The MWPL’s Heartland Conference title race was possibly the tightest of the season. Seven of the conference’s eleven clubs remained in contention for the top spot with just two matchweeks remaining.
Amidst this commotion, Czarni Jasło prevailed as the 2023 Heartland Conference Champion. The Chicago club made it to the top in its debut MWPL season, a remarkable feat when looking at many of the experienced and talented clubs that it stacked up against all season.
This includes a 3-0 win against 2022 Champion Bavarian United SC, who had lost an MWPL match since 2021. This was the beginning of an eight-game unbeaten streak that lasted from May 20 to the end of the season.
The biggest match of the season came on July 25 against Chicago City SC, who was in second place and in hot pursuit of the top spot. The match finished in a 3-3 draw, which preserved the distance that kept Czarni Jasło’s destiny in its hands entering the final matchweek.
Czarni Jasło conceded ten goals in 2023, the lowest in the Heartland Conference. This sturdy defense was supplemented by the scoring prowess Geoffroy Agboku, who finished third in Heartland scoring with seven goals.
With Bavarian United SC’s reign coming to an end, it will be interesting to witness a new era, and potentially a new MWPL dynasty.