Wisła Garfield — a Polish-American soccer club founded in 1952, named after Poland’s longest river — faced One Knoxville SC, the reigning USL League One champions, in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Wisła lost 1:3, but what they did to even get on that field is a story every Pole in America should know.
Over 70 years from backyard to professional competition
Wisła Garfield is not a club that was founded yesterday with startup ambitions. It is an organization with over seventy years of history, rooted in the Polish community of Garfield, New Jersey — a city where a large percentage of residents have Polish roots. The club still has its clubhouse with a bar, where teams meet after matches and training. “We can use it whenever we want for meetings and integration. It’s great for team building,” says Chris Karcz, Wisła’s forty-two-year-old player-coach, whose father also played for the club.
To reach the first round of the US Open Cup, Wisła had to win three qualifying matches — successively defeating Ironbound SCP from Newark, Bulldogs SC, and Oaklyn United FC in the decisive round. This was the fifth consecutive year Wisła participated in the qualifiers, but the first since 2022 and also the first in the modern era of the competition that they reached the main round. According to US Soccer materials, Wisła’s previous appearances at this level date back to the 1970s.
The Match: Amateurs vs. League Champions
One Knoxville SC is no ordinary opponent. They are the reigning champions of USL League One — the third tier of competition in the USA — with a record of 16 wins, 5 losses, and 9 draws in the 2025 regular season. They came to Garfield as professional footballers with a full budget, coaching staff, and game plan.
Wisła held their own in the first half. Both goalkeepers were busy — Aldo Muñoz for Wisła saved several dangerous shots, and Eric Moroz threatened the visitors’ goal from a distance in the second half. Ultimately, One Knoxville’s professionalism proved decisive: three goals for the visitors, one for Wisła, final score 1:3.
One Knoxville coach, Ian Fuller — a man who himself almost won the US Open Cup in 2008 with Charleston Battery — admitted after the match that his team started terribly and Wisła surprised him with their intensity. “I told the guys at halftime how disappointed I was. We came out really flat. Credit to them, they came out really well,” Fuller said.
Chris Karcz, who played the full ninety minutes, did not hide his pride despite the loss: “I think we played well. We are amateurs playing against true professionals. We stuck to the plan and were dangerous. Those moments in tight spaces, sharp passes — I feel like I’m nineteen again.”
Not just the cup — Wisła’s youth academy joins MLS Next
The US Open Cup match was played by Wisła’s adult amateur team. But in parallel, the club is celebrating a second historic success — this time at the youth level. Starting from the 2026/2027 season, the PDA/SC Vistula academy will join the MLS Next Academy Division — a development program where academies of Major League Soccer clubs and top training centers in the country compete.
According to information provided by the club in an interview with Radio RAMPA, Wisła runs nearly thirty teams, and many of its graduates have gone on to MLS academies and earned university scholarships thanks to soccer. President Dariusz Wesołowski is building a modern academy on foundations laid by Polish immigrants over seven decades ago. Entry into MLS Next is in cooperation with PDA (Players Development Academy) — one of the most respected training organizations in American soccer.
In an official statement, the club wrote: “This is a huge step forward for a club that was once a small team from Garfield with a big red and white heart.” And added in Polish — because in Wisła Garfield, Polish identity is not an embellishment, but a foundation: “MAMY TO” (WE GOT IT). The club’s motto is: “Dream Big, Work Hard, Stay Humble” — dream big, work hard, stay humble. Over seventy years of history in three words.
Honoring a Legend
Before the match against One Knoxville, a ceremony was held to honor Wojciech Ziębowicz — a long-time club official, coach, and journalist who dedicated decades to Polish-American soccer in America. This gesture shows that Wisła Garfield is not just about results on the field — it is an institution that cherishes memory and builds the continuity of Polish presence in American sports.
What’s Next
Wisła now returns to the American Premier Soccer League competition — their next match is against New York Greek Americans. But the US Open Cup story does not end. Karcz and his team proved that a Polish-American amateur club can stand on the same field as professionals and not be ashamed. On the contrary — One Knoxville had to explain their first half performance.
As the official US Soccer portal wrote, describing Wisła’s path to the US Open Cup: “Veteran Nous and Polish Power.” Experience and Polish strength. It’s hard to find a better summary of over seventy years of the club from Garfield.
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