NISA Independent Cup Schedule Announced
This morning the National Independent Soccer Association announced the schedule for most games for the 2021 NISA Independent Cup. A few weeks ago NISA announced the field for the Independent Cup as well as it's format. The tournament has a round robin format and each side will play three matches, with most either playing two at home and one on the road or two on the road and one at home. There will be no matches past the round robin and the top team in the region will be declared the regional champion.
An interesting aspect of the tournament will be how the two Midwest Premier League sides fare against the National Premier Soccer League clubs and how all clubs fair against their specific NISA opponents. In last year's Independent Cup a 2021 NISA team won all three regions that league clubs participated in.
9 of the 15 clubs who played in last year's tournament return with the league will be represented in 7/9 regions with six of the seven having one NISA side. The Southwest will have two clubs from NISA, California United Strikers and San Diego 1904, represent the league. The Pacific and South Central regions are not represented by the host league, rather made up entirely of local clubs.
2021 NISA Independent Cup Schedule
Great Lakes Region
July 15th, 2021 - Livonia City FC (MWPL) vs Cleveland SC (NPSL): 6 PM - Legacy Sports Center Complex, Brighton, MI
July 17th, 2021 - Cleveland SC (NPSL) vs Detroit City FC (NISA): 6 PM - George Finnie Stadium, Berea, OH
July 28th, 2021 - Detroit City FC (NISA) vs Livonia City FC (MWPL): 7 PM - Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
TBD - FC Buffalo (NPSL) vs Cleveland SC (NPSL): TBD
TBD - FC Buffalo (NPSL) vs Livonia City FC (MWPL): 2 PM - All-High Stadium, Buffalo, NY
TBD - Detroit City FC (NISA) vs FC Buffalo (NPSL): 6 PM - Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Midwest Region
July 9th, 2021 - FC Milwaukee Torrent (NPSL) vs Chicago House AC (NISA): 7 PM - Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI
July 11th, 2021 - Med City FC (NPSL) vs Union Dubuque (MWPL): 1:45 PM - Rochester Regional Stadium at RCTC, Rochester, MN
July 14th, 2021 - Union Dubuque (MWPL) vs FC Milwaukee Torrent (NPSL): 6 PM - Dubuque Soccer Complex, Dubuque, IA
July 24th, 2021 - Med City FC (NPSL) vs Chicago House AC (NISA): 6:45 PM - Rochester Regional Stadium at RCTC, Rochester, MN
July 27th, 2021 - FC Milwaukee Torrent (NPSL) vs Med City FC (NPSL): 7 PM - Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI
July 31st, 2021 - Union Dubuque (MWPL) vs Chicago House AC (NISA): 5 PM - Dubuque Soccer Complex, Dubuque, IA
*Note – All Times CDT
NPSL Midwest, Week 6: Preview
Wednesday:
Dakota Fusion FC vs Minneapolis City SC: 7 PM - Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports Network
The Crows roll into Moorhead on a tear and any result other than a Minneapolis City win would be a big shock, but the game is played on turf - not on paper - so the handful of spectators braving the heat will be hoping for something more competitive than the 6-0 drubbing handed out at Edor Nelson Field.
La Crosse Aris vs Joy Athletic Club: 7 PM - Logan High School Stadium, La Crosse, WI - No Stream Announced
Aris welcome in the team against whom they have had their best result of the season and they will hope for a repeat, but if Joy avoid the lapses in concentration that led to that tie, they should head back to St Louis Park with all three points.
Sioux Falls Thunder vs Med City FC: 7 PM - McEneaney Field, Sioux Falls, SD - Eleven Sports
Med City visit South Dakota having dropped their first points of the season to Minneapolis City last time out and will have to be careful not to fall foul of a buoyant Thunder side who knocked off Duluth FC last time they played.
