Wisconsin Soccer Central

State men's amateur teams have just more than a month to register for the 2014 Wisconsin Open Cup.

First-round matches are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2, with a draw to be held Oct. 22 – the day after entries are due.

The Croatian Eagles are the defending champions, having beaten Bavarian SC 1-0 in last year's final, and would receive a first-round bye if an odd number of teams enter the tournament. The Croatians also would play host to the final should they advance.

The Wisconsin champion advances to next spring's U.S. Adult Soccer Soccer Region II tournament, and the top two finishers in that event traditionally have earned berths in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The regional champion also claims a spot in the USASA National Open Cup semifinals.

The entry fee for the Wisconsin Open Cup is $300 per team. More information is available on the Wisconsin Soccer Leagues website.

• The Madison Soccer Association kicked off its 2013-14 season last weekend with 13 teams. The Madison Fire, who have won the past two Division 1 titles, and longtime entries Deportivo, Madison United and Paradigm are in Division 1 along with newcomers Chivas and Sporting 1836 – they finished first and second in Division 2 last season, respectively. Division 2 includes returnees Bulldogs, Celtics, Epic FC, FC Metro, Have Fun FC and Madison Hotspur and one new side in Vilas Rangers FC.
• The Northern Wisconsin Soccer League is wrapping up its season, with four weeks of regular-season matches remaining before next month's playoffs. Green Bay Team Miller (9-0-2) has a slim lead over Green Bay's Yale United (9-1-1) in Division I, while Kaukauna's Eclipse FC (8-1-2) tops the Division II table over Team Green Bay Packaging (6-3-2) and Westchester United (5-4-2). The playoffs start Oct. 19, with the semifinals scheduled for Oct. 20 and the finals on Oct. 27.