Croatian Eagles Soccer Club ( hr, NK Hrvatski Orlovi) is an American soccer team that plays in the
United Premier Soccer League
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...
. The club was established in 1922 by
Croatian Americans
Croatian Americans or Croat Americans ( hr, Američki Hrvati) are Americans who have full or partial Croatian ancestry. In 2012, there were 414,714 American citizens of Croat or Croatian descent living in the United States as per revised 2010 Un ...
, and is one of the oldest continuously run soccer club in North America. According to legend, the club was originally going to be named "NK Hrvatski Sokole" but the founders of the club were not able to translate "Sokole". The club's biggest rivals are the United Serbians Soccer Club and
Milwaukee Bavarian SC.
The club participated in the
2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They were champs of the Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association's Challenge Cup five times, from 1999 to 2003. The club is also a regular participant in the
Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament The Croatian-North American Soccer Tournament is a soccer tournament established in 1964 featuring teams representing the Croatian Canadian and Croatian American communities. It is organized by the Croatian National Soccer Federation, Croatian Natio ...
which they have previously hosted 4 times and they last hosted in 2017. They have not won a tournament to date.
The Croatian Eagles represented the state of Wisconsin at the USSF National Amateur Cup Region II in Bowling Green, KY (6/27/08-6/29/08). They completed the tournament with a 2–1 victory over the St. Louis Scott Gallagher team. The women's team has won the open cup and is in regionals. This men's team has many players who eventually play professional soccer throughout the world. Many players from the Majors team at Croatian Eagles Soccer Club have many Division 1 along with Division 2 and 3 players in the summers.
The Croatian Eagles also have a growing youth program with many teams that complete in the Wisconsin Developmental Academy and Midwest Regional League. The former director of coaching, Scott , has grown the youth program of Croatian Eagles from one team in 1998, to 34 teams at the end of 2016. The club uses the youth program to uniquely feed college, post-college, and professional players to their Premier League of America team, headed by current coach, Chris Logan.
On Sunday July 22, 2012, the Croatian Eagles represented the state of Wisconsin at the USASA National Cup winning 3–2 over the ASC New Star's from Texas and were national Champions for 2012.
USASA National Cup Champions
/ref> They automatically qualified for competing in the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
.
The 2015 season saw Croatian Eagles enter their men's team in the fledgling Great Lakes Premier League
The Premier League of America (PLA) was an American soccer league consisting of teams in cities in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The league was a part of the United States Adult Soccer Association. It began its first season of pla ...
along with teams from Illinois and Michigan. They finished fifth that season, and continued with the league, re-branded as the Premier League of America until that league merged with the United Premier Soccer League
The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is an American soccer league that was founded in Santa Ana in Southern California, with teams in regionalized conferences throughout the United States, and recently Canada and Mexico. The league was found ...
.
Croatian Park
Croatian Park was founded in 1956 by Croatian Americans
Croatian Americans or Croat Americans ( hr, Američki Hrvati) are Americans who have full or partial Croatian ancestry. In 2012, there were 414,714 American citizens of Croat or Croatian descent living in the United States as per revised 2010 Un ...
from Milwaukee. The ground was purchased as a place for Croatians to mingle and celebrate their culture.
Over the years Croatian Park has expanded to now over 30 acres and part of the local community in Franklin. It is still the pride & joy of the Croatian Community of Milwaukee and surrounding areas. It now is a local gathering place not only for Croatians, but also locals from the SE WI area who appreciate using the Park for their own activities. Croatian Park is also home to the Croatian Eagles Soccer Club, which is North America's older active soccer club. Croatian Park has 5 regulation sized fields, and any one is almost guaranteed to see some team practicing or playing any time of the week. Croatian Fest has been held every year for at least 50+ years. Every year there is a Croatian Mass at 10a.m. with a cultural program typically a few hours later. Many Croatians from around Wisconsin, Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, and Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
come to celebrate the culture. There is a weekly beer garden held on Thursdays from 5 to 10pm starting in May and lasts until September. In the summer of 2019, special guests from New Zealand, Klapa Samoana, who have performed at numerous Dinamo Zagreb
Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
games, and KUD Tena from Đakovo
Đakovo (; hu, Diakovár) is a town in the region of Slavonia, Croatia. Đakovo is the centre of the fertile and rich Đakovo region ( hr, Đakovština ).
Etymology
The etymology of the name is the gr, διάκος (diákos) in Slavic form đ ...
, Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, came and performed for many people at the Park. Dinamo Zagreb held 2 soccer camps at the park, coached by trainers from Zagreb. Food is provided by American European Foods with all sorts of Croatian delicacies, such as Ćevapi
Ćevapi (, ), ćevapčići (formal: diminutive; , ) is a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the countries of southeast Europe (the Balkans). It is considered a national dish of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is also comm ...
and Croatian Sausages. Croatian Park is home to Croatian Park Ale, and supplies Karlovačko, Croatian Cordials such as Šljivovica
Slivovitz is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). If anyone else has a dictionary of some Slavic language that translates your word for slivovitz as "plum brandy", please a ...
, Pelinkovac
Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood ( Croatian and Slovenian: ''pelen'' or ''pelin''), popular in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria as well as in Slovenia, where it is known as pelinkove ...
, and many other items for every major event.
Notes
{{reflist
External links
Croatian Eagles SC
Croatian Park Beer Garden
Croatian Park
Croatian Fest
Croatian-American history
Croatian-American culture
Sports in Milwaukee
United Premier Soccer League teams
Association football clubs established in 1922
Soccer clubs in Wisconsin
1922 establishments in Wisconsin
Great Lakes Premier League teams
Diaspora soccer clubs in the United States
Croatian sports clubs outside Croatia