The Illinois Midwest Conference Qualifier is the prerequisite for the US Youth Soccer Midwest Conference (MWC). Depending on how a team finishes in the Qualifiers is taken into consideration when being promoted into the MWC the following season. The MWC is one of 13 different conferences in which teams qualify directly into USYS Regional Championships and the following years Nations League Conference Playoffs. Teams in this competition are looking to earn their place into the elite in the region and this would be just the beginning.
Jump to an age group below:
2013 (12U) Girls
2013 (12U) Boys
2012 (13U) Girls
2011 (14U) Boys
12U Girls MWC Qualifier Preview
The 12U age group is a different division than the rest in that it is a year-long event. This is a Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 event where the teams are looking to qualify into the Fall 2025 MWC when they become 13U. The teams in the 12U girls division will play each other twice and the teams have the liberty to decide how they want to split the games up in the Fall and the Spring. While every game is vital, the Spring half is really where we begin to see how the standings will play out as most teams have played each other by then.
For most of these clubs, this group of players can be relatively new. Some players have been with this team since they were 7U and others have brought in players for this very competition; to get a competitive team together and build up to MWC. This being the case, a lot of these players are the top players in the region for this age group. Pegasus FC, NWI Lions United, GLSA, Galaxy SC, FC United, Elmhurst City SA, Eclipse SC, Chicago Inter and Chicago Fire Youth are clubs that historically have had great success and now they come together under one division. No club has one the league twice however, Galaxy SC and FC United have one under their belt. With the amount of top clubs in the division, predicting who will reach the summit is anyone’s guess.
12U Boys MWC Qualifier Preview
18 teams makeup the 12U Boys division where each team will have 17 games on their schedule. The 12U division will run Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 where the teams can decide how they split the games between Fall and Spring. The intention here, is earn promotion and qualify for the Fall 2025 MWC a year from now.
Champions in the 2023-2024 season and third place finishers in the 2022-2023 season Chicago Fire Youth will again be in the competition. A whole new team that will look to replicate past success. Ponys FC have finished 2nd place in the 2021-2022 season, first in the 2022-2023 season and third in the 2023-2024 season. Having not finished below top three, this club knows how to attract top players in the 12U division and will look to keep this momentum going. Chicago Magic were winners in the 2021-2022 season and finished runners-up in the 2023-2024 season. With every year being new players coming in, it is hard to predict favorites. Consistency however, is normally a decent indication. Ajax FC Naperville, Barca Academy, Central Illinois United, Deportivo 59, Elmhurst City SA, Galaxy SC, Glen Ellyn Lakers, Golden Eagles SC, GLSA, JaHbat, NWI Lions United, Orland Park Sting, Rockford Elite, Team Elmhurst SC, and United Elite join the fray and their are no small rivals here.
2012 (13U) Girls MWC Qualifier Preview
In the 13U division each team will play each other twice for a total of eight games. Chicago Rush North Shore returns from the 12U MWC Qualifier year long competition looking to find themselves promoted into the Spring 2025 MWC. Pegasus FC, Chicago Inter, Galaxy SC and FC Stars join the division. Top clubs stand in each others way. Depending on a few other factors, some divisions will have second or even third place earn promotion making every game count for those fighting for a second or even third place. We know for sure at least one will be moving into MWC Premier II division, and each game is expected to be a battle. The 13U Girls MWC Qualifier will be one to watch.
2011 (14U) Boys MWC Qualifier Preview
12 games will be on schedule for the 14U division. A loaded schedule and a loaded group of clubs in the division. Fall 2023 Illinois Cup Champions, Bolingbrook SC move up to the Qualifier group ready for the next challenge. They have tasted a Championship and that normally makes a team want more. Lyons Township and Chicago Rush Oswego return to the Qualifier looking to get promoted and will look to their experience as guidance. PFC Guadalupe, Chicago Rush West, Ajax FC Naperville and Chivas Rojiblanco are all new to the division and will be thinking they can surprise the rest.
