FC Wisconsin had multiple teams playing in the Rush Oktoberfest tournament October 13-14, and at every age group the club's philosophy and structure was crystal clear in the style of the play of every team as they dominated possession in every match.

FC Wisconsin - Madison U15s

The U15s played well with significant improvement in execution in the final third in comparison to previous weeks. A somewhat slow start to the games was punished with a few early deficits, but the strength of the team was more than enough to overcome these early mistakes. The outside midfielders showed new determination to take players on and get lots of serves into the box, and there were goals a-plenty from Courtney Schmidt, Tiana Johnson, and Kate Aman-Lavicky as the U15s claimed their championship.

FC Wisconsin - Madison U12s

The FC Wisconsin - Madison U12s played very well throughout the event, and faced teams in every game whose primary mission seemed to be to win field position with launched balls down the field.  Especially at this young age group, this direct play can be very difficult to deal with, but the U12s did really well in sticking to the game model of building out of the back and making good decisions about when, where, and how to pass.  Nicole Chase, Grace Parker, and Mady Leffel all showed improvement in finding longer penetrating passes to forwards and midfielders, often breaking pressure and cutting out multiple defenders with one pass.  Goals from Cat Arnold, Molly Armstrong, Eily Duffy, Olivia Devereaux, and Lauren Wiitanen over the weekend were icing on the attacking cake, while Mady Balz had some great saves in the semi-final and championship.

FC Wisconsin - Madison U11's

The FC Wisconsin - Madison U11s also faced some bluntness in the style of the opponent's play, with the ball launched over the endline frequently by opponents who seemed more intent on winning a touchback than passing the ball.  Despite this challenge, the U11s continued to focus on perception and decision-making cues as they looked to possess the ball progressively through the field.  The games provided a great challenge and a clear contrast of styles and philosophies in formation age groups.

FC Wisconsin U13/14 Regional Competitive Team

The FC Wisconsin Regional Competitive U13/14 team came out and battled well in four very tight matches. Once again th club style of play showed in the way the players were able to dominate possession against every opponent.  Ava Zamora and Mia Brunelli were strong players in the back line, making great decisions when pressure was high. Jojo Rosenfeld did a good job of coming off of her line to collect anything behind our back line, and made great decisions when playing out of the back to her defenders. Claire Wattenback, Katie McNamara, and Nina Wolff also played well in center midfield, moving the ball well, and connecting with the forwards to create good chances.

Overall, the weekend was a big success for the club, especially in providing a clear picture of the club style of play across all of the age groups.  The players and teams are showing common insight to the game, a consistent desire and ability to maintain possession and play progressively, and a great team spirit!