Rockford FC · Men's First Team

The Guardians

MASL3
GCSL
MWPL
MLIS

Founded: 2019
Trophies: 3×
Leagues: 4
Open age: 16+

Where we compete

Indoor & outdoor

Rockford FC's first team is the club's open-age senior program for players 16 and up. It competes indoors in MASL3 and outdoors in the GCSL and MWPL, fielding a squad for each competition, including U23 sides, from a roster of talented local and regional players.

New for 2026–27

We're going indoor

Indoor arena soccer — the third tier of the Major Arena Soccer League system. Rockford FC joins for the 2026–27 season.

The Announcement

MWPL

Midwest Premier League

Primary league — semi-pro teams from IL, WI, MI, MN, MO, IA, NE, IN, SC. Affiliated with NISA.

GCSL

Greater Chicago Soccer League

Outdoor league — Rockford FC fields a side in the U23 Division.

Illinois State Cup

State-level cup competition.

USASA

USASA National Amateur Cup

National amateur cup — Region 2.

Games & training

Schedule

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Dec3Thu
Umoja Soccer Camp
camp
5:00 PM - 9:00 PMFoundation Sports Performance, 104 Kasch Dr, Winnebago, IL 61088, USA
Dec27Sun
Cincinnati SwervevsRockford FC
away5:00 PM - 7:00 PMGame Time Training
Details
Jan3Sun
Kalamazoo United FCvsRockford FC
away5:00 PM - 7:00 PMLets Play Portage
Details
Jan8Fri
Rockford FCvsSummit City Sentinels
home9:00 PM - 11:00 PMIndoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two
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Jan15Fri
Rockford FCvsMuskegon Risers
home8:45 PM - 10:45 PMTOCA Soccer Center Naperville
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Jan30Sat
Cleveland SambavsRockford FC
away5:00 PM - 7:00 PMSoccer Sportsplex
Details

Full first team schedule

The bench

Team staff

Brett Suhayda

Head Coach

Named the first head coach in Rockford FC history in February 2020, Brett spent 12 years coaching at Waubonsee Community College, winning five conference championships and four coach of the year awards and leading the Chiefs to their first NJCAA Division I National Tournament in 2017.

Christian Bitangalo

Assistant Coach

Christian leads the technical vision for Rockford FC, overseeing player development across all programs. He also serves as a board member of Umoja Sports Group.

Austin Curtis

Director of Senior Team Operations

Austin oversees the operations of the senior team at Rockford FC.

Mike Creuzer

Chairman & President

Chairman and President of Rockford FC and board member of Umoja Sports Group, Mike brings years of leadership experience to the club.

A player sprinting at golden hour during Rockford FC first team tryouts

Open tryouts

Every season, indoor & outdoor

Wear the shield

Join the Guardians

Players join through open tryouts, held ahead of each season, indoor and outdoor. Dates, locations and the sign-up form are posted on the schedule.

Who should try out: College players, recent college graduates, aspiring professionals, ex-professional players, and highly skilled amateurs
Ages: 16 and up. Athletes under 18 need proper waivers signed by a parent/guardian.
Cost: Tryouts are free.
What to bring: Shin guards, water, and the right shoes for the surface: cleats for outdoor tryouts, indoor or turf shoes for indoor. Be ready to play.
College players: NCAA eligibility maintained — coordinate with your coaches and athletic director

When Are Open Tryouts?Season Waivers Ask a Question

On the pitch

Tryout day

Honours

Silverware

All accolades

2026
GCSL U23 Champions
Won the Greater Chicago Soccer League U23 Division for the second time in three seasons.
2024
GCSL U23 Champions
Won the Greater Chicago Soccer League championship in the inaugural U23 season.
2024
MWPL Third Place
Finished third in the Midwest Premier League Heartland Division II.
2024
USASA National Amateur Cup — Region 2 Advancement
Defeated Pearl City in Muscatine, Iowa to advance to the next round of the single-elimination tournament.

Match day

See the Guardians live

Bring the family, bring the noise. Every ticket backs soccer in Rockford.

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Buy Tickets Schedule