Three MLS academy teams entered the 2018 U-13 Concacaf Champions League tournament, and one of those teams, LAFC, became the first from a league academy to win it, after defeating Mexico's Juniors Tampico 2-0 in the final in Toluca, Mexico on Wednesday.
The fourth edition of the U-13 CCL, LAFC are also the first American team to win it, joining teams from Mexico (Toluca, Universidad Cantera Norte) and El Salvador (CD Santa Ana) to have raised the trophy in previous editions.
After finishing second in Group C play, LAFC defeated Toronto FC in the quarterfinal round on a penalty shootout, followed by a 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact in the semifinals. Following the win in the final, LAFC's Diego Ceja won the Golden Ball trophy as the best player of the tournament.
The youngsters took a page out of the senior team's book with a now-traditional celebration following a win:
Following the victory, LAFC first-team star Carlos Vela gave a message of congratulations to the academy players who won the title:
