The Kickoff: Thursday, Aug. 8
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
Eight individuals with Wisconsin ties are among the 275 people on the Player, Veteran or Builder ballots for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, which were announced Wednesday. Axel Sjöberg (Marquette) is on the Player ballot; Jay DeMerit (Green Bay/Bay Port), Leslie Osborne (Menomonee Falls/Waukesha Catholic Memorial), Tony Sanneh (UW-Milwaukee), Lindsay Tarpley (Madison) and Pat White (Milwaukee Pius/UW-Parkside) are on the Veteran ballot; and Jesse Marsch (Racine Case) and longtime Milwaukee Wave coach Keith Tozer are on the Builder ballot.
The Hall of Fame Screening Committees will narrow the Player, Veteran and Builder ballots before they and other members of the Voting Committees vote on the final ballot, electing a maximum of six new Hall of Fame members. As many as three Players and two Veterans can be selected, along with one Builder. Learn more
Youth clubs
Eleven players from Wisconsin clubs were named to the U.S. Youth Soccer National League Elite 64 Best XI teams for the 2023-2024 season. Elmbrook United and the Madison 56ers were among four clubs nationwide to have five players named to the girls honor teams. Full Elite 64 Best XI selections
Girls
14U
D Avery Mantei, Elmbrook United
M Giuliana Kotila, Madison 56ers
15U
D Alivia Becker, Elmbrook United16U
D Ella McGinnis, Madison 56ers
F Gabriela Retana, Madison 56ers17U
M Riley Veenendaal, Elmbrook United
M Julia Rothermel, Elmbrook United
M Catherine Arnold, Madison 56ersF Braelyn Hundt, Elmbrook United
19U
F Abbey Stanton, Madison 56ers
Boys
17U
D Ewan Herbert, Madison 56ersThe USYS National League confirmed the participating clubs and divisions for Elite 64 in the 2024-2025 season. Elmbrook United and the Madison 56ers will field teams in the Midwest for both the boys and girls competitions, while Wisconsin United will join them on the girls side. Each Elite 64 club fields teams in the 13U, 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups. Boys clubs | Girls clubs
Three Wisconsin clubs will participate in the Elite 64 Regional League during the 2024-2025 season: Croatian Eagles (girls in Midwest North, boys in Midwest East), and FC Wisconsin (boys in Midwest North) and Wisconsin United (boys in Midwest North). Full E64 Regional club listings
College women
Today’s exhibition schedule
St. Thomas (Minn.) vs. UW-Green Bay, 2 p.m.
Loyola (Ill.) vs. UW-Milwaukee, 7 p.m.