David Gubala

Welcome to our continuing series of Meet the USASA features where we annually profile the clubs representing the United States Adult Soccer Association in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Advancing from the four regional tournaments, these often unknown clubs have great stories to tell and each year, our goal is to allow fans to get to know them as they attempt to become this year’s Cinderella story. Click here for more Meet the USASA stories.

The predominantly Polish side from Chicago has much to say about the US Open Cup.  Contestants AAC Eagles have won the entire tournament in 1990 and had a number of strong showings in years following.

2011 will mark the Eagles’ fifth Modern Era (1995-present) appearance (1995, 2002, 2005, 2008), and they will travel to Madison, Wis. for their First Round match-up with the NPSL’s Madison 56ers on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST. The winner of that match will play the winner of the Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) and Iowa Menace (USASA ) in Round 2.

The club returned to prominence a year ago when they ended state rival RWB Adria’s three-year reign as Illinois state champions. The Eagles defeated RWB Adria 2-0 in the Illinois state qualifier the previous November before knocking out Minnesota entrant Fire SC in the Region II Quarterfinals, 8-3. The side was then eliminated in the Final Four via penalties 4-2 by KC Athletics after a 3-3 draw. The two matches took place at MLS venues, playing at Toyota Park’s training field and in a doubleheader with the Kansas City Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

This year, AAC Eagles were seeded as host of the Illinois Final as defending champion, and defeated Viking AA 2-1 to retain the state crown. They earned a date with FC Indiana in the opening round of the Region II tournament and dispatched them 7-2 thanks to four goals by Jakub Piotrowski. It then came down to a “Win & You’re In” match between the Eagles and RWB Adria (who replaced Viking AA after they withdrew from the tournament), which the Eagles won 4-1 with Piotrowski leading the way with three goals. `

CLUB HISTORY

AAC Eagles were formed in the year 1940 by a number of Polish immigrants. The club underwent a number of rebrandings over the years from then on. Until the 1950s, Eagles were originally known as the Polish American Athletic Club (PAAC Eagles).

The team also played its inaugural season in the National Soccer League of Chicago.

After the 1950s, the team rebranded to the Chicago Eagles. Since then, the club has interchanged between a couple of other names. Having won the cup in 1990, the club had finally settled on the AAC Eagles moniker for years to come.

The Eagles currently play in the Metropolitan Soccer League, where it has won 11 Major Division championships.

HISTORY IN THE CUP

The club has a number of successes worth mentioning. It reached the final in 1945 and 1948 before winning the Open Cup in 1990. The Eagles defeated the Brooklyn Italians, who have also qualified for the 2011 competition, 2-1 in the championship game with goals from Jan Kiaca and Peter Modrzejewski at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. , six years before MLS would be launched.

As is the case for the current tournament, back in 1990, the Eagles’ famous US Open Cup victory gave them a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (now called the Champions League). The club lost on aggregate 4-1 to Bermudian side PHC Zebras in early stages of the tournament, but had already accomplished the impossible getting there.

The team first entered the Cup in 1948 and won their first-ever tournament match, 6-4, over Hansa SC on Nov. 16, 1947. In the ’48 Cup they reached the Illinois Final, where they lost to Sparta A & BA 3-2 after extra time.

In 1949, they made it all the way to the Western Final (National Semifinals), losing to Pittsburgh’s Morgan Strasser 4-3 on aggregate over two legs. Strasser went on to win the title that year.

In 1950 they reached the Western Semifinals where they lost to another eventual champion, St. Louis’ Simpkins Ford 5-0. Along the way they thrashed Hakoah Center 11-0 in the Illinois quarterfinals.

In 1953 a group of players who felt they were not being given a fair shot for playing time left the club and founded the Falcons SC, and that newly-formed club went on to win the Open Cup in their first attempt.

In their four previous Modern Era appearances, the club has failed to win a game in the competition. In fact, in their last three appearances, the Eagles have been eliminated by a team that has also qualified for the 2011 Open Cup. In 2002, they lost 1-0 on a golden goal by the New York Freedoms (now the NY Pancyprian Freedoms), who were a member of the PDL that year. They fell to the Chicago Fire Premier in 2005 by a score of 4-1, and in their last appearance they hosted the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, losing 4-0.

Adding to their list of achievements, AAC Eagles won the USASA Open Cup in 1989 and 2002.

MEET THE PLAYER: PETER BIELECKI

Peter Bielecki is a 6’1” left back playing a pivotal role for the Eagles, especially this season. Bielecki earned his spot through the youth ranks of Eagles as well as playing for Lane Tech High School in his earlier days.

Can you talk about the current atmosphere in the team and how you personally prepare for this tournament?

PB: Overall, we have strong team chemistry. Everyone backs each other up, where everyone seems to get along in both a professional and casual way. Our outlook is very serious, where everyone believes we can make it very far in the tournament. There is very little room for slacking, because a 27+man roster leaves a lot of room for competition on our team.

What does the US Open Cup mean for yourself and the Eagles?

PB: The US Open Cup is one of the biggest tests for an amateur men’s team. Within our league, we are always looking for a challenge. The US Open Cup offers everyone on our team a chance to give it their all and compete on higher levels. Many of our players are college level quality, but very few have broken into the professional levels, in which this tournament provides many opportunities to seize.

Who are some of the key players on the Eagles roster? Who are the veterans or someone you look up to?

PB: We have a lot of underrated talent. “Kuba” Piotrowski, for example, is an incredible “amateur” talent that has plenty of ability to score goals with speed comparable to many of the fastest strikers. Piotr Kolasinski is a central defender that has an incredible touch and makes plays in all areas of the field. He also has the ability to strike the ball from set pieces, leaving us with a serious weapon, no matter what team we play. Jacek Lechowicz and Sebastian Skital provide our team with years of experience from higher levels, while Miroslaw Modzelewski brings in experience from some of the highest levels of football, playing teams such as Manchester United in his Polish football career .

Can you tell fans a little about yourself and your relationship with the Eagles?

PB: As a youngster, I was constantly looking for chances to break into this “veteran” squad. I am a left back, standing at 6’1″ and 185 lbs, but I am still finding it difficult to capture my spot on this team. We have plenty of players to choose from, which is surprising for the level we play at. We are going to leave higher level teams with quite a challenge during these next few US open Cup games. It will be important for other teams not to underestimate us, because we train with the mindset of a professional squad.

The AAC Eagles are always trying to improve their reputation as an amateur soccer team. The US Open Cup is just another opportunity for us to make a statement and advance as far as possible. No matter what, our team will leave the tournament with no regrets, knowing that we have given our best performance and have showcased the best football that we can provide.