New NISA team will play in South Bend at TCU School Field next Saturday
South Bend, IN (June 18, 2021) — South Bend Lions has agreed to host Chicago House Athletic Club in a scrimmage game at TCU School Field on Saturday, June 26 at 5PM ET.
Unveiled earlier this year, Chicago House AC is one of the newest members of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) — a professional league that runs across the United States — and will take part in the 2021 NISA Fall Season starting this August.
The scrimmage against South Bend Lions will see Chicago House AC take to the field for the first time, led by head coach CJ Brown who played more than 300 games for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2010.
South Bend Lions is currently 2-3-3 in the USL League Two Great Lakes Division and placed sixth in the standings, with six games left to play of the regular season.
Thiago Pinto, head coach of South Bend Lions, said: “We have been looking for the right opponents to fill what was a blank weekend in our USL2 season, and we are honored that Chicago House AC sees value in staging its first game in our city and having South Bend Lions as the club’s first on-field opponent.
“This game will represent a significant challenge in preparation for hosting Fort Wayne on July 3 and epitomizes our mission to bring higher-level soccer to the city. We look forward to what will be an exciting day for soccer fans from both Chicago and South Bend.”
Brown, who also serves as technical director for Chicago House, said: “We are looking forward to our match in South Bend as part of our preparation for the regular season. This gives our team and trialists an opportunity to play against some good competition while we fill out the remainder of our inaugural roster.”
Admission costs $11 for adults and $7 for youth (U-16) and seniors (65+). Tickets can be purchased in advance via southbendlions.com/tickets.