Chicago Nation FC Allow Just Three Goals in Nine Games to Run Away With the Midwest Central

Nine games, three goals against. That’s Chicago Nation FC’s fall in one line.

Chicago Nation sit top of the Midwest Central at 7-2-0 with 23 points, seven clear of Chicago Strikers and FC 1974 Libertyville. They have scored 35 goals and kept seven clean sheets, the best defensive record in the conference by a wide margin.

A steady start

It didn’t start with fireworks. Nation opened with a 1-0 win over Chicago Strikers on August 22, then drew 1-1 with KS Wisloka Chicago. The first real statement came on September 5, a 3-0 win at Libertyville. A 2-2 draw at Berber City FC on September 19 is still the only time anyone has scored twice on them.

Then the goals came in bunches

Lately the attack has caught up with the defense. Nation beat Ethos Academy Chicago 5-0 and won 2-0 at Round Lake Evolution FC before a remarkable three-game run: 10-0 over Urbana City FC on October 10, 5-0 over TBD FC on October 17 and 6-0 at Force Football Club on October 24. Forward Muazu Sagir leads the team with eight league goals, Preston Huitron has six and Adrien Graffin has five.

A club built to compete

None of this is new for the club. Garrett Hayward founded Chicago Nation in 2021, and the club went unbeaten in its first season on the way to the national final, CBS Chicago reported last year. In spring 2025, they reached the national quarterfinals having allowed just six goals all regular season.

The target hasn’t changed either. A national title is “what the goal is every season,” midfielder Nick Klabjan, still on this fall’s roster, told CBS Chicago in 2025.

Next up: the Open Cup

Before the playoffs, there’s another prize on the table. Chicago Nation host Chicago House AC of the Midwest Premier League on Sunday, November 1, at 7 p.m. CT at College of DuPage Stadium in the Third Qualifying Round of the 2027 U.S. Open Cup. After that, the fall season’s road ends at the UPSL National Finals in Irvine, California, in January.

About the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)

Founded in 2011, the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) serves as the unofficial fourth tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. With over 900 teams competing across its Premier, Division 1, Division 2, Academy, and Women’s divisions, the UPSL is the largest semi-professional soccer league in North America.

A National Affiliate member of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), the UPSL is made up of independently owned and operated clubs. Through its USSF affiliation, UPSL teams are eligible to compete in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds.

For more information, visit www.upsl.com or follow @upslsoccer on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

General Inquiries: [email protected] | Media Inquiries: [email protected]