The Madison 56ers got a last-second goal from midfielder Carl Schneider (Madison La Follette) on Saturday night – in the 75th minute.

The University of Wisconsin midfielder scored on the final kick of the match as the 56ers pulled out a 3-2 victory over host Eau Claire Aris FC in a National Premier Soccer League Midwest Division game delayed twice because of inclement weather and called early because of darkness at Bollinger Field.

It was a pretty productive Tuesday for the Madison 56ers' National Premier Soccer League team.

Nineteen players got a good run-out in a friendly against Chicago-area Bridges FC, with coach Jim Launder using the 2-1 loss at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., to get a look at some newcomers and experiment a little bit.

Five days after a frustrating, exhausting exit from the Lamar Hunt U.S.Open Cup, the Milwaukee Bavarians got off to a sluggish start in their National Premier Soccer League opener Sunday night against visiting Eau Claire Aris FC.

Coach Andreas Davi made six substitutions at halftime, looking to energize his side.

Freddy Adu speaks at the Philadelphia Union press conference announcing his signing (AP Photos).

To MLS, not Southern California, although it should be noted that Freddy Adu and the Philadelphia Union will visit Carson Oct. 2 for Chivas USA's penultimate home game of the season.

It seems like a long time ago now that a "spoiled" Adu was introduced to the media at Home Depot Center the first time he signed to MLS.

Once featuring USA internationals Freddy Adu and Eddie Johnson along with Mexico's Nery Castillo, Aris Football Club (Greek: .Α.Ε. Άρης), is a Greek soccer club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Aris currently competes in Superleague Greece, the top tier of the Greek professional football system and has won three Greek championships and one [.

With the MLS transfer window set to close on Friday, 22-year-old playmaking midfielder Freddy Adu is set to join the Union, according to multiple sources.
The team will make the official announcement Friday at noon at PPL Park.
"The important thing is that we try shuffle the front line a little bit," said coach Peter Nowak on Thursday, when asked about any incoming personnel.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

The Philadelphia Union have been one of the biggest stories of the MLS season with its play in the first half of the season. But Friday night at PPL Park just wasn't the second-year club's night.

The Colorado Rapids snapped Philly's 10-game unbeaten streak in MLS matches with a 2-1 win at PPL Park.

Three players from Wisconsin teams were named to the National Premier Soccer League All-Star team, which is set to play three matches over the next week.

Hartford's Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) and North Carolina's Carlos McCrary, both midfielders from the Madison 56ers, and Mountain State defender Pedashoo Deneus from Eau Claire Aris FC are part of the 21-player roster.

It was a night for firsts for the Milwaukee Bavarians.

UW-Milwaukee's Ryan Whitehead, a starting central defender for the team all season, made his first start for the team as a forward.

And all Whitehead did was score two goals to spark a 5-0 victory over host Eau Claire Aris FC that clinched the Bavarians' first National Premier Soccer League Midwest Division championship.

After playing – or attempting to play – matches four times in six days last week, the Madison 56ers were able to return to a normal schedule this week.

One of coach Jim Launder's main tasks during the squad's three training sessions was to try to keep his team from being overconfident heading into Saturday night's game against Eau Claire Aris FC at Breese Stevens Field.

A day after a lopsided loss, Eau Claire Aris FC returned to Bollinger Fields looking to make amends Sunday.

They did just that, as French forward Renaud Sicard scored and Australian goalkeeper Troy Osborne turned in another fine performance in a 1-1 draw against the Milwaukee Bavarians in a National Premier Soccer League Midwest Division match.

The Madison 56ers came out firing Saturday night against Eau Claire Aris FC, and never really stopped.

From a blast by UW-Green Bay midfielder Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) in the opening seconds to a goal by North Carolina's Carlos McCrary in second-half stoppage time, it was an all-around impressive display.

The Madison 56ers' injury problems at center back have now enveloped the team's goalkeepers, too.

UW-Parkside's Ryan Onwukwe is expected to be sidelined for two weeks because of a dislocated finger suffered in training this week, while Kyle Dillman (Madison La Follette) likely will be out for at least two more weeks as he recovers from a broken finger.

Eau Claire Aris FC enjoyed its best weekend in its three seasons in the National Premier Soccer League, taking three points and coming close to claiming a fourth.

Renaud Sicard, a native of Paris who plays for NAIA Marian (Ind.), had a pair of goals in his debut as Aris scored three times in the second half to rally past Minnesota Kings FC 3-1 on Friday night at Bollinger Fields.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Nery Castillo is officially the latest Designated Player bust.

The Chicago Fire declined its option to maintain the Mexican striker on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of Friday's deadline, and his stint in Major League Soccer is over.

EAU CLAIRE – Things are going to be different this year.

That's the general feeling at Eau Claire Aris FC. The club kicks off its third season in the National Premier Soccer League at 5 p.m. Saturday with a home fixture against the St. Paul Twin Stars at Eau Claire North High School.

A year ago, Eau Claire earned a solitary point – coming from a 3-3 draw with the Twin Stars – and finished bottom of the Midwest Division table.

Mexican national team striker (and former Chicago Fire player) Nery Castillo has been on loan to Aris FC in Greece since the beginning of the year. He is still Shakhtar Donetsk's player, although it is clear that he will never play for Mircea Lucescu again after his antics in a league match several seasons ago.