Saturday:
Joy Athletic Club vs Minneapolis City SC: 7pm - St Louis Park High School Stadium, St. Louis Park, MN - CCX Media
The latest club to join the fray as derby opponents for the league leading Crows begin their face to face history with a matchup in St Louis Park. Joy Athletic Club will be looking to maintain their momentum following a solid victory in Wisconsin but undefeated Minneapolis City will surely be a tough match and their fans are also expected to be a marked presence on this shortest of road trips.
Duluth FC vs Dakota Fusion FC: 7pm - Duluth Denfield Stadium, Duluth, MN - Eleven Sports
Duluth FC need to try and wrestle some rhythm from their slow schedule to this point and the arrival of the bruised Dakota Fusion should provide Sidney Warden's club with that very opportunity. Fusion on the other hand will step onto the field trying to prove that their defeat to Minneapolis City is not illustrative of their quality as a whole.
Aris La Crosse SC vs Sioux Falls Thunder FC : 7pm - Arcadia High School, Arcadia, WI - Eleven Sports
Thunder heads out to Arcadia attempting to pile on the miseries for their hosts and to prove themselves closer to the playoff spots than the basement of the North, after a dispiriting defeat to Med City and a red card last time out.
Carpathia FC vs Panathinaikos Chicago: 6pm - Carpathia Club, Sterling Heights, MI - Eleven Sports
Carpathia will be looking to separate themselves from their immediate neighbors in the table and apply some pressure on the unbeaten Torrent above them. Both teams achieved close wins last time they played but the hosts beat PAO in their last meeting head to head.
FC Milwaukee Torrent vs FC Columbus: 7pm - Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI - Eleven Sports
The unbeaten hosts will be looking to reinforce their lead in the division with a win against a Columbus club with a 1-3 record, who also lost their last match up head to head.
NPSL Midwest, Week 5: Recap
Wednesday:
Med City FC, 3 vs La Crosse Aris, 1 : 6:45 PM - Rochester Regional Stadium at RCTC, Rochester, MN - Eleven Sports
The first of two games on the week for both sides, Aris made the short jaunt from La Crosse to Rochester. Aris scored first in the 15th minute and held the lead shortly until Mazeed Aro-Lambo evened the score in the 22nd minute. La Crosse held off the Mayhem for the rest of the first half but Kolton Prater scored the game winner in the 46th minute. Toby Millward added an insurance goal for Med City in the 62nd to round out the night.
Joy Athletic Club, 3 vs Sioux Falls Thunder, 0 : 8:15 PM - Oriole Stadium, St. Louis Park, MN - Eleven Sports
After a rough last few games Joy Athletic came back home for a late kickoff match in St. Louis Park. A seventh minute free kick goal for Joy by Darley Florvil was all that Joy Athletic needed for the win as they held a clean sheet, their first in club history, against Sioux Falls. Emmanuel Iwe and Xavier Zengue also scored with 65th and 85th minute goals respectively.
Saturday:
FC Indiana 1 vs Panathinaikos Chicago, 3 : 4 PM - Legacy Sports Club, Lafayette, IN - Facebook
PAO Chicago headed east to face the Lions of FC Indiana as both sides attempt to climb into a playoff spot in the Great Lakes Conference. The visitors scored three times inside the first 45 minutes of play en route to a 3-1 away victory propelling them into a tie for second place in the Great Lakes.
Carpathia FC, 2 vs FC Columbus, 1: 6 PM - Avondale High School Stadium, Auburn Hills, MI - Eleven Sports
Michigan vs Ohio, another state vs state rivalry match happening in the Great Lakes Division. Carpathia's two first half goals would be just enough to hold the lead the rest of the match even after Coro Alvarez scored on a free kick in the 75th minute for Columbus.
Minneapolis City SC, 2 vs Med City FC, 0 : 6 PM - Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis, MN - YouTube
The top two in the North faced off to see who would be the undisputed leader in the Conference. Unfortunately for the visiting side they would succumb to what is possibly the best side Minneapolis City has ever put together. After being held off for an entire half Max Stiegwardt got the Crows on the board with a penalty in the 56th minute. He would be followed up just under 20 minutes later by a Kevin Andrews goal.
