Wisconsin Soccer Central

The FC Wisconsin Nationals played three one-goal matches against Chicago Magic PSG on Saturday in their first home games of the spring portion of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy season, winning one and losing two in Germantown.

The Under-13/14 side posted a 1-0 victory, with a 55th-minute own goal by the Magic providing all the offense goalkeeper Nick Martensson (Milwaukee Marquette) needed in his second straight shutout for the Nationals (3-7-2).
It was just the third loss of the season for Chicago (10-3-3), which beat FC Wisconsin 5-2 back in the fall.

In the day's first match, Ohio State recruit Marcus McCrary (Madison La Follette) gave the Under-17/18 team the lead with his first goal of the season in the 28th.

Magic PSG, though, equalized on a free kick 10 minutes later and Universirty of Wisconsin recruit Grant Stoneman found the game-winner during a scramble following a corner kick in the 88th as the visitors pulled out a 2-1 win over the Nationals (4-9-1), who are 11th out of 13 teams in the Central Conference Mid-America Division.

The Under-15/16 team fell behind after 20 minutes and were reduced to 10 men after a red card to Clayton Vichich (Whitefish Bay) inside the opening half hour, but Blake Carr (Hartland Arrowhead) pulled them level in the 62nd off a feed from Tunji Akindes (Kenosha Bradford). However, the Chicago side regained the lead in the 72nd and held on for the 2-1 victory -- the Nationals (6-5-3) fell into seventh place in the division.

All three FC Wisconsin Nationals teams head south next weekend for matches against St. Louis Scott Gallagher, facing the Missouri squads Saturday and the Metro sides Sunday. 

Results/schedules/rosters

• FC Wisconsin Eclipse has started a spring program, with 39 of its girls players choosing to forego their high school seasons and play year-round club soccer. The team, which includes 35 state players from the club's Under-15 through Under-18 teams, will play in showcase tournaments and training matches against NCAA Division III and NAIA college women's teams.

Note: Wisconsin players only

• FC Wisconsin Eclipse plays host to the Elite Clubs National League Under-14 Midwest Inter-Conference Event on Saturday and Sunday in Germantown. The event features 12 teams from seven states, with the six Great Lakes Division sides playing three matches apiece against Heartland Division foes. FC Wisconsin Eclipse (1-6-0) faces St. Louis Scott Gallagher-Metro (9 a.m.) and Real Colorado (3 p.m.) on Saturday and Scott Gallagher-Missouri at 8 a.m. Sunday. Results/schedules/rosters
• The U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships will have a slightly different look this summer. In the tournament's first format change since 1999, a semifinal round has been added for the Under-14 through Under-18 divisions. Previously, the two pool winners squared off in the national final; the new format will have the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals. To assure that each of those age groups has two four-team groups, four boys and girls teams from the USYS National League will be added to the tournament field, as has been the case for the older age groups. The Under-13 and Under-19 divisions will continue to use the same format as previous years. This year's USYS National Championships are July 22 to 27 in Germantown, Md.