Wisconsin Soccer Central

FC Milwaukee was rated as the country's 19th-best club for girls soccer in 2011, according to Soccer America's annual rankings.

This is the ninth year the magazine has compiled rankings, with the number of clubs rated varying from year to year. The only other time FC Milwaukee – or any Wisconsin club – has made the list was in 2009, when the Nationals ranked 36th out of 40. Soccer America's list this year featured its top 30 clubs.

The magazine's rankings are based on teams' success in national youth championships over the past three years and the selection of players to youth national teams and other nationwide honors. The number of players sent to college programs and past players' success are not among the information considered for the rankings.

FC Milwaukee's status for this year's ratings was bolstered by the club winning the Under-18 title at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in August – the first national championship for a Wisconsin team, boys or girls.

• Kenosha's United FC Under-15 boys team finished 1-3-0 in its first four matches of the season in U.S. Youth Soccer National League play last weekend in Birmingham, Ala. After beating Georgia's GSA Phoenix Red 2-0 behind goals from Andrija Novakovich and Stefan Rokvic, the side lost to South Carolina's CESA Premier 1-0, New York's Smithtown Arsenal 2-1 and the Chicago Magic 3-0. Novakovich scored against Smithtown Arsenal for United, which resumes Blue Division play March 23 to 25 in Las Vegas.
• Three state sides are off to Florida around the holidays for Disney's Soccer Showcase in Orlando. Elm Grove SC Premier is playing in the Under-18/19 division and Madison FC Gold will participate in the Under-17 bracket at the boys event Dec. 27 to 29, while North Shore United Blue is set for the Under-17 girls competition from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2. Elm Grove will face Texas' Lonestar Red North, Maryland's Bethesda SC Gunners and Florida's CFK Kraze Black in the Copa Division, and Madison FC will take on Tennessee's Brentwood Premier, FC Dallas Youth Premier and Beachside of Connecticut in the Predator Division. North Shore United is playing in the Showcase Red Division, with matches against Japan's JFA Academy Fukushima, New York's Albertson SC Elite Fury and North Carolina's Fusion Elite.