CHICAGO — Chicago Nation FC will carry an unbeaten regular-season record into the 2026 UPSL Midwest Central Premier Division playoffs, with Berber City FC, Ethos Academy Chicago and Chicago Strikers completing the four-team field.
The UPSL announced the postseason field on November 2. The semifinal schedule pairs Chicago Nation with the Strikers and Berber City with Ethos, setting up a weekend of elimination soccer across the Chicago area.
Chicago Nation sets the standard
Chicago Nation finished first with 23 points from nine games, recording seven wins and two draws. Its 35 goals scored and just three conceded produced a plus-32 goal difference, the strongest figures in both categories in the conference.
The results explain why Nation enters as the team to beat. Its regular-season run included a 5–0 victory over Ethos Academy Chicago and a 2–2 draw at Berber City. Nation also defeated its semifinal opponent, Chicago Strikers, 1–0 in the August 22 season opener.
That narrow opening-day result gives the rematch a compelling backdrop: Nation has already beaten the Strikers, but the previous meeting was decided by a single goal.
Berber City and Ethos face a closely matched semifinal
Berber City and Ethos each collected 17 points with identical 5–2–2 records. Berber finished second in the official table, one place above Ethos, with a plus-nine goal difference compared with Ethos’ plus-eight.
Those numbers suggest a competitive matchup. Berber scored 25 goals and conceded 16; Ethos scored 21 and allowed 13. Each now has a chance to turn a strong regular season into a conference-final appearance.
Strikers take the final playoff spot
Chicago Strikers finished fourth with 16 points, level with fifth-place FC 1974 Libertyville in the published standings. The Strikers posted five wins, one draw and three losses, scoring 26 goals while conceding 11.
Their late-season results included a 3–1 win at Berber City and a 2–1 loss to Ethos. The postseason offers a fresh opportunity, but their opening assignment is the conference’s only unbeaten team.
Semifinal schedule
- Saturday, November 7: Berber City FC vs. Ethos Academy Chicago. The individual match page lists the venue as TBD.
- Sunday, November 8: Chicago Nation FC vs. Chicago Strikers at College of DuPage. The league lists kickoff at 11:45 p.m. UTC, equivalent to 5:45 p.m. Central Standard Time.
The league’s main schedule lists the Midwest Central final for Saturday, November 14. Finalists will be determined by the semifinals.
Schedule note: As of November 5, UPSL’s pages display conflicting kickoff times for Berber City–Ethos and inconsistent team information on the final’s individual match page. Fans should confirm match details directly with the clubs before traveling.
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