Wisconsin Soccer Central

FC Milwaukee opens the 2011-12 season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy this weekend with a pair of matches in St. Louis.

The Nationals' Under-17/18 and Under-15/16 teams will play their counterparts from St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro on Saturday and St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Missouri on Sunday in their lone league games of the fall. The Central Conference season resumes in March.

Both teams will play again Dec. 3 to 6 at the Development Academy Winter Showcase in Sarasota, Fla., facing New York clubs FC Westchester and Met Oval (N.Y.) and New Jersey's NJSA.

• The three Wisconsin clubs in the new U.S. Club Soccer National Premier Leagues had a tough time in the fall part of the Midwest League season. In Under-14 play, FC Milwaukee (2-4-0) was tied for seventh out of 12 teams, Bavarian SC (0-4-1) was 10th and the Madison 56ers (0-4-0) were 12th. Both of the Nationals' wins came over their state rivals, 3-0 over the Bavarians and 3-0 over the 56ers. FC Milwaukee was fifth with a 2-3-1 mark in Under-13 action, with the 56ers (0-3-1) and Bavarians (0-4-1) tied for 11th. The 56ers played a 0-0 draw with the Nationals, who edged Bavarians 4-3. The season continues in the spring, with Under-15, Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 teams also joining the boys competition.
• Two FC Milwaukee girls teams had winning records in the Midwest Conference during the fall portion of the Elite Clubs National League: the Under-14 team was 4-2-1 and is fourth out of 10 teams, while the Under-18 side was 5-4-4 and is in seventh. The club's other three teams struggled, as the Under-17 (2-7-4) and Under-16 (0-10-3) sides are in eighth place and the Under-15 team (1-11-1) is in ninth. FC Milwaukee teams will resume league play in February and March, with the Under-17 and Under-16 teams back in action Dec. 28 to 30 at an ECNL National Event in Sanford, Fla.