Dakota Fusion, 3 vs La Crosse Aris, 0: 7 PM - Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports Network
Aris had apparent difficulty getting to Moorhead, causing a near 45 minute delay to kick off, and will probably wish they had just taken the forfeit which was on the table for a while - since a 3-0 defeat is how it finished anyway. Fusion survived a red card to their goalkeeper in the 55th minute and a subsequent flurry of free kicks close to their goal to emerge victorious.
Sioux Falls Thunder, 2 vs Duluth FC, 1 : 7 PM - McEneaney Field, Sioux Falls, SD - Eleven Sports
After a tough loss last weekend to Minneapolis City SC, Duluth FC looked to get back to winning ways against Sioux Falls. It took more than 80 minutes for a goal to be scored and that first one came from Trace Dobson in the 81st minute. Duluth quickly answered back with an 86th minute goal by Caleb Tammi. The Thunder's Tyler Limmer ended hopes for a draw with a stoppage time goal for Sioux Falls.
*Note – All Times CDT
Midweek Madness, Recap 5/24-27, 2021
USL League Two
Monday:
St. Louis Scott Gallagher 2 vs FC Wichita 0:
After two defeats League Two newcomers SLSG gained their first win of the season on Monday. In the 31st minute St. Louis scored their first of the night from a PK by Jack Lynn. Lynn sent the kick to the right while the FC Wichita keeper went the opposite way. John Klein scored SLSG's second goal of the night in the 84th minute, once again on a PK.
Tuesday:
Kings Hammer 0 vs Flint City Bucks 0:
The teams went 90 minutes to a nil-nil draw in what ended up being a very chippy match. Flint City would be called for 12 fouls while Kings Hammer were issues 9. For their troubles on the night both sides were also handed four yellow cards each.
Toledo Villa 5 vs Oakland County FC 5:
Oakland County headed across state lines to face Toledo Villa and it turned out to be a barn burner of a match. Oakland County scored two goals in a row to open the match with Pliakos and Rizzo scoring in the 8th and 18th with Popovic getting assists on each. Toledo screamed back with three unanswered goals in the 36th, 42nd, and 45th minutes to close the half. However in the second half Popovic scored to goals to add to his two assists, putting OCFC up 4-3. The final 20+ minutes saw both sides trade goals with Toledo scoring in the 75th and 90th while Toledo scored the 88th.
Wednesday:
Dayton Dutch Lions 0 vs Kalamazoo FC 3:
Kalamazoo's road trip to Dayton was one they hoped would be an easy one. And an easy one it was, at least after the first half. Daire O'Riordan scored Kalamazoo's first in first half stoppage time. The visitors scored two more times in the second half, including Cyrus Harmon's goal in the 53rd that made it 2-0.
National Premier Soccer League
Wednesday:
Minneapolis City SC 3 vs Duluth FC 2:
A match with massive implications between the only two sides who have ever won the North Conference. Both sides struggled for most of the first half, however Sidney Warden put Duluth FC on top in the 41st. Minneapolis City's Mohamed Youssef responded back in the 47th minute while teammate William Kidd scored the Crows second goal in the 52nd. However, Warden responded back for Duluth FC with a 53rd minute to level up the score at 2-2. The final near 30 minutes proved tough for both sides to score as they each missed plenty of shots. In the end Brayan Lopez scored the game winner for the hosts in the 80th minute.
United Premier Soccer League
Wednesday:
Cedars FC 3 vs Grand Haven Admirals 1
Detroit United 5 vs City United SC 4
United Women’s Soccer
Wednesday:
Corktown AFC 0 vs Detroit City FC 3:
A short trip for DCFC to do battle with a Detroit rival. The Corner Ballpark in Corktown, the former site of Tiger Stadium, would see the visitors go on a tear. Sarah Huge's goal on a diving header and Kenna White's chip shot over the Corktown keeper put Le Rouge up 2-0 inside 20 minutes. Tatiana Mason's free kick goal from the top of the box sealed up Detroit City's win.
