The United States Adult Soccer Association Amateur Cup will be returning to the Chicago region July 25-28, 2024, for its 100th edition as Dekalb, Illinois was awarded hosting rights in a press release on December 11, 2023. The gravity of hosting the most prestigious amateur tournament in its centenary year is not lost on DeKalb County United President John Hall, as his club once again furthers the credibility of his operation and, by extension, the Midwest Premier League. They follow in the hosting footsteps of fellow league member, legacy club, and six-time champion, Bavarian United SC, who hosted and took home the Fritz Marth Cup as the 2022.

The four champions of the regional tournaments will advance to the National Amateur Cup finals. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In Region II (Midwest) thirteen state soccer associations and national leagues such as NPSL and UWS are eligible to compete for a trip to DeKalb with $1000 prize for winning the Regional Final. The entry deadline is March 1st with games beginning April 12th, culminating in the Finals June 23rd.

Bruce Bode, Executive Director of the USASA explained that along with the desire to host the tournament in the Chicago area, there are certain requirements to be met and local support was one of them. Hall recalls having a conversation with Bode a few months prior and the topic of the 2024 Amateur Cup came up and he admits to letting his excitement bubble over. “As I normally do, I opened my mouth and said, ‘We would like to host it!’ without a lot of detail,” Hall joked. “The more we talked and the more I though about it the more I thought ‘Man, this does make a lot of sense.’”

Bode lauded the deep roots DKCU has developed within the community and those very residents turning around and reciprocating the club’s passion. “They just bring a lot to the table,” Bode said. “For an amateur club they have a good, steady base of support that’s been very committed to them since they have been there.” DKCU’s connection with Northern Illinois University and their facilities was also a big factor in helping land hosting privileges.

The growth of the MWPL and the footprint the league is carving out for itself in the amateur soccer landscape has impressed Bode. “Look at the numbers,” he said. In Illinois, where Bode resides, he has seen how the league has operated a little closer than other league across the country. “They just do things right. They are thoughtful about their growth, they’ve been thoughtful about how they work with the league,” he continued. The MWPL is not a USASA official regional league like the Gulf Coast Premier League but do fill all requirements to be recognized as a USASA official league, according to Bode.

He is hopeful the economic impact accompanying the competition when it rolls into town will give DeKalb businesses a boost as well and give them a chance to see something that doesn’t come around every year. “I think it would be a great thing for our community to bring a national event to town and give our community the opportunity to see basically the highest trophy our club could ever compete in on the men’s and women’s side,” Hall elaborated. “With our marketing and the outreach that we do already, if you give us a long runway…like eight months to put it together, we could make the hundredth pretty special.”

As an American soccer fan, Hall is incredibly excited to play a leading part in making this worthy of its reputation. He quipped that it is great that Dekalb is considered, as he put it: Chicago-ish and the benefits of hosting the event farther outside the city limits such as parking other potential stressors of hosting in the city. The cup, however, will have to share the limelight as the Dekalb Chamber of Commerce is celebrating their centennial year as well, providing the makings for a truly memorable weekend. “I feel pressure anytime because of our outreach, we put a big bullseye on ourselves,” Hall admitted. “The expectation for event that we have is different than the expectations of other clubs. I’m sure it’s going to take more work than I expect, but in the end when we wrap up that weekend, I think it will be worth it.”

This year’s tournament will look a little different compared to previous years. Collegiate players, most notably the women’s collegiate players, are back with their college programs by the first week in August, causing roster issues for eligible clubs. To combat this, the tournament was moved up to the last weekend in July. The divisions this year have been reduced from previous years’ age to purely four men’s and women’s semi-finalists. “I’m excited because our women’s team has had some pretty good runs in their short existence and the opportunity now for them to maybe dig in a little deeper and play in a national final in DeKalb would be pretty special,” Hall added.

It’s no small feat the Amateur Cup has reached the century mark, ensuring that it lasts for another 100 years is not an easy task. Helping the younger generations who are impassioned with the game understand the importance of this trophy is something that Hall is very excited about. “We always find that role with the adult end of our program is to inspire the kids, give them that hero,’ he said. “To the have the best four men’s and women’s teams in the country in our town…that’s a story we can tell and a thing we can really promote. We are going to do everything we can to make it special.” Hall also mentioned his excitement at the prospect of bringing in new local businesses and non-profits with a potential national presence, because of this tournament. “Maybe they’ve never really supported we we’ve done yet, but look what we are doing now,” he said.

- Rich Schenck