Community-driven Chicago House AC opens home slate Saturday

Soccer fans in Chicagoland — there’s a new team in town. Chicago House AC kicks off its inaugural home season Saturday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview at 7:35 p.m. CT. The club enters the match with a 1-1 record, and is fresh off a 1-0 win over Stumptown AC. A 90th-minute goal gave Chicago its first NISA win.

“We knew if we could hang in there for a full 90 minutes, good things would happen,” technical director and head coach C.J. Brown said. “Our subs entered the game and created energy. We took the one and only chance we needed and won the game.”

In their first road match of the season, Chicago House AC traveled to Detroit to face reigning champion Detroit City FC. The clubs went toe-to-toe, knotting the match up at 2-2 in the second half. But Detroit found a late goal, which held for the 3-2 win.

“Our first match we played the defending champion. I was extremely nervous,” Brown said. “I don’t know if our team was or not, but I was. We worked hard and fought hard, but they got the last goal. The environment was great. They really have a good thing going in Detroit.”

So what is NISA and why is there another professional soccer team in Chicago?

“The Chicago marketplace is large enough, it needs more than one outdoor team.” House president and CEO Peter Wilt said. “And this league is different in a very important way. We provide a platform for open play of soccer. America doesn’t currently have that. With the other professional leagues, you buy in and can never leave.”

NISA (National Independent Soccer Association) currently has third-division teams. The goal is to get the 10-team league to 24 teams by 2024. At that point, the league can switch into two divisions and begin promotion and relegation.

NISA clubs pride themselves on their overall vision. They want to incorporate the communities into their teams. The players pride themselves on reaching out to the community and offering support wherever they can lend a hand.

“I keep saying it over and over again,” Wilt said. “It’s so much better to build alliances with a variety of constituent groups. Motivate them to build business with you. Building from the bottom up gives you roots in the community.”

Brown said the community aspect of the team was a selling point for him.

“We are really trying to be community based,” Brown said. “Pilsen is the start of that. We are pairing with community initiatives that will help build the community. The players have bought into that. They knew they were here to play but to also run clinics and be mentors. It’s exciting to see. And we’re just scratching the surface.”

So if you want to be a part of the new soccer era in Chicago, head out to SeatGeek Stadium Saturday night and witness Chicago’s newest team take the pitch against New Amsterdam FC.

Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.

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