Midwest Premier League
The Midwest Premier League (MWPL) is an American amateur and semi-professional soccer league. The league spans primarily the eastern and central portions of the Midwestern United States.
 | |
| Founded | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Divisions | 3 |
| Number of teams | 27 |
| Domestic cup(s) | U.S. Open Cup (via qualifying tournament & NAC) National Amateur Cup (via USASA Region II) |
| International cup(s) | CONCACAF Champions League (via U.S. Open Cup) |
| Current champions | Inter Detroit (East),
Milwaukee Bavarian SC (West), Ajax St. Louis (South) (2021 season) |
| Most championships | Milwaukee Bavarian SC (2 division titles) |
| Website | midwestpl.com |
| Current: 2022 MWPL season | |
History
The league was founded by four clubs which were all previously members of the United Premier Soccer League Midwest Conference.[1] Following the 2019 UPSL season, the clubs decided that they could create a stable league that would focus on sustainability of the member clubs by sharing ideas, keeping league costs to a minimum, and maximizing the opportunities for all clubs to compete by limiting end-of-season playoffs that often shorten the season for many teams.[2]
The league announced Union Dubuque F.C. as its first member on September 18, 2019, with the other three founding members being announced in the subsequent weeks.[3] RWB Adria joins the MPWL on September 25, 2019.[4] DeKalb County United joins the MWPL on October 2, 2019.[5] Cedar Rapids Inferno join the MWPL on October 9, 2019 making it the Fourth member team.[6] And concludes the joining of the founders.
Cliff Conrad has been elected as the league's first president. Conrad is the co-founder and president of Union Dubuque F.C., one of the league's charter members.[7]
After a period with no expansion news, FC Diablos of Normal, Illinois was announced on January 10, 2020, and an expansion continues into March. With expansion side Rockford FC being unveiled shortly thereafter on January 30, 2020.[8][9] Livonia City FC joins the MWPL on Feb. 29th 2020.[10] Lake St.Clair joins the MWPL on March 2, 2020.[11] BiH Grand Rapids joins the MWPL on March 6, 2020.[12]
The league was set to kickoff in Spring 2020, however the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[13][14]
The Midwest Premier League appoints Andy Hayes as the league's first Commissioner.[15]
On July 27, 2020, the league announced Lansing Common FC from Lansing, Michigan as a new member club.[16][17]
On September 3, 2020, the MWPL entered a partnership agreement with the National Independent Soccer Association, a USSF Division 3 professional league, which includes pathways for both players and clubs to go fully pro.[18][19]
November kicks off another round of expansions for the league. Starting with Edgewater Castle FC on Nov. 27th 2020.[20]
It was announced on March 21, 2022 that the MWPL would have 3 Divisions within it.[21]
The schedule for the 2nd season of the league was announced on April 6, 2022 nearly a month ahead of the first game. With Detroit city U23 gone there will be a new champion in the East Division. And with a finalized Southern Division there will now be 3 champions for the 2022 season.[22]
Current teams
Cedar Rapids
Grand Haven
West Michigan
Tulip City
- West Division
- East Division
- South Division
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Division | |||||||
| Berber City FC | Chicago, IL | Illinois Institute of Technology | 2013 | ||||
| Cedar Rapids Inferno[23] | Cedar Rapids, IA | Kingston Stadium | 2019 | ||||
| Chicago City SC | Chicago, IL | Lions for Hope Sports Complex | |||||
| Chicago House AC | Chicago, IL | Illinois Institute of Technology | 2021 | ||||
| DeKalb County United | DeKalb, IL | NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex | 2017 | ||||
| FC Diablos | Bloomington, IL | Bloomington High School | 2019 | ||||
| Edgewater Castle FC | Chicago, IL | CIBC Fire Pitch | 2017 | ||||
| Iowa Raptors FC | Cedar Rapids, IA | Prairie High School | |||||
| Milwaukee Bavarian SC | Glendale, WI | Heartland Value Fund Stadium | 1929 | ||||
| RWB Adria | Chicago, IL | Hales Franciscan High School | 1959 | ||||
| Rockford FC | Rockford, IL | Auburn High School | 2019 | ||||
| Steel City FC | Joliet, IL | DuPage Medical Group Field | 2021 | ||||
| East Division | |||||||
| BiH Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids, MI | Crestwood High School | 2018 | ||||
| Cedars FC | Dearborn, MI | Fordson High School | |||||
| Detroit Union FC | Waterford, MI | Lake Orion High School | 2021 | ||||
| Grand Haven Admirals | Grand Haven, MI | West Michigan Christian High School | |||||
| Inter Detroit | Auburn Hills, MI | Evolution Sportsplex | 2017 | ||||
| Lansing Common FC | Lansing, MI | Eastern High School Stadium | 2020 | ||||
| Livonia City FC | Livonia, MI | Madonna University | 2015 | ||||
| Michigan Jaguars FC | Novi, MI | Walled Lake Central High School | 1989 | ||||
| Michigan Stars U23 | Washington Township, MI | Romeo High School | 1982 | ||||
| Tulip City United SC | Holland, MI | Holland High School | 2020 | ||||
| West Michigan Bearings | Byron Center, MI | South Christian High School | 2020 | ||||
| South Division | |||||||
| AFC Columbia | Columbia, MO | Battle High School | 2020 | ||||
| Ajax St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | Ajax Fields | |||||
| Santa Fe Wanderers | Kansas City, KS | Avila University | 1995 | ||||
| Springfield FC | Springfield, IL | SASA Soccer Fields | 2011 | ||||
Former
| Team | City | Joined | Final season | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LK St. Clair | Mount Clemens, Michigan | 2020 | 2021 | Left league |
| Chicago Athletic | Bensenville, Illinois | 2021 | Left league | |
| Chicago Mustangs | Crystal Lake, Illinois | 2021 | Left league | |
| Detroit City FC U23 | Hamtramck, Michigan | 2021 | Left league | |
| Union Dubuque | Dubuque, IA | 2021 | suspended [24] | |
Seasons
2021 Fall Season
The first season for the MWPL ended on August 1, 2021[25]
East Division
This division contained 8 teams for the 2021 season.
