Wisconsin Soccer Central

German club SV Blau-Weiss Wiehre Freiburg dropped a 2-0 decision to the Quad City Eagles of the National Premier Soccer League in an international friendly Wednesday night in Rock Island, Ill., to open its U.S. tour.

Blau-Weiss Wiehre Freiburg now travels to Madison to face the Madison 56ers on Saturday night. Kickoff for the first international match in Madison since 2007 is set for 7 p.m. at Breese Stevens Field.

The German side wrapped up their league season Saturday, cruising past second-place FC Portugiesen Freiburg 3-0 to clinch the title in the Kreisliga B Staffel 3 – which is part of the 10th division of German soccer. Blau-Weiss Wiehre Freiburg went 23-3-4 and outscored opponents 110-30.

State ties

Quad City's roster includes two players with Wisconsin ties: Loras (Iowa) midfielder Justin Tallard (Waunakee), who was with the 56ers last summer, and Western Illinois goalkeeper Yves Dietrich, who started his career at UW-Whitewater.

• University of Wisconsin defender Adam Lauko, who was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team last fall, is on the FC Buffalo roster.
• Andy Adlard (Brookfield East), a former Milwaukee Bavarians and 56ers player who spent time with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, is in his second season with FC Lehigh Valley United Sonic. The reigning NPSL champions take on the Croatian Eagles on Friday in the semifinals of the inaugural U.S. Adult Soccer Association National Amateur Championship in Greensboro, N.C.

Hitchcock new commissioner

The NPSL named veteran soccer executive Michael Hitchcock its new commissioner last week. He succeeds Dan Trainor, who served in the position since the league started in 2005 until stepping down over the winter.

Hitchcock worked in the front office for MLS clubs D.C. United, Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas and the San Antonio Scorpions of the North American Soccer League. His company, Playbook Management International, entered into a partnership with the NPSL that included him being named to the league position.

"I believe in the incredible potential of the NPSL and know that it plays a critical role in the continued growth of the sport of soccer in the United States," Hitchcock said in a news release.