 1:30 p.m. CT

Thursday, June 22, 1:30 p.m. CT Sporting KC vs. Pateadores

Saturday, June 24, 1:30 p.m. CT

Saturday, June 24, 1:30 p.m. CT Sporting KC vs. Weston FC

Monday, June 26, 1:30 p.m. CT

Team League

Record League

PPG GF GA Sporting Kansas City 17-6-3 (54 pts) 2.08 73 37 Weston FC (Fla.) 17-6-7 (58 pts) 1.93 48 32 Pateadores (Calif.) 20-10-6 (66 pts) 1.83 62 35 Everton FC Westchester (N.Y.) 14-10-2 (44 pts) 1.69 47 33

The 2017 Development Academy Playoffs split 32 clubs at each age level into eight groups of four. The group stage will send every first-place finisher to the Development Academy quarterfinals, with four single-elimination matches to be played between July 5-7. The final four teams at the U-18 and U-16 levels will then advance to the Development Academy Championships on July 14 and 16 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California.