Midwest Premier League

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Lower League USA

AFC Roscoe clinches 2024 Heartland Conference Division 2 Title with thrilling win over Green Bay Glory

AFC Roscoe has secured the 2024 Heartland Conference Division 2 title follo wing a thrilling 4-2 victory over Green Bay Glory this past weekend. The match, held at Green Bay Glory’s home ground, saw goals from Lyndon Hu, Morais Lee (twice), and an own goal, sealing the win for the Chicago-based club.

Photo: Piotr Maziuk

The game was highly anticipated as both AFC Roscoe and Green Bay Glory had already earned promotion to Division 1 earlier in the season. This final match determined the Division 2 champion in what was the first year for both clubs in the Midwest Premier League. Notably, these promotions mark the first ever in the Midwest Premier League after the league established a promotion/relegation system this year in the Heartland Conference. This milestone is a significant step in the league’s 2030 plan, which includes implementing promotion and relegation for the league as a whole.

AFC Roscoe’s President Adam Nijhawan expressed immense pride in the club’s achievements. “I am incredibly proud of everyone in the club. Every player played their part in our success this season. This all would not be possible without the hard work Tommy Bender, Connor Kirkbride, Bryan Watherhouse, and Pietro Mozzone have put in all year to build a platform for success,” he stated.

The club’s recent success is a continuation of their impressive form, having won the Greater Chicago Soccer League back-to-back before joining the Midwest Premier League in 2024. “We have now won three league titles in three years, and we do not plan on stopping anytime soon. We hope to use this recent success to take our club to the next level. We have a great group of players, and I am very excited to see how the club develops in preparation for next season,” added the President.

Looking ahead, both AFC Roscoe and Green Bay Glory will face greater challenges in Division 1 next season. They will compete against well-established clubs such as Chicago House AC, RWB Adria, and Bavarian United SC. As the clubs celebrate their promotion success, the focus now shifts to preparing for the next season and continuing their trajectory of success. The future looks bright for AFC Roscoe and Green Bay Glory, and their fans have much to look forward to.

Cedars FC claims 2024 Great Lakes Conference Championship

Photo: Dylan Lewis

Cedars FC from Dearborn, Michigan, captured the 2024 Great Lakes Conference championship following a 3-1 victory over Northern Indiana FC last night in South Bend, Indiana.

The championship game featured the winners of the Great Lakes East and Great Lakes West divisions. Cedars FC (8W-0D-2L) traveled to face Northern Indiana FC (9W-1D-0L). Northern Indiana FC took an early lead in the 7th minute when defender Martin Von Thun scored with a header from a corner kick. Cedars FC responded in the 40th minute when forward Hasan Daoud scored after a service to the far post, equalizing the match at 1-1 by halftime.

In the second half, Cedars FC increased their offensive pressure. Forward Andrew Schwartz scored in the 58th minute, giving Cedars FC the lead. The team extended their advantage in the 77th minute with a goal from Nour Aoude, who executed a notable individual play down the wing. Northern Indiana FC applied late pressure and scored in the 86th minute with a goal from Kevin Vidana after a set piece. Despite the efforts from The Travelers, the Indiana-based team was unable to equalize, and Cedars FC secured the win and the Great Lakes Conference championship after an impressive team performance.

This victory marks Cedars FC’s first Great Lakes Conference championship in their third year in the league, bringing the title back to Michigan after a one-year absence. Northern Indiana FC, in their debut season, completed an undefeated regular season before reaching the championship game.

Cedars FC’s Club Director Mo Salman, shared his thoughts on the recent Championship game: “Truly a Championship game pitting the 2 top teams in the GL conference in a fiesta atmosphere. Sincerest gratitude to NIFC players, coaches, management, and their awesome fans for making us feel welcome.” while Assistant Coach Haider Alzyadi praised his teams efforts after the first 30 minutes of the game and added “Heading into the final, we didn’t know much about our opponents. After some adjustments, we began playing our brand of soccer. Hasan Daoud off the bench breathed life into us. Our boys dominated the second half. Massive credit to NIFC for a well-fought game. We were able to neutralize their long ball efforts and advance the ball quickly to the attacking 3rd, forcing them to defend us. With players like Nour, Youseff, Kinan, Schwartz, Massar, and Hasan in the Cedars attack, goals were bound to come.”

:astly, Head Coach Sam Piraine, had this to say after claiming the Great Lakes Championship in his first season at the helm “Going into this final, we knew we were up against a massive challenge. Playing at their place, we had to weather the storm early. After tactical adjustments, we implemented our plan: defend together, transition quickly. Couldn’t be happier for this group and thankful for the support from the Cedars staff and board members“