Wisconsin Soccer Central

Several state boys players and teams will be in action next week at two events just a few miles apart in Florida.

Five Wisconsinites were named to the Region II 1996 and '97 teams for the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Boys NCAA Interregional in Bradenton, Fla., while the FC Wisconsin Nationals' Under-17/18 and Under-15/16 teams will play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in nearby Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Rush Wisconsin's Abdul Kooistra (Madison Memorial), SC Waukesha's Luke Falk (Waukesha West), the Madison 56ers' Woo Jin Jeon (Madison West) and Marcus Wollak (Eau Claire Memorial), who plays with Minnesota club St. Croix Academy, will play on the 1996 Region II ODP team, while Red Star SC's Antonio Amaya (Muskego) was selected for the 1997 side.

The regional teams will play each of the other three regions from Dec. 13 to 15.

Meanwhile, the FC Wisconsin Nationals teams will play three games apiece from Dec. 11 to 15 at the Winter Showcase, their final competition until league play resumes in March.

The Showcase is being held in conjunction with the Nike Friendlies, which feature the Under-17 national teams from the U.S., Brazil, England and Portugal.

The Nationals Under-17/18 team (2-6-0) will take on California's Arsenal FC, Virginia's Richmond Strikers, while the Under-15/16 side (4-3-1) faces New Jersey's Match Fit Academy, the North Carolina Fusion. Both FC Wisconsin teams will close out the event with matches against New Hampshire's Seacoast United.

FC Wisconsin Nationals schedules, results, rosters

• Another state side will be in Bradenton this week, as the Mequon United's Under-15 girls team is one of 116 teams in the USL Super Y-League North American Championships. Mequon United advanced to the Under-14 final last year and lost to the Cleveland Internationals 4-2 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw. The team kicks off group play Thursday morning against Massachusetts' MPS Lady Crusaders, then faces the Virginia Alliance on Friday and Pennsylvania's Super Nova FC on Saturday. Semifinals and consolations matches are Sunday, with the final set for Monday.