The Kickoff: Sunday, Sept. 1
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
If you’re in the Madison, Milwaukee or Fox Valley areas this Labor Day weekend, there are six NCAA Division I games on tap today and Monday: All four of the state’s women’s teams are at home today, while the UW-Milwaukee and UW men’s teams will play host to matches Monday. Get out and support your local teams! ⚽
College women
Today's NCAA Division I games
UW-Green Bay vs. South Dakota State, noon (ESPN+ 💲)
UW vs. Western Michigan, 1 p.m. (B1G+ 💲)
Challenge Cup — Marquette vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m. (FloFC 💲)
Challenge Cup — UW-Milwaukee vs. Illinois-Chicago, 6 p.m.
Recruiting updates
College men
This week’s NCAA Division I schedule
Today's game
Northern Illinois vs. UW-Green Bay, 1 p.m. (NIU All-Access)
Monday's games
UW-Milwaukee vs. St. Thomas (Minn.), 5 p.m.
UW vs. Marquette, 7 p.m. (B1G+ 💲)
Recruiting updates
Professional
In Iceland, Paolo Gratton (Madison West/UW-Milwaukee) opened the scoring with his second league goal of the season in the 56th minute as Víðir defeated host Sindri 2-0 in a 3. deild karla (fourth division) match Saturday.
Víðir (12W-3L-5D) is second in the 12-team league with 41 points, five behind leader Kari (14-2-4) with two games remaining.
Logan Farrington (Union Grove/UW-Milwaukee) scored his third MLS goal of the season — and fifth in all competitions this year — off a rebound in the 6th minute to open the scoring, but FC Dallas lost to the Colorado Rapids 3-2.
Goalkeeper Luis Barraza (Marquette) made his first MLS appearance of the season for New York City FC, replacing injured starter Matt Freese in the 12th minute in a 4-2 loss to the host Columbus Crew.
Defender Kate Del Fava (Kenosha St. Joseph) and the Utah Royals continued their fine form, beating the host Houston Dash 3-1. The Royals, an expansion team in their first season back in the NWSL, moved above Houston and out of last place in the 14-team league and have won four in a row in all competitions. The 26-year-old Del Fava has played every minute of Utah’s league matches.
Keeper Jordyn Bloomer (Hartland Arrowhead/UW) missed Racing Louisville’s NWSL match against the Seattle Reign due to a knee injury.
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 let us know on social media.
No. 2 seed Forward Madison FC will play host to the Charlotte Independence in a USL Jägermeister Cup semifinal on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Breese Stevens Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. The Northern Colorado Hailstorm are the top seed and will host the wild-card entry, which almost certainly will be Union Omaha, in the other semifinal. The final will be Sept. 28 or 29, hosted by the higher seed.
High school boys
Madison Soccer Showcase
Madison East, Madison Memorial and Madison West all won both of their matches at the inaugural Madison Soccer Showcase hosted by Madison College.
Friday’s results
Madison West 2:1 Oregon
Madison East 3:2 Pewaukee
Madison Memorial 2:1 De Pere
Madison La Follette 0:0 Lodi
Saturday’s results
Madison La Follette 1:4 Pewaukee
Madison West 2:0 De Pere
Madison Memorial 3:1 Lodi
Madison East 3:1 Oregon
By the numbers: WisSports.net links
Longest active unbeaten streaks
34: Brookfield East (29-0-5)
21: Hudson (18-0-3)
15: Middleton (12-0-3)
12: Milwaukee Marquette (9-0-3)
Longest active winning streak: 9, Union Grove
Note: Games that go to penalty kicks are officially recorded as ties