| Pos | Team | P | GP | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit City U23 (C) | 39 | 14 | 29 |
| 2 | Lansing Common | 31 | 14 | 21 |
| 3 | West Michigan Bearings | 27 | 14 | 15 |
| 4 | BiH Grand Rapids | 20 | 14 | 7 |
| 5 | Michigan Stars U23 | 19 | 14 | 1 |
| 6 | Livonia City | 9 | 14 | -18 |
| 7 | Inter Detroit | 8 | 14 | -18 |
| 8 | LK St Clair | 5 | 14 | -37 |
Rules for classification: P) points; (GP) games played; (GD) goal differential;
(C) Champion
Western Division
This division contained 12 teams for the 2021 season.
| Pos | Team | P | GP | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Bavarian (C) | 28 | 11 | 24 |
| 2 | RWB Adria | 28 | 11 | 21 |
| 3 | Steel City | 20 | 11 | 7 |
| 4 | Berber City | 20 | 11 | 4 |
| 5 | Cedar Rapids Inferno | 16 | 11 | -2 |
| 6 | Union Dubuque | 15 | 11 | -8 |
| 7 | FC Diablos | 14 | 11 | 2 |
| 8 | Chicago Mustangs | 13 | 11 | 1 |
| 9 | Edgewater Castle | 12 | 11 | -6 |
| 10 | Rockford | 9 | 11 | -9 |
| 11 | Dekalb County | 7 | 11 | -15 |
| 12 | Chicago Athletic | 4 | 11 | -19 |
Rules for classification: P) points; (GP) games played; (GD) goal differential;
(C) Champion
2022 Season
The first season with 3 divisions in it.
Eastern Division
This division contained 11 teams for the 2022 season.
| Pos | Team | P | GP | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Detroit (C) | 21 | 10 | 5 |
| 2 | Lansing Common | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | Tulip City United | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| 4 | Michigan Jaguars | 18 | 10 | 9 |
| 5 | Cedars FC | 16 | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Grand Haven Admirals | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 7 | Michigan Stars U23 | 14 | 10 | 1 |
| 8 | Livonia City | 12 | 10 | -1 |
| 9 | West Michigan Bearings | 9 | 10 | -7 |
| 10 | Detroit Union | 6 | 10 | -17 |
| 11 | BiH Grand Rapids | 5 | 10 | -15 |
Rules for classification: P) points; (GP) games played; (GD) goal differential;
(C) Champion
Western Division
This division contained 12 teams for the 2022 season.
| Pos | Team | P | GP | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Bavarian (C) | 24 | 11 | 23 |
| 2 | RWB Adria | 24 | 11 | 21 |
| 3 | Iowa Raptors | 24 | 11 | 18 |
| 4 | Chicago House AC | 20 | 11 | 18 |
| 5 | DeKalb County United | 17 | 11 | 1 |
| 6 | Steel City | 15 | 11 | 3 |
| 7 | Chicago City SC | 14 | 11 | -1 |
| 8 | Rockford FC | 14 | 11 | -6 |
| 9 | Cedar Rapids Inferno | 14 | 11 | -14 |
| 10 | Berber City | 8 | 11 | -11 |
| 11 | FC Diablos | 7 | 11 | -24 |
| 12 | Edgewater Castle | 3 | 11 | -28 |
Rules for classification: P) points; (GP) games played; (GD) goal differential;
(C) Champion
Southern Division
This division contained 4 teams for the 2022 season.