UWS League Two
Wednesday:
Corktown AFC II vs FC Midland:
No Reported Score
Thursday:
Livonia City FC 1 vs Legends FC II 3:
NPSL Midwest Week 4, Where to Watch
Friday:
Med City FC vs Joy Athletic Club: 6:45 PM - Rochester Regional Stadium at RCTC, Rochester, MN - MyCujoo
Saturday:
La Crosse Aris vs Duluth FC: 4 PM - Arcadia High School Stadium, Arcadia, WI - No Announced Stream
FC Columbus vs FC Indiana: 6 PM - Roberts Field at The Wellington School, Columbus, OH - No Announced Stream
Milwaukee Torrent vs Carpathia FC: 7 PM - Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI - No Announced Stream
Dakota Fusion vs Sioux Falls Thunder: 7 PM - Jim Gotta Stadium, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports Network
*Note – All Times CDT
Midweek Madness, Where to Watch 5/24-27, 2021
USL League Two
Monday:
St. Louis Scott Gallagher vs FC Wichita: 7 PM - World Wide Technology Soccer Park, Fenton, MO - MyCujoo
Tuesday:
Kings Hammer vs Flint City Bucks: 6 PM - Corcoran Field, Cincinnati, OH - YouTube
Toledo Villa vs Oakland County FC: 6 PM - Pat Hotmer Soccer Field, Toledo, OH - MyCujoo
Wednesday:
Dayton Dutch Lions vs Kalamazoo FC: 6 PM - Dayton Outpatient Center Stadium, West Carrollton, OH - Gem City Sports Network
National Premier Soccer League
Wednesday:
Minneapolis City SC vs Duluth FC: 7 PM - Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis, MN - YouTube
United Premier Soccer League
Wednesday:
Cedars FC vs Grand Haven Admirals: 6:30 PM - Fordson High School, Dearborn, MI - No Stream Announced
Detroit United vs City United SC: 7 PM - Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI - No Stream Announced
United Women's Soccer
Wednesday:
Corktown AFC vs Detroit City FC: 6:30 PM - The Corner Ballpark, Detroit, MI - GoLive SportsCast
UWS League Two
Wednesday:
Corktown AFC II vs FC Midland: 3 PM - The Corner Ballpark, Detroit, MI - No Stream Announced
Thursday:
Livonia City FC vs Legends FC II: 6 PM - St. Joe's Sports Complex - Livonia, MI - No Stream Announced
*Note - All Times CDT
NPSL Round Up, Great Lakes and North Divisions - Week 3
NPSL Great Lakes Conference
Panathinaikos Chicago vs FC Columbus
Panathinaikos Chicago came into their second home match of the season on an 0-0-2 record with zero points in the conference. FC Columbus meanwhile came off the a week long break following a 2-0 defeat by Milwaukee. The Nike Sports Complex in Naperville, IL would however see the home side drop their third match of the season by a score of 3-2. Host PAO Chicago will have a bye week this week before facing FC Indiana on the road on June 5th. FC Columbus will host FC Indiana this Saturday night at Roberts Field at The Wellington School.
FC Indiana vs FC Milwaukee Torrent
Great Lakes Conference leaders Milwaukee Torrent headed down to Indianapolis to continue their two match win streak against the Lions of FC Indiana. The Torrent looked appeared to be putting the Lions through the ringer with Tony Doellefeld scoring in the 5th minute before Emiliano Caballero scored 9 minutes later. FC Indiana's Andrew Revanales scored in the 22nd minute which cut the lead down to 2-1. Both sides would score just once more each, Milwaukee on another Doellefeld goal in the 40th and FC Indiana's Ricardo scoring the only second half goal in the 60th.
