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Ineligible player forces Waukegan soccer team to forfeit national title – Chicago Tribune
Girls on a Lake County youth soccer club are forfeiting a national championship trophy won earlier this year after an investigation found one of the players was too old to play.
The board of the directors for the Waukegan-based Heart of the City announced Wednesday that the organization is forfeiting the U.S. Club Soccer National Cup championship win in July by its U13 Girls North Central United team, as well as all games in which the ineligible girl played.
The investigation started after an anonymous letter sent to the nonprofit alleged two girls had birthdays that were before a new cutoff date established when the national US Soccer organization changed its rules regarding age last year, said acting Heart of the City CEO Adrienne Wright.
Wright added that only one player was found to be ineligible, due to “no fault of the player, no fault of the coach,” saying it was “not an intentional issue.”
“There have been a lot of clubs that have experienced difficulty and confusion during the transition,” Wright said.
In 2016, US Soccer changed its age eligibility cutoff from being based on the school year to the calendar year, Wright said.
“It was our process that failed, and we wanted the other clubs to know, and to be transparent,” Wright said.
In a statement released Wednesday, the nonprofit’s board of directors accepted full responsibility for errors that led to the player ineligibility.
Girls on the soccer team were told about the decision to forfeit the championship trophy Tuesday night, Wright said, adding that they were “obviously upset” by the news.
“We told the girls on the team that no one can take the win away from you,” Wright said. “No matter what the outcome is, they will always have that.”
Sal Gloria, head coach for North Central United, said in a statement that Heart of the City is taking internal steps to make sure the mistake is not repeated.
Gloria will continue to serve as the team’s coach.
“The girls may be disappointed now, just as we are, but nothing can detract from their talent or teamwork on the field. This is an opportunity for them to continue to shine brightly, despite the consequences,” Gloria said in the statement.
The disclosure will be reviewed by a US Soccer disciplinary committee to see if they accept the forfeit or make a different ruling, Wright said. She did not know when a decision would come.
In 2015, the North Central United traveling club merged with Heart of the City, which is now comprised of 800 players on soccer programs serving Waukegan and surrounding communities.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.