| Pos | Team | P | GP | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax St. Louis (C) | 15 | 6 | 2 |
| 2 | AFC Columbia | 12 | 6 | 6 |
| 3 | Santa Fe Wanderers | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Springfield FC | 0 | 5 | -10 |
Rules for classification: P) points; (GP) games played; (GD) goal differential;
(C) Champion
Division Winners
East Division Winner
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Detroit City U23[26] | Lansing Common |
| 2022 | Inter Detroit | Lansing Common |
West Division Winner
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Milwaukee Bavarian SC[27] | RWB Adria |
| 2022 | Milwaukee Bavarian | RWB Adria |
South Division Winner
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ajax St. Louis | AFC Columbia |
Golden Boot winner
The golden boot winners were announced on September 15, 2021.[28][29]
| Season | Team | Winner | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | FC Diablos | Jordan Walker | 15 |
| 2022 |
| Season | Team | Winner | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lansing Common | Shady Omar | 7 |
| 2022 | Steel City FC | Shea Bechtel | 9 |
| Season | Team | Winner | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 |
Notable former players
Damon Almazan, Steel City FC - 2020, signed in 2021 by Chicago House AC- Derek Huffman, RWB Adria - 2020, signed in 2021 by Chicago House AC
- Stefan Mijatovic, RWB Adria - 2020, signed in 2021 by Chicago House AC
References
- Erik Long, "Sustainability and Responsible Growth, Protagonist USA, 9 October 2019
- League announcement https://midwestpl.com/formationannouncement/
- Union Dubuque joins the MWPL https://midwestpl.com/uniondubuque/
- RWB Adria announced https://midwestpl.com/rwb-adria-becomes-second-team-to-join-midwest-premier-league/
- Dekalb announced https://midwestpl.com/dkcunited/
- Cedar rapids inferno announced https://midwestpl.com/inferno/
- Conrad for President https://midwestpl.com/cliff-conrad-elected-as-inaugural-president/
- FC Diablos announced https://midwestpl.com/fc-diablos-joins-midwest-premier-league/
- Rockford announced https://midwestpl.com/rockfordexp/
- Livonia is announced https://midwestpl.com/lcfcjoins/
- Lake St. Clair joins https://midwestpl.com/lkstclairjoins/
- Bih Grand Rapids https://midwestpl.com/bihjoins/
- O'Connor, Larry. "Midwest Premier League cancels 2020 soccer season". The Detroit News. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- 2020 season is cancelled do to pandemic https://midwestpl.com/member-clubs-vote-to-cancel-2020-season/
- Andy Hayes is appointed Commissioner https://midwestpl.com/midwest-premier-league-appoints-andy-hayes-as-league-commissioner/
- Friend, Phil. "How a group of fans created Lansing Common Football Club, a team owned by its supporters". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- Saliby, Sophia. "A Year After Lansing Ignite Folded, Lansing Common FC To Step In As Community-Run Team". www.wkar.org. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- "NISA Grows Amateur Affiliations in Partnership with Newly-Minted Midwest Premier League". www.nisasoccer.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- "MWPL Joins Forces with NISA". Midwest Premier League. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- Edgewater is announced https://midwestpl.com/edgewater-castle-fc-joins-west-division/
- MWPL 2022 Conference Alignment. http://midwestpl.com/midwest-premier-league-2022-conference-alignment/
- 2022 schedule https://midwestpl.com/2022-mwpl-schedule/
- Douglas Miles, "Cedar Rapids Inferno Joins New Midwest Premier League", Cedar Rapids Gazette, 9 October 2019
- union announcement https://www.uniondfc.com/news/2022update
- Midwest Premier League [@midwestpl] (4 August 2021). "With our first official season in the books, here are the final league standings! How'd your team finish? t.co/xBfrrrb53w" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Twitter.
- Midwest Premier League [@midwestpl] (2 August 2021). "Now, let's make it official☑️ Your 2021 #MWPL East Division Champions: @DetroitCityFC U23 👑 t.co/tMIZEUmScZ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Twitter.
- Midwest Premier League [@midwestpl] (2 August 2021). "It took until the final match day, but your 2021 #MWPL West Division Champions are @BavarianSC_Mens 👑 t.co/m587nDJo07" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Twitter.
- Midwest Premier League [@midwestpl] (15 September 2021). "The 2021 East Division Golden Boot Winner 🥾 Shady Omar from @lansingcommonfc had 8 goals this season which helped Lansing to a 2nd place finish in the #MWPL East t.co/X0Iz0ntScS" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Twitter.
- Midwest Premier League [@midwestpl] (15 September 2021). "The West Division Golden Boot Winner 🥾 Jordan Walker from @ILProSoccer finished the season with 15 goals and is now in the #MWPL record books for most goals in a single season. t.co/abYOPlZ66Z" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022 – via Twitter.