The Kickoff: Thursday, Aug. 15
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
With the USL Super League set to kick off its inaugural season Saturday, the Spokane Zephyr announced the signing of Natalie Viggiano (UW) on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old midfielder most recently played for Icelandic second-division club ÍBV, where she had two goals in 16 appearances (16 starts) in all competitions this summer. Viggiano, who previously spent time with NWSL club Seattle Reign and with Damaiense in the Portuguese top flight, reunites with Emma Jaskaniec (Menomonee Falls/UW) in Spokane — they played four seasons together with the Badgers.
The Zephyr play host to Fort Lauderdale United at 8 p.m. Saturday in their debut. All Super League matches will be streamed live on Peacock.
Professional
Jordyn Bloomer (Hartland Arrowhead/UW) made three saves for her first clean sheet for NWSL club Racing Louisville in a 2-0 victory over Chilean side Colo-Colo in the third-place game of The Women’s Cup Louisville on Tuesday night.
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 social media.
Forward Madison FC and the Charlotte Independence played a 0-0 draw in a USL League One match watched by 4,232 Wednesday night at Breese Stevens Field. The Independence remains in first place, one point ahead of the Flamingos, who moved a point ahead of Union Omaha and the Greenville Triumph into second. FMFC had the ball in the net on a header by leading scorer Christian Chaney in the 73rd minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside — replays showed Chaney actually was onside, but USL League One does not use video assistant referee (VAR). Bernd Schipmann made three saves in his sixth clean sheet of the season, matching One Knoxville’s Sean Lewis for the league lead.
College
Led by forward Kayla Rollins, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, six-time defending league champion UW-Milwaukee was a unanimous choice in the conference women’s preseason poll.
It’s the sixth time in the past seven seasons the Panthers have topped the preseason poll — and the 21st time in the past 25 years. UWM opens the season Thursday night at Xavier. UW-Green Bay, which was picked 11th in the Horizon preseason poll, kicks off its season Thursday night at Illinois State.
We missed this Tuesday: Along with the Big Ten Conference preseason coaches’ poll, the conference also announced its annual Players to Watch list. The list includes the UW trio of seniors midfielder-forward Aryssa Mahrt (Wauwatosa) and midfielder Madison Ishaug and sophomore defender Hailey Baumann and Purdue junior forward Kayla Budish (Brookfield Central).
Six players with state ties were among the United Soccer Coaches Division I Players to Watch listings ahead of the fall season — five of them are forwards.
Women
M Avery Murdzek, sr., South Dakota State (Hudson)
F Kayla Rollins, sr., UW-Milwaukee
Men
F Chris Album, jr., UW-Green Bay
F Vincent Bennage, sr., Davidson (Kenosha Tremper)
F Denis Krioutchenkov, jr., Davidson (Shorewood)
F Matthew Roou, sr., Notre Dame (Germantown)
Today’s season openers
Women
Illinois State vs. UW-Green Bay, 2 p.m. — kickoff time moved up due to forecast of severe weather (ESPN+)
Xavier vs. UW-Milwaukee, 6 p.m.
BYU vs. UW, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
Colorado vs. Marquette, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
College commitments
Men
Women
Amateur
The Midwest Premier League, which had 37 teams in three conferences during its 2024 season, is accepting expansion inquiries for the 2025 season. The deadline to express interest in joining the league for next season is Dec. 1, 2024.
Bavarian United SC took second in MWPL Heartland Conference Division 1 this year and will be joined in the top flight next year by the Green Bay Glory, who earned promotion for 2025 by finishing second in Division 2 in their inaugural season.
High school boys
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
Linking play
Source: Pochettino agrees to become United States coach (ESPN)
Father of Spain football star Yamal stabbed in car park - reports (BBC)
‘No plans’ to play Premier League games overseas – chief executive Richard Masters (The Athletic)
USL Super League to Debut Original Theme Song on Peacock (USL Super League)
Mathew Collins, son of music legend Phil, featured for WSG Tirol in their friendly against Bayern Munich Tuesday (English Players Abroad on X/Twitter)