176:. While the AFL, and others like it, catered to the British and Irish expatriate communities, there were few opportunities available to the rest of Chicago's many immigrant groups to play organized, competitive soccer. In 1913, the Chicago Soccer League came into existence. In 1915, it merged with the AFLC to form the Chicago and District Association Football League (CDAFL). However, this new league was better known as the Chicago Soccer League. In 1919, several non-British teams left the CDAFL to form the International Soccer League. This league lasted only one year, but led to the founding of the International Soccer Football League in 1920. That year the ISFL, with Frank Foldi as its president, was created to address the lack of league opportunities for non-British teams. With teams from nearly every significant ethnic group in Chicago, the ISFL quickly established itself as a major player in Chicago soccer. The league grew in strength as most of the city's other amateur and semi-professional league collapsed. In 1924,
60:
192:
another wave of immigrants, this time
Eastern Europeans fleeing communism, brought another fresh group of talented players into the NSL. These waves of immigration led to an expansion of the league into multiple divisions including junior and youth teams. While centered on Chicago, the league expanded to include teams from towns surrounding the city.
308:
184:
by the national team. In 1930, the ISFL created a junior division to give young players an opportunity to develop their talents at a high level en route to a spot on a first division roster. This served to enhance the league's stability as it grew its own talent pool. In 1938, only the
Chicago Soccer
195:
In 1950, the
National Soccer League created the first indoor soccer league in the United States. Chicago leagues had played indoor tournaments for decades but this was the first time an annual competitive indoor season was founded. The league featured twelve teams with games broadcast live on radio.
191:
hit the NSL hard as most of the top players were inducted in the armed forces. However, the end of the war brought a renaissance when those men returned from the military, to be quickly followed by western and central
European immigrants fleeing the devastation caused by the war. A few years later,
200:
was created as a division one league. While the NASL struggled at times and ultimately folded in 1984, it created a national league which drew the best U.S. players away from the traditional regional and city leagues which had dominated U.S. soccer. This brought the slow eclipse of the
National
232:
In 2023 the NSL and the competing
Metropolitan Soccer League were officially merged as the Greater Chicago Soccer League, with the teams playing a common schedule in March before a formal merger happened in December, with the accompanying change of name.
224:
in March 2020, cancelled the last two rounds of matches in indoor play as well as the playoffs. Later, the outdoor season would be cancelled as well. This marked the first time in the NSL's century-long history since
736:
746:
217:
led to the decline of the NSL. The league continues as a local recreational league, but its teams are no longer the competitive force on the national level they once were.
185:
League and the
International Soccer Football League remained as the top two city leagues. That year, they merged to form the National Soccer League of Chicago.
197:
741:
201:
Soccer League of
Chicago as a major player in U.S. soccer. The collapse of the NASL in 1984 brought a brief resurgence to the NSL, but the founding of
726:
731:
160:, formed by the merger of the Chicago Soccer League and International Soccer Football League of Chicago in 1928, is a semi-professional U.S.
614:
71:
81:
711:
706:
636:
118:
657:
307:
172:
In 1904, the
Association Football League of Chicago (AFLC) was established as an ethnic British league in
177:
206:
202:
214:
17:
164:
league which claims to be the oldest continuously operating soccer league in the United States.
678:
610:
548:
221:
173:
582:
458:
444:
433:
454:
440:
429:
380:
363:
353:
180:
of the ISFL's
Swedish-Americans, became the first U.S. player from outside the north-east
367:
347:
341:
317:
296:
290:
284:
278:
272:
266:
260:
254:
720:
376:
359:
335:
329:
108:
64:
59:
226:
188:
181:
604:
560:
554:
542:
530:
524:
518:
509:
503:
497:
485:
479:
76:
196:
This indoor adjunct of the NSL was continued until 1968. That year, the
161:
306:
210:
139:
701:
606:
Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States
134:
124:
114:
104:
96:
88:
70:
53:
35:
583:"Soccer | Encyclopedia of Chicago History"
737:United States Adult Soccer Association leagues
603:Kirsch, G.B.; Harris, O.; Nolte, C.E. (2000).
