Wisconsin Soccer Central

Wisconsin Soccer Leagues opens its debut season as the state's governing body for adult soccer this weekend with all but two of the leagues' 24 teams in action Saturday or Sunday.

A doubleheader between the Milwaukee Kickers and Milwaukee Brewers kicks off WSL competition Saturday at Uihlein Soccer Park, with the clubs' Reserve teams meeting at 4:30 p.m. and the Majors match to follow at 7 p.m. The other three Major Division games and six Reserve Division matches are scheduled for Sunday.

All eight teams in the Majors played in the 10-team Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association Major League last season – the Croatian Eagles were 16-0-2 in the regular season and won the league title with a 6-3 victory over Madison United in the final.

Club Latino and Mad City FC, which played only nine of its scheduled 18 matches last season, did not join WSL. The Milwaukee Serbians, who forfeited the majority of their spring matches due to a lack of players, are among the eight Majors teams and also have a Reserve squad.

The 16-team Reserve Division includes teams from all seven Milwaukee-area clubs in the Majors, along with seven clubs that fielded teams in the WASA Reserve League or First League during the 2011-12 season.

SC Waukesha, which beat Azteca United FC 5-1 in the WASA First League final, has entered two teams in the league this season, Blue and White. The other newcomer to the competition is Club 29, which joins Highpoint as the lone WSL teams not playing on the opening weekend.

In total, six clubs that played in WASA leagues last season didn't make the switch to the new league, accounting for eight teams: Club Latino (Majors and First), Mad City FC (Majors), Celtics (Reserves and First), Big Fish (First), Ace (First) and SB United (First).

WSL was named the provisional adult association for Wisconsin by the U.S. Soccer Federation Board of Directors on June 8. The organization was created as a result of the USSF Board revoking the membership of the Wisconsin Soccer Association/Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association on Jan. 30.

Wisconsin Soccer Central will have all the scores, schedules and standings for both WSL divisions.

• The Croatian Eagles warmed up for the season with their annual trip to the Croatian National Soccer Federation tournament last weekend in Norval, Ontario, falling to Illinois club RWB Adria 5-4 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in the quarterfinals of the 49th annual event. The Eagles posted three one-goal victories in going unbeaten in pool play at the 20-team tournament, beating Hrvat Kitchener 1-0 on a goal by Jason Willan (Franklin), Croatia Sault Ste. Marie 2-1 behind goals from Willan and Ante Cop and Croatia London 1-0 thanks to a goal byTony Patterson (Wauwatosa West/Menomonee Falls). Scott Widule scored against RWB Adria. The tournament rotates between sites in the U.S. and Canada each year; the Eagles are scheduled to play host again in 2017 at Croatian Park in Franklin.