Chicago FC United, commonly called FC United, is an
American soccer club in the
Chicago metropolitan area
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and h ...
. FC United fields youth teams for boys and girls, and a semi-professional team in
USL League Two
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syst ...
, the fourth-tier of American soccer.
Youth and Academy Programs
Chicago FC United, founded in 2003, is an elite youth soccer program located in suburban Chicago. The club also operates Trevians Soccer Club and Chicago Magic. FC United youth teams play in local, regional, and national leagues, and its academy teams are founding members of
Girls Academy, and
MLS Next
MLS Next (stylized as MLS NEXT) is a youth soccer league in the United States and Canada, that is managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer. It was introduced by the league in 2020.
It is a successor to the U.S. Soccer Develop ...
.
The primary home field is located at
Vernon Hills
Vernon Hills is a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,850 at the 2020 census. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area ( Libertyville, Lake Forest, Long Grove, Lin ...
Athletic Complex. FC United co-invested in 2019 with the Vernon Hills Park District to install synthetic turf on three soccer fields. The club operates tournaments in the Chicago area, under the moniker Soccer Events Group, including the
Labor Day weekend Chicago Cup.
Soccer Wire, an online publication that ranks the top youth clubs in America, ranks FC United the #30 boys club as of June 2021, and the #31 girls club as of September 2022. In 2021, the U-19 Boys Pre-Academy Red team won the USYS National Championship.
USL League Two
In 2017, FC United added a semi-professional team in the
PDL, now the
USL League Two
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syst ...
, replacing the departing
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire U-23 was an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team last played in the PDL, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They last played in 2016, choosing to leave the PDL.
The ...
, after the Fire decided to relinquish their ties to the PDL.
Season Results
USL Honors
*USL PDL Central Conference Champions 2018
*USL League Two Great Lakes Division Champions 2019
*USL League Two Heartland Division Champions 2022
Ownership
Chicago FC United is owned by 3Step Sports, a nationwide youth sports operator.
FC United was precisely owned by SMP Holdings (Sports Made Personal), led by founder and CEO Chad Gruen. SMP also operated Lacrosse America and Team ONE Lacrosse. Team ONE Lacrosse merged with SMP in 2011.
In June 2022, SMP Holdings was acquired by 3Step Sports.
References
External links
*
Association football clubs established in 2003
USL League Two teams
Chicago Fire FC
Reserve soccer teams in the United States
2003 establishments in Illinois
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