8:
747:Regional Soccer leagues in the United States
538:2018 RWB Adria & Gazelle SC co-champions
30:
637:"NSL Suspends Remainder of Indoor Season"
311:Former logo of the National Soccer League
658:"USASA Shuts Down Soccer Until April 30"
574:
205:in 1996, along with the merger of the
29:
7:
242:International Soccer Football League
742:Sports leagues established in 1938
547:2020 season not played due to the
25:
585:. encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org
18:National Soccer League of Chicago
727:National Soccer League (Chicago)
707:American Soccer Archives article
609:. Greenwood Press. p. 435.
158:National Soccer League (Chicago)
58:
732:1938 establishments in Illinois
229:a season would not be played.
1:
154:Greater Chicago Soccer League
82:North American Football Union
31:Greater Chicago Soccer League
712:History of soccer in Chicago
220:The NSL, in response to the
198:North American Soccer League
41:; 105 years ago
763:
490:2008 Deportivo Meridienne
119:CONCACAF Champions League
312:
303:National Soccer League
310:
213:in 1997 to form the
115:International cup(s)
203:Major League Soccer
32:
679:"A New Era Begins"
447:(division winners)
436:(division winners)
322:1944 Hakoah Center
313:
215:USL First Division
549:COVID-19 pandemic
247:1922 Sparta Union
222:COVID-19 pandemic
174:Chicago, Illinois
150:
149:
125:Current champions
16:(Redirected from
754:
690:
689:
687:
686:
681:. gcslsoccer.com
675:
669:
668:
666:
665:
660:. nslchicago.org
654:
648:
647:
645:
644:
639:. nslchicago.org
633:
627:
626:
624:
623:
600:
594:
593:
591:
590:
579:
475:2005 Jahbat F.C.
472:2004 Winged Bull
459:Chicago Lions SC
445:Chicago Lions SC
434:Chicago Lions SC
146:
143:
141:
97:Level on pyramid
63:
62:
49:
47:
42:
33:
21:
762:
761:
757:
756:
755:
753:
752:
751:
717:
716:
702:League homepage
698:
693:
684:
682:
677:
676:
672:
663:
661:
656:
655:
651:
642:
640:
635:
634:
630:
621:
619:
617:
602:
601:
597:
588:
586:
581:
580:
576:
572:
514:2013 Gazelle SC
493:2009 Inferno SC
455:Ukrainian Lions
441:Ukrainian Lions
430:Ukrainian Lions
381:Ukrainian Lions
364:Ukrainian Lions
354:Ukrainian Lions
305:
244:
239:
170:
156:, formerly the
138:
129:
105:Domestic cup(s)
89:Number of teams
79:
57:
45:
43:
40:
28:
27:Football league
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
760:
758:
750:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
719:
718:
715:
714:
709:
704:
697:
696:External links
694:
692:
691:
670:
649:
628:
615:
595:
573:
571:
568:
567:
566:
565:2023 Viking AA
563:
557:
551:
545:
539:
536:
535:2017 Viking AA
533:
527:
521:
515:
512:
506:
500:
494:
491:
488:
482:
476:
473:
470:
469:1992 The Liths
467:
464:
461:
451:
448:
437:
428:1971 Croatans/
426:
423:
420:
417:
414:
411:
408:
405:
402:
399:
396:
393:
390:
387:
384:
373:
370:
368:Chicago Slovak
356:
350:
348:Chicago Slovak
344:
342:Chicago Slovak
338:
332:
326:
325:1948 Viking AA
323:
320:
318:Chicago Sparta
304:
301:
300:
299:
297:Chicago Sparta
293:
291:Chicago Sparta
287:
