CHAC to Host Bavarian United
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jenn Jarmula
Phone: 312-931-7035 (M)
Email: Jenn@chicagohouseac.com
Follow: @ ChicagoHouse_AC
Chicago, Illinois (February 4, 2023) – The U.S. Soccer Federation announced yesterday the matchups and schedule for the first round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament proper. Chicago House A.C. will host Midwest Premier League foe Bavarian United on Wednesday, March 22. The match will be played at Langhorst Field (Elmhurst University) at 7:00 PM central time. Ticket information will be announced next week.
“Our players and coaches worked hard to advance to this prestigious tournament. I'm happy for our fans that we are hosting and they will be able to support their club locally against one of the oldest and most decorated clubs in the nation,” said Managing Director Peter Wilt.
Chicago House A.C. will be playing in their first U.S. Open Cup in the club’s history; entering the competition on a 13 game undefeated streak dating back to their only loss in the season opener in May 2022. House earned a spot in the historic tournament through a four round qualification process in the fall of 2022. Of the 107 amateur sides entering the process, only nine teams advanced to play in the tournament proper this Spring. After receiving a first round qualification bye, House hosted a second round match-up versus 1927 Fort Wayne S.C. at Hales Franciscan High School on the southside of Chicago. The visitors were just seconds away from taking home a win when House midfielder, Seo-In Kim, drew a penalty and converted in the 92+ minute to level the match at one goal apiece. After a 30 minute overtime period, the match was decided on penalty kicks. House took home the victory and advanced when goalkeeper, Tony Halterman, made both the game winning save and goal.
The third round qualifier saw House travel to Jeffersonville, IN to take on Metro Louisville F.C. on November 19th. The match was a physical tilt from the beginning. House opened the scoring in the 9th minute on a penalty kick taken by Kim after a hard foul by the Louisville goalkeeper on House’s Nico Williams that sent him to the hospital for stitches to his right cheek. Louisville got an equalizer in the 29th minute and the match stayed knotted up until the 71st minute when House grabbed the lead, with both sides playing a man down, on a goal credited to Jed McCloud.
In a match that will go down as one of the most dramatic in Chicago House History, and quite possibly U.S.O.C. qualifying history, House defeated Brockton F.C. United in Randolph, MA on December 17th to qualify for the tournament proper. Brockton scored an early goal in the fifth minute of play and slowed things down playing a strong, defensive game in hopes of holding on to a 1-nil lead. With darkness falling over the pitch quickly, House launched a strong offensive attack putting a barrage of balls on goal late and leveled the match at 1-1 on a goal by House captain, A.R. Smith, in the 81st minute. After a shortened overtime period, due to extreme darkness, the game was decided in the ninth round of penalty kicks on a save by Chicago’s Halterman, sending House back home with a Champagne celebration victory and a banner that read, ‘QUALIFIED.’
“I can best liken the journey through the qualification rounds as a roller coaster ride. It was filled with ups, downs, flips and turns but when the roller coaster finally came to a stop it was with us celebrating qualifying for the Open Cup proper,” said Matt Poland House head coach and technical director on the process. “It felt like a culmination of a lot of hard work and sacrifice from everyone in the organization. Being a part of the club’s first time qualifying made it all the more special of a moment. ”
When Bavarian United travels south to square off against House in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, this will be the second time the clubs will face each other. On July 24, 2022, the two sides played to a 1-1 draw in Glendale, WI on the “Bavs” home field.
Bavarian United was founded in 1929 and is one of the oldest soccer clubs in the United States. They have many teams, both youth and adult, under the Bavarian umbrella. Their Men’s team has won nine national championships including six National Amateur Cup titles, most recently in 2022 which awarded them a guaranteed spot in the Open Cup without having to go through the fall qualification process.
“If you have ever been around soccer in the Midwest you know the history of the Bavarians and what they have achieved,” said Poland. “Their reputation was earned from year after year and decade after decade of success. To play such a storied club in such a storied tournament is a great moment for our club’s history.”
ABOUT CHICAGO HOUSE AC
Founded in 2020, Chicago House AC is a community-based soccer club which began play as a professional team in 3rd division NISA in fall, 2021. House played in the Midwest Premier League in 2022 where it finished its 11-game schedule with ten straight matches undefeated. Chicago House AC U-23 team played its first Northern Illinois Soccer League Season in summer, 2022 and finished atop the standings with an undefeated record. Led by Managing Partner, President and CEO Peter Wilt, Chicago House AC is structured as a public benefit corporation committed to transparency and working with its constituents to use its platform for social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. Chicago House AC is sponsored by NIKE, Weiss Memorial Hospital and Fruit Street Health. For more information, contact us at info@chicagohouseac.com, visit www.chicagohouseac.com and follow on Twitter at @ChicagoHouse_AC.