The Kickoff: Saturday, Aug. 17
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
On Friday, New England Revolution forward Esmir Bajraktarević (Appleton) was named to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 26-man roster for their UEFA Nations League matches next month against the Netherlands and Hungary.
The 19-year-old has played for U.S. youth national teams and made his debut for the U.S. national team in a friendly against Slovenia in January. However, Bajraktarević has frequently spoken about his strong connection to Bosnia — his parents fled the country due to the Bosnian War in the early 1990s and settled in Appleton — and reports over the past few months indicated a switch of national teams was likely.
Bajraktarević has three goals and four assists in 28 appearances (20 starts) in all competitions for the Revolution this season.
“From my first phone call with Esmir Bajraktarević and his dad there was no dilemma for him, the choice was always the national team of Bosnia-Herzegovina and that is why it is so great that he is with us now,” Bosnia and Herzegovina national team director Emir Spahić said at a news conference.
In memoriam
Duan Damron, a former UW football player who was a driving force behind starting and growing soccer in Janesville in the 1980s and ‘90s, died of a heart attack Aug. 8 while on vacation with his family. He was 74. Obituary
Damron grew up in Madison playing several sports and attended Central High School. His soccer career started in 1969 when he was “unexpectedly” asked to play goalkeeper for the Madison 56ers. Six years later, he was the goalkeeper in the All-Wisconsin State Soccer League Capital Division team for Madison United, as selected by league managers. He moved to Janesville in 1975 and joined Janesville-Saxers United and was the sweeper on the 1979 All-Wisconsin Soccer Association first team.
That year, he also helped start the Craig Boys Soccer Club and the Janesville Youth Soccer League. In 1981, Janesville Craig High School started a varsity team under Damron’s direction — he coached the team for their first 26 years. In 2006, his final season, the Cougars earned their first WIAA state tournament berth after falling in the sectional finals seven times. Craig won its state debut before falling to Big Eight Conference rival and eventual champion Madison Memorial in the semifinals.
Damron also was an assistant for the Craig girls soccer team for 15 years, starting in its inaugural 1991 season, and then spent 18 years as a JV and freshman team coach in the program. He also was a founding member of Janesville United SC and coached in the youth club, and was active in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association, serving as the organization’s president for two years.
Additionally, Damron had stints coaching high school football and hockey. Our condolences to Duan’s family, friends and colleagues.
Youth clubs
Seven state players earned spots on their respective Best XI teams after their performances at last month’s U.S. Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup, while five Wisconsin players also collected either Golden Glove or Golden Boot awards — Elmbrook United’s Taylyn Schkeryantz and Lakeshore United’s Julian Vasquez claimed both honors. The tournament was held July 12 to 16 in Wichita, Kan.
U.S. YOUTH SOCCER
NATIONAL PRESIDENTS CUP AWARDS
15U Girls
Best XI
Taylyn Schkeryantz, Elmbrook United 09G Premier 1
Liza Quesnell, Elmbrook United 09G Premier 1
Golden Boot: Taylyn Schkeryantz, Elmbrook United 09G Premier 1
16U Girls
Best XI
Stella Olson, MC United Gold
Golden Glove: Binne Braunger, MC United Gold
18U Girls
Best XI
Taavi Saeger, Lakeshore United Navy 2006
Olivia Bahr, Lakeshore United Navy 2006
Golden Glove: Emerson Fitzgerald, Lakeshore United Navy 2006
14U Boys
Best XI
Julian Vasquez, Lakeshore United Navy 2010
Benjamin Stolle, Lakeshore United Navy 2010
Golden Boot: Julian Vasquez, Lakeshore United Navy 2010
Golden Glove: Jack Backus, Lakeshore United Navy 2010
The Girls Academy kicks off its 2024-2025 season later this month with 115 clubs across the country divided into 11 conferences — the league has added 20 teams heading into its fifth season, including Cedarburg-based North Shore United. They join SC Wave as the Wisconsin entries in the 10-team Midwest Conference. GA clubs field teams in six age groups, U13 through U18/U19.
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
College
South Dakota State senior midfielder Avery Murdzek (Hudson) and UW-Milwaukee senior forward Kayla Rollins were among the 44 NCAA Division I players named to the 2024 Women’s Hermann Trophy Watch List. Fifteen players will be named to the award’s semifinalist list on Dec. 4.
Murdzek had eight goals and five assists for the Jackrabbits last season and was the Summit League Midfielder of the Year. Rollins was the Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year after scoring 12 goals for the Panthers in 2023.
Today’s exhibition games
Men
UW-Milwaukee vs. Loyola (Ill.), 4 p.m. at Woodside Sports Complex, Wisconsin Dells
UW vs. UW-Green Bay, 7 p.m. at McClimon Complex
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville vs. Marquette, 7 p.m.
College commitments
Men
Women
Professional
The USL Super League, the new first-division women’s professional league (the same designation as NWSL), makes its debut today with two matches — and players with Wisconsin ties could play in both games.
Eli Beard (Marquette) and the Carolina Ascent play host to the DC Power at 6 p.m., while Emma Jaskaniec (Menomonee Falls/UW), Natalie Viggiano (UW) and the Spokane Zephyr entertain Fort Lauderdale United at 8 p.m. All Super League matches will be streamed live on Peacock.
In Australia, Haley Johnson (Kenosha Tremper/UW-Milwaukee) scored her 18th goal of the season, tied for the league lead in the NPL Victoria Women’s, as the Preston Lions earned a 2-2 draw with the Essendon Royals on a rainy Friday night in Darebin. The visiting Royals took a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute, only to see the Lions quickly work the ball down the right side off the kickoff, a slick sequence that Johnson capped with a header that glanced off the left post and in about 60 seconds later. Preston and Essendon both have 44 points (14W-5L-2D) and remain second and third behind FC Bulleen Lions in the 12-team league with one game left in the regular season; Preston is second thanks to a plus-30 goal differential compared the Royals’ plus-8. Those three teams and fourth-place Heidelberg United will make up the playoff field. Johnson matched Gabrielle Hollar atop the league’s goal-scoring chart, but Hollar is no longer in the league, having signed with Perth Glory of the top-tier A League Women last week.
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 on social media.
What an achievement for Bajraktarević! Though that is being thrown in on the deep end in a sense. You’d probably want a friendly to get your feet wet instead of two competitive matches against very good opposition.