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The Madison 56ers will load up the bus and head to Iowa on Wednesday morning with just about a full roster.

"We'll be missing a couple of guys," 56ers coach Jim Launder said, "but we'll be close."

But just about everything else about the team's season opener, a first-round match of the 100th Lamar Hunt U.

Carlos McCrary picked up another honor in the wake of his stellar summer with the Madison 56ers.

The striker was one of four National Premier Soccer League players named to the USL Premier Development League/NPSL XI by U.S. Soccer Report.

McCrary had 17 goals and seven assists in all competitions for the 56ers (16-7-0), who claimed the Midwest Region and Central Conference championships and finished third at the NPSL Final Four.

James Graf converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute and second-half sub Leslie Fraser added an insurance goal in the 75th as FC Sonic knocked off the Madison 56ers 2-0 in a National Premier Soccer League semifinal Friday afternoon at Del Norte High School in San Diego.

Alex Greyson scored a pair of second-half goals after Eddie Garza's first-half score as the Quad City Eagles blanked the Madison 56ers 3-0 in a National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region match Saturday night in Rock Island, Ill.

The loss to the Eagles (4-4-1) left the 56ers (7-2-0) tied with the Milwaukee Bavarians (7-3-0) atop the Central Conference.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of this, but for the first time I have come across national rankings for teams in the USL Premier Development League and National Premier Soccer League.

The July 1 rankings are from U.S. Soccer Report, a Twitter account that launched June 30. I sent an email to the address listed on the account to try to get a little more information, but I haven't gotten a response.

Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame) opened the scoring in the 32nd minute and UW's Jerry Maddi converted a penalty kick just before halftime as the Madison 56ers blanked the Minnesota Twin Stars 2-0 on Sunday in Brooklyn Park, Minn., to remain atop the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference standings.

Carlos McCrary and Anthony Santaga (Green Bay Notre Dame), paired together up top in a 4-4-2 formation, each had two goals and an assist as the Madison 56ers posted a stunning 8-2 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bavarians in a National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region Central Conference match Sunday night at Breese Stevens Field.

Reds midfielder Jason Garcia gets set for a free kick in the first half of Sunday's U.S. Open Cup contest against Mass Premier Soccer. (Photo: Brian O'Connell)

CRANSTON, R.I. – In a match that pitted youthagainst experience, a veteran Mass Premier Soccer side edged thefledglingRhode Island Reds 1-0 in a windy U.

Mass Premier Soccer, which claimed a dramaticpenalty kickvictory over East Providence Sports in December's U.S. Open Cup state final, will play its next Cup match against Rhode Island Reds FC on Apr. 7.

TheUSASARegion 1 Quarterfinalwill kick off at 2pm at the venerable Cranston (R.

Phantoms founder Jim Dedeus (center) was on hand for Monday's All-Star Game featuring Oxford United. (Photo: Seacoast United)

Seacoast United Mariners striker Eddie Jones scored for the "Jim Dedeus XI" All Stars after the half hour mark, but it wasn't enough to overtake Oxford United in Monday's 4-1 loss at Portsmouth High School.

The 20-man Jim Dedeus XI squad comprised of top local players in the PDL and NPSL to face Oxford United was released on Friday with seven of the New England PDL and NPSL teams represented in the squad.

Boston Victory Player of the Year Hellah Sidibe is among the 20 players featured on the Jim Dedeus XI set to face Oxford United at Portsmouth High School on Monday.

England League Two club Oxford United faced a tougher opponent in the second match of their New England tour on Friday night and were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against the PDL's Seacoast United Phantoms at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire.

Seacoast's Jordan Thomas battles OUFC's Alfie Potter.

A nine-man Mass United FC gave the Rhode Island Reds a run for their money in Saturday's 3-2 loss.

CRANSTON, R.I. Despite playing with a two-man advantage, it took a Wilder Arboleda 63rd minute goal to keep the Reds ahead in Saturday's 3-2 win over Mass United FC at Cranston Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, a nine-man Mass United, who started two players short due to injuries, broke the scoreless tie when backup keeper-turned-midfielder Baboucarr Njie tallied in the 50th minute.

The biggest takeaways from the announcement by the United States Soccer Federation is that for the 100th US Open Cup they are making things bigger. There are more teams competing since the modern era started ('95 to present). There is more prize money. There is more randomness to hosting as all hosts will be determined by coin flip.

The Milwaukee Bavarians will have a new face on the sidelines – and most likely a little older look on the field for the 2013 National Premier Soccer League season.

Craig Peltonen, the longtime men's coach at NCAA Division III program Marian University in Fond du Lac, recently was named the Bavarians' new coach.

Yes, it's true, this isn't some cruel Photoshop perpetrated by the biggest scam artists in Atlanta soccer.

Eric Wynalda is coming to Atlanta. Yes, THAT Eric Wynalda.

It's almost fitting in a way. We've been teased for so long, told over and over again that "we're going in the right direction," or "we're committed to winning.