285:Chicago Sparta
281:
279:Chicago Sparta
275:
273:Chicago Sparta
269:
267:Chicago Sparta
263:
261:Chicago Sparta
257:
255:Chicago Sparta
251:
248:
243:
240:
238:
235:
169:
166:
148:
147:
136:
132:
131:
126:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
74:
68:
67:
55:
51:
50:
37:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
759:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
724:
722:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
699:
695:
680:
674:
671:
659:
653:
650:
638:
632:
629:
618:
616:9780313299117
612:
608:
607:
599:
596:
584:
578:
575:
569:
564:
562:
558:
556:
552:
550:
546:
544:
540:
537:
534:
532:
528:
526:
522:
520:
516:
513:
511:
507:
505:
501:
499:
495:
492:
489:
487:
483:
481:
477:
474:
471:
468:
466:1990 Schwaben
465:
463:1982 Schwaben
462:
460:
456:
452:
450:1973 Croatian
449:
446:
442:
439:1972 Maroons/
438:
435:
431:
427:
424:
421:
418:
416:1967 Schwaben
415:
412:
409:
406:
404:1963 Schwaben
403:
400:
397:
395:1960 Schwaben
394:
392:1959 Schwaben
391:
389:1958 Schwaben
388:
386:1957 Schwaben
385:
382:
378:
377:A.A.C. Eagles
374:
372:1955 Schwaben
371:
369:
365:
361:
360:A.A.C. Eagles
357:
355:
351:
349:
345:
343:
339:
337:
336:A.A.C. Eagles
333:
331:
330:A.A.C. Eagles
327:
324:
321:
319:
315:
314:
309:
302:
298:
294:
292:
288:
286:
282:
280:
276:
274:
270:
268:
264:
262:
258:
256:
252:
249:
246:
245:
241:
236:
234:
230:
228:
223:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
199:
193:
190:
186:
183:
179:
175:
167:
165:
163:
159:
155:
145:
137:
133:
127:
123:
120:
117:
113:
110:
109:U.S. Open Cup
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
78:
75:
73:
72:Confederation
69:
66:
65:United States
61:
56:
52:
38:
34:
19:
683:. Retrieved
673:
662:. Retrieved
652:
641:. Retrieved
631:
620:. Retrieved
605:
598:
587:. Retrieved
577:
425:1970 Olympic
422:1969 Olympic
419:1968 Kickers
413:1966 Kickers
407:1964 Kickers
401:1962 Maroons
398:1961 Maroons
383:and Schwaben
250:1923 Olympia
231:
227:World War II
219:
194:
189:World War II
187:
178:Carl Johnson
171:
157:
153:
151:
375:1956 (tie)
358:1954 (tie)
142:.gcslsoccer
130:(3rd title)
721:Categories
685:2023-12-14
664:2020-03-24
643:2020-03-13
622:2014-12-03
589:2015-04-14
570:References
410:1965 Hansa
561:RWB Adria
555:RWB Adria
543:RWB Adria
531:RWB Adria
525:RWB Adria
519:RWB Adria
510:RWB Adria
504:RWB Adria
498:RWB Adria
486:RWB Adria
480:RWB Adria
237:Champions
128:Viking AA
207:A-League
77:CONCACAF
457:a.k.a.
443:a.k.a.
432:a.k.a.
168:History
135:Website
54:Country
44: (
36:Founded
613:
182:capped
162:soccer
559:2022
553:2021
541:2019
529:2016
523:2015
517:2014
508:2012
502:2011
496:2010
484:2007
478:2006
453:1974
352:1953
346:1952
340:1951
334:1950
328:1949
316:1938
295:1936
289:1935
283:1934
277:1933
271:1932
265:1931
259:1930
253:1928
211:USISL
611:ISBN
366:and
209:and
152:The
144:.com
46:1919
39:1919
140:www
723::
379:,
362:,
92:10
688:.
667:.
646:.
625:.
592:.
100:5
84:)
80:(
48:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.