The Kickoff: Saturday, Aug. 10
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
In 2019, Rose Lavelle (UW) became the first player who played college soccer in Wisconsin to win a World Cup — Lavelle scored as the U.S. beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the final in Lyon, France. Today in Paris, the 29-year-old Gotham FC midfielder will try to add an Olympic gold medal to her collection as the U.S. national team faces Brazil in the final. Kickoff is at 10 a.m. on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock. The only person born or raised in Wisconsin, or to have played college soccer in the state, to win an Olympic gold medal in soccer is Lindsay Tarpley, who was born in Madison (she grew up in Kalamazoo, Mich.) and was part of the U.S. teams that won in 2004 in Athens and in 2008 in Beijing. The U.S. has won four of the previous seven Olympic women’s tournaments, but their most recent victory was in 2012 in London. This will be the third meeting between the Americans and Brazilians in a gold-medal match; the U.S. won 2-1 in 2004 and 1-0 in 2008, with both games going to extra time — Tarpley scored the opener for the U.S. in the 2004 final. U.S. midfielder Korbin Albert also has Wisconsin ties, as the 20-year-old Illinois native played for the Milwaukee Torrent before playing collegiately at Notre Dame and then signing with French club Paris Saint-Germain last year. U.S. vs. Brazil match preview from U.S. Soccer
Professional
Jordyn Bloomer (Hartland Arrowhead/UW) is set to stay with National Women's Soccer League club Racing Louisville through the 2025 season, after her contract was extended Thursday. Bloomer's contract included a clause that automatically extended the deal through next season if she was named in the matchday squad 15 times.
“I am so excited to be staying in Louisville for another year,” the 26-year-old Bloomer said in a news release. “I’m grateful to this team and staff for everything they’ve done for me over the past three years, and I can’t wait to see what the 2025 season brings.”
Bloomer, who was selected by Racing in the second round of the 2022 NWSL College Draft after being an All-American and the two-time Big Ten Conference Goalkeeper of the Year for UW, has made three appearances for the Louisville first team in her career. She made her professional debut in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup and made a pair of starts in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup over the past few weeks.
“I’m really excited about Jordyn continuing to be part of our goalkeeping corps,” Racing goalkeeper coach Sergio Gonzalez said of Bloomer, who also made 14 appearances for the Western Sydney Wanderers of the Australian A-League on loan during the 2022-2023 offseason. “Her passion, drive and work ethic toward becoming a better goalkeeper and teammate are fantastic. Her performances in the Summer Cup showed she’s capable of becoming a very consistent NWSL goalkeeper.”
In Lithuania, defender Rashida Beal (Germantown) recently signed with FC Gintra, the country’s most dominant women’s club. Gintra has won the top-tier A Lyga 22 times in the league’s 31 years — including the past 19 years and 20 of the past 21 — and has won a record 12 Lithuanian Women’s Cup titles. Beal, 29, previously played in Germany with 2. Frauen-Bundesliga club BV Cloppenburg (2020), in Romania with FCU Olimpia Cluj (2021) and most recently in Turkey with Super Lig club Karadeniz Ereğli Belediye Spor (2022-2024). Beal and Gintra are preparing for the UEFA Women’s Champions League — they are in the Champions Path and will play host to Moldovan side Agarista CSF Anenii Noi in a first-round semifinal Sept. 4 in Šiauliai. The winner will face either Finland’s KuPS Kuopio or Scottish club Celtic FC on Sept. 7 for a spot in the second round.
Rashida Beal (FC Gintra photo) In Iceland, goalkeeper Lili Berg (New Berlin/Waukesha Catholic Memorial) made her debut for UMF Afturelding on Friday in a 3-1 loss to host Knattspyrnufélagið Fram — the team with whom she started the Lengjudeild kvenna season. Berg posted a 2.19 goals-against average and two clean sheets in 16 appearances in all competitions this year for Fram in the second-tier league. Another Milwaukee-area native, Elaina La Macchia (Cedarburg/UW-Milwaukee), has been the regular starting keeper for Afturelding so far this season.
In Sweden, Lukas Sunesson (Marquette) scored a 50th-minute equalizer, but host Sollentuna FK scored in the 89th minute to beat Täby FK 2-1 in an Ettan Norra (third division) match Friday. The 25-year-old Sunesson is tied for fifth in the league with nine goals in 15 appearances this season — that’s half of the goals scored by Täby (2-12-3), which is last in the 16-team league with 13 games left.
Follow all the players with state ties playing professionally in the U.S. and around the world on our Wisconsin Players in the Pros chart. If we've missed anyone, email us at wisconsinsoccercentral@gmail.com or connect with us on socials.
Forward Madison FC is back home tonight at Breese Stevens Field, playing host to the Chattanooga Red Wolves in a USL Jägermeister Cup match. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. The Flamingos hold a one-point lead over Lexington SC and One Knoxville in the Central Group with two games left — a win over the all-but-eliminated Red Wolves means FMFC would control its own destiny heading into their group finale Aug. 29 against rival Union Omaha on home turf.
Flamingos defender Jacob Crull was named to the USL League One Team of the Week after scoring the stoppage-time equalizer in a 2-2 draw last Saturday at Union Omaha. In addition to his first goal of the season, Crull also won six duels, had six recoveries and three clearances and completed four long passes.
College
Bryce Beckley (Waterford/Wisconsin Lutheran) was named goalkeeper coach for the men's and women's teams at NCAA Division II Northern Michigan last month, forgoing his final season of eligibility as a player. Beckley started six of the final eight matches in goal for the Wildcats last fall, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and two clean sheets after transferring from Wisconsin Lutheran. “Bryce showed us great potential in the spring as he transitioned from player to coach and we look forward to having consistency at the goalkeeper coach position,” Northern Michigan men’s coach Alex Fatovic said in a news release.
Today’s exhibition schedule
Women
Missouri vs. UW, 11 a.m. at Principia College, Elsah, Ill.
Men
Loyola (Ill.) vs. UW, 5 p.m.
Northwestern vs. UW-Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
High school
2024 WIAA boys soccer key dates
Earliest day for practices: Monday, Aug. 19
Earliest day for games: Tuesday, Aug. 27
Regionals: Oct. 22 and 26 (Divisions 1 and 2); Oct. 22, 24 and 26 (Divisions 3 and 4)
Sectional semifinals: Thursday, Oct. 31
Sectional finals: Saturday, Nov. 2
43rd WIAA state tournament: Nov. 7-9 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee
2025 WIAA girls soccer key dates
Earliest day for practices: Monday, March 24
Earliest day for games: Tuesday, April 1
Regionals: June 3 and 7 (Divisions 1 and 2); June 3, 5 and 7 (Divisions 3 and 4)
Sectional semifinals: Thursday, June 12
Sectional finals: Saturday, June 14
42nd WIAA state tournament: June 19-21 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee
Linking play
Former Chelsea, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino a top target to become USMNT coach: Sources (The Athletic)
Pepe retires at age 41: Portugal great, former Real Madrid defender known for aggression, trophy-filled career (CBS Sports)
Why Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta hired pickpockets to steal valuables from players during preseason dinner (CBS Sports)
Football being played in the Greenlandic Football Championship - Imagine playing next to icebergs (ESPN FC on Facebook)
Venezia FC saved from bankruptcy — by Drake? (USA Today Pro Soccer Wire)