Chicago Fire FC Enter UPSL Premier Division – Midwest Central Conference
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is proud to announce that historic MLS club Chicago Fire FC has added a team to the UPSL Premier Division’s Midwest Central conference that will begin competing this Spring season. The clubs recent addition brings even more quality to a Midwest Central conference that already includes Spring 2023 National Finalists Chicago Nation FC and various other top clubs from the Chicago area.
Founded in 1997, the Fire are one of Major League Soccer’s oldest and most successful organizations with 4 US Open Cup titles, 1 MLS Cup and 1 MLS Supporters Shield. The announcement makes Chicago Fire FC the latest Major League Soccer (MLS) club to join the UPSL and strengthens an already formidable group of Midwest Central teams.
“We’re excited for our U-19 Academy to be joining the UPSL in the upcoming spring season,” said Academy Technical Director Gary Lewis, “On top of showcasing the talent within the Chicagoland area, we’re excited to continue developing our players in an elite competition alongside other MLS academies.”
Chicago Fire FC has seen over 25 Academy players get promoted to first-team contracts in its history and has also recently had Academy-product and former first-team goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina sign for Chelsea FC in England for a club-record fee. The Fire Academy has recently claimed the 2021 MLS NEXT Cup for the U-19 Division.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Chicago Fire to the UPSL Premier Division this Spring, further enhancing an already impressive level of competition in the Midwest Central.” said UPSL Commissioner Yan Skwara. “This historic franchise has shown an undeniable, long-standing commitment to producing top talent, and their arrival injects even more excitement and quality into our already competitive conference. We look forward to seeing the level of competitiveness and professionalism they bring on and off the field.”
The Spring 2024 season is set to be another exhilarating journey for Chicago Fire FC and hundreds of top semi-pro and top Academy sides across the country. For more information on the teams taking part in the upcoming Premier Division spring season, please visit https://premier.upsl.com/
About Chicago Fire
The Chicago Fire Football Club was founded on October 8, 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. The Fire have won six major domestic championship titles, including the 1998 MLS Cup, the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, as well as the 2003 MLS Supporters’ Shield. The Club’s charitable arm, the Chicago Fire Foundation, was recognized as ESPN’s 2019 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. The Fire plays their home matches at historic Soldier Field. For more information, visit chicagofirefc.com.
About United Premier Soccer League
The UPSL was formed in 2011 and occupies the unofficial fourth tier of US Soccer. Across its Premier, Division 1, Womens and Academy divisions there are more than 500 teams competing nationwide. The UPSL is now the largest Pro Development League in North America and is a National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated. UPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the league’s affiliation with USSF. More information about UPSL can be found at www.upsl.com or by following the league on Facebook (facebook.com/upslsoccer), Instagram (@upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer). Contact UPSL: [email protected] / Media: [email protected]