NPSL North Conference
Dakota Fusion FC vs Med City FC
The home opener for Fusion could not reverse the recent form for either squad as Med City forced the pace through Peter Lange-Nielson's goal in the 2nd minute, but it was Lucas Hart's pressure which secured their second win of the season, with an assist for Lange-Nielson and two goals ( one from a penalty decision which was unclear even after multiple viewings). Any chances for Fusion to fight back were ended when Huseyin Celik was shown a second yellow card, having been booked for unsporting behavior. Mazeed Aro-Lambo completed the scoring.
Duluth FC vs Joy Athletic Club
Duluth opened their season with a late winner in an instant classic. The home team led 2-0 after 20 minutes through James Westfield and Sidney Warden but Joy fired right back through Philip Capudo and had leveled the game before the half-time whistle through Emanuel Iwe. The team from St. Louis Park then took their own lead shortly after the hour mark after an own goal. The final swing of the pendulum saw the BlueGreens tie the match through Dylan Sumner in the 70th minute and Warden then stepped up to cap the comeback and seal the win only 4 minutes from time.
La Crosse Aris SC vs Minneapolis City SC
What could have been a tricky road trip for the Crows, playing against an Aris side which fought back for a tie against Joy on a field even further flung than usual in Arcadia, WI, turned out to be another paragraph in the continued strong start to the season for Minneapolis City. The goals came courtesy of a double from Justin Oliver in the 16th and the 46th minutes and late goals by Kevin Andrews in the 80th minute and Arthur Parens in the 90th. It also featured a City Futures goalkeeper as striker at one point.
Standings after Week 3
The NPSL's Midwest region is made up of three very different conferences, both in geography and length. The NPSL's format typically has most conference playing a double round robin, this results in varying lengths of seasons depending on the conference. That results in the Great Lakes and Rust Belt Conferences playing a 10 game season while the North plays a 12 game schedule.
In the westernmost conference, the North, Minneapolis City leads with 9 points through three matches. Med City FC and Duluth FC have 6 and 3 points respectively, giving all three sides 3 PPG, which is how the playoffs are seeded.
In the Great Lakes conference FC Milwaukee Torrent has 9 points and a 3-0-0 record while Carpathia has a 2-0-0 record and six points, both good for 3 PPG and the two spots the Great Lakes will have in the NPSL Midwest Playoffs.
Lastly is the Rust Belt Conference where just a few teams have started play. On points however FC Buffalo has 3 points after winning their season opener in Rochester while Cleveland SC has a single point after drawing their home opener against the same Rochester Lancers.
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Where to Watch: NPSL Week 3
NPSL Week 3:
Friday:
Panathinaikos Chicago vs FC Columbus : 8 PM - Nike Sports Complex, Naperville, IL - MyCujoo
Saturday:
FC Indiana vs FC Milwaukee Torrent : 4 PM - FC Indiana Stadium, Lafayette, IN - No Stream Announced
Dakota Fusion FC vs Med City FC : 7 PM - Jim Gotta Stadium at Moorhead High School, Moorhead, MN - Magnitude Sports Network
Duluth FC vs Joy Athletic Club : 7PM - Duluth Denfield Stadium, Duluth, MN - MyCujoo
La Crosse Aris SC vs Minneapolis City SC : 7pm - Arcadia High School, Arcadia, WI - No Stream Announced
NPSL Great Lakes and North Scores - Weekend of May 15th, 2021
This weekend the National Premier Soccer League saw a total of five matches between both of the Divisions in the Midwest. The Great Lakes saw Carpathia FC host FC Indiana and the Milwaukee Torrent host PAO Chicago. While in the North there were three matches with the Crows of Minneapolis City host Dakota Fusion, Med City FC host the Sioux Falls Thunder, and finally Joy Athletic host La Crosse Aris.
