Right... check out the schedule and meet us out at PUB II!  That simple.

Lots of work has been done and there will be TONS of prizes, gifts and other cool items to be given away at our World Cup viewing parties including 2 Chicago Fire tickets! 

Check out all the newest information on our site, twitter, facebook and the new look www.theamericanoutlaws.com site!  

Also, check out the blog of Outlaws in Brazil at http://www.aoinbrazil.com/


See you for all the matches! 

We received the letter of incorporation back from the Secretary of State, and in the same day procured our requisite tax information.  With the BIG help of local State Farm Agent Axel Jimenez and his associate Maria we finalized a chapter account and are finally done with all of our paper work... for the time being.  Look for our annual report this April! (yaaay) 

Axel Jimenez also helped our chapter by gifting us a very generous donation to help get us started via his new business Cookies By Design (see advert on home page).  We are very pleased to connect and partner with local business and especially Axel whom I personally had played alongside of during our days on the SystematicsFC in the Bloomington City League over 10 years ago.  Thank you Axel!

Our AO BloNo Soccer Team will live on this Spring!   With the help of Outlaw Plath we continued to field an indoor team through the winter and now Outlaw Cardoza is set to field the full 11 squad this spring and thru the summer. 

Lastly, for this week, I am pleased to announce our newly appointed Board Members: Outlaws McFall (board ceo) and Boarman.  Another BIG step the last couple days was finalizing a chapter Treasurer.  We have already had 4 acting chapter Treasurers (albeit with no funds) and I finally appointed Outlaw, and former NCAA D1 Hartwick & Olympic Development soccer stand-out, Jeff Spenard. 

We had a great turn-out for the 2-0 USMNT friendly victory vs South Korea.  30 members turned out for food and drinks despite the massive snow and conditions. 

ALL ABOARD!

-ck

My former roommate (Veach) and I had been big soccer fans.  We played the game and had watched the USMNT when we could.  When we met in 2000 we took a trips to see the Chicago Fire and the USMNT up the road on Chicago when we could.  US Soccer support was varied and inconsistent at best.  Our first international match was the 2003 USAvPoland match in Chicago at Soldier Field.  Our dads came with us and it was an experience.  Not a positive one however for US Soccer support.  The stadium which was about 80% capacity was, of course in Chicago, mostly all Poland fans.  Drove us nuts not to mention we felt like complete foreigners just 2 hours from our house.  Fast forward many soccer matches later and we arrived at the 2007 friendly vs Brazil.  Another match with a majority of anti-US support.  Uncle Sam's Army occupied the South end of Soldier Field but there was a new group in the North end.  A small group of US Soccer supporters dressed in blue who were by far the noisiest group of fans in the entire stadium.  Despite a fairly respectable 2-4 loss, these guys were unrelenting in their enthusiasm for US Soccer.  No joke I remember Veach and I remarked often throughout the match at their fervor and envied their organization!  As we headed home for Normal IL that night we pulled off I-55 at Naperville (I think) for dinner at Wendy's.  As we pulled up we noticed the same green and yellow bus that we noticed outside Soldier Field, and obviously concluded they could have been fellow fans.  Sure enough the same small group of young fans dressed in the blue shirts shuffled into the restaurant.  We told them we admired their intensity throughout the match and asked where they were from.  When they told us they were 'the Outlaws from Nebraska' it suddenly all made sense, a light bulb turned on.  Veach and I were witnessing a new, refreshing and supremely organized group of US Soccer fans.  Who else would organize a charter bus to drive all the way in from Nebraska to Chicago for a FRIENDLY!  As we got back on I-55 and headed south their bus flew past us beating what we assumed was a non-stop trip back to Nebraska.  We couldn't believe that level of commitment! After that we were hooked.  I had been fortunate enough to bump in to the American Outlaws a few more times in Chicago and they continued to amaze me.  When it was discovered that we had enough fans in Bloomington Normal we didