The Berlin Football Academy was founded in 2017 in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada as a youth development soccer academy aimed at preparing players for university and professional soccer opportunities.[1][2] In the first years, the objective was to provide athletes aged 15–19 with a direct pathway to scholarship opportunities in Canada and the United States.[1] The club's name FC Berlin (Football Club Berlin) pays tribute to the old name of the club's hometown, Kitchener, Ontario (and by extension to its large German community), which was previously known as Berlin, and changed its name after the First World War, following a 1916 referendum.[3] FC Berlin aims to be a fully fan-owned club by 2024, with players receiving the ability to become part-owners of the same club they play for.[citation needed]
FC Berlin lines up against Detroit Union in their first-ever UPSL match on September 4, 2021.
After joining the Ontario Soccer Association in 2018, the club successfully achieved its first U21 Regional Championship in the Ontario Soccer League, going 12-1-1 with a first-year program.[citation needed] From there, the club significantly invested in its professional development by launching FC Berlin in July 2020, to provide professional development opportunities for Canadian and American players, announcing the team would enter in the American-based United Premier Soccer League in 2021 and would operate out of Buffalo, New York.[4][5] While the team operates out of the United States to play in the UPSL, they were able to play their first UPSL game in Canada on September 29, 2022, when they took on Chantilly Forever FC, another Canadian club that would operate out of the United States in the league.[6]
In January 2021, they announced their intention to join the Women's Premier Soccer League, where like the men's team they would operate out of Buffalo, while fielding a roster of all-Canadian players.[7][8] However, they ultimately joined United Women's Soccer for the 2022 season.[9]
In 2023, FC Berlin men's team competed in the UPSL - Western NY division, reaching the playoffs with a 6-1-4 record but eventually succumbing to Syracuse FC in quarter finals. The UWS women's team competed in the East Conference with a modest 0-0-6 record. Both teams are scheduled to return in the 2024 Spring season.[10]
FC Berlin celebrates their U17 Girls MilkUP Ontario Cup victory on September 9, 2023.
FC Berlin also competed in the UPSL 2023 Fall season, moving to the Midwest East Conference. However, they had a disappointing performance, finishing in sixth place with a 4-1-5 record and hence missing the post-season.[11]
FC Berlin's biggest news of the year came from their Canadian-based U17 Girls team, which won the prestigious MilkUP Ontario Cup, beating London Alliance by 4-2 in penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie; FC Berlin qualified to the Toyota National Championship.[12][13]
In January 2024, it was announced that Greg Margolis would become the UWS squad Head Coach, along with Nate Holler and Victoria Colotti (Assistant Coaches) and Emily Kelly (Goalkeeping Coach). With these announcements, FC Berlin looks to build an even stronger presence in the Western NY area, as Margolis is currently the head coach of the Buffalo State Bengals Women's Soccer team.[14][15]
