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Meet The USASA: Bavarian SC
Milwaukee club is the only one to advance to 2nd round
The Bavarian Soccer Club is participating in the U.S. Open Cup for the fifth time in the last nine years as a result of defeating Lafayette Veracruz (Indiana) 4-1 and Ann Arbor FC Elite (Michigan) 6-0 in Region II USASA qualifying. In the first round, they upset the Cincinnati Kings of USL Second Division 1-0 on June 12th on a goal from Steve Sperl.
 Bavarian SC started as a football club in 1929 and has had much success in local football, winning state titles in all decades (including seven in a row from 1960 to 1966) and four National Amateur Cup championships. The first came in 1976, and then three straight from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, they won the double by also capturing the National Amateur Open Cup, a feat that had not been done since Kutis FC pulled it off in 1957.
In its previous trips to the US Open Cup in the modern era, Bavarian SC has had mixed success, with first-round exits in three of four trips. 2003, however, was a year of much success. Bavarian defeated the Des Moines Menace (PDL) in round one, then the Reading Rage of the USL’s D3 (now named the Second Division) before running into Milwaukee Wave United in the third round. That year puts Bavarian in some esteemed company as one of only three USASA teams to defeat a professional side in the competition. Additionally, Bavarian SC made it to the U.S. Open Cup final in 1994 (the year before professional teams began taking part in the competition), losing to the Greek-Americans of San Francisco.
Johnny Torres, a former member of MLS’ Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, and Miami Fusion, is a member of this year’s Bavarian squad and brings some much-needed experience to a side that is younger than the 2003 team which set the standard for USASA participation in the Open Cup, since surpassed by Dallas Roma FC’s win over Chivas USA in last year’s competition. According to Director of Soccer Operations Tom Zaiss (who coached the aforementioned 2003 side and played on the 1994 team), the club’s goal is to get the opportunity to square off against an MLS opponent. That goal is of course tempered by the fact that Bavarian lost 2-1 to RWB Adria in the Region II championship of the National Amateur Cup on June 17.
The Bavarians face the Carolina Railhawks of the USL First Division on June 26 in Cary, NC (home of the US National Team’s pre-World Cup camp in 2002 and 2006), with the winner moving on to face defending Open Cup champion Chicago Fire on July 15. The Railhawks defeated RWB Adria 4-1 in the first round and are currently 3-3-5 (14 points) in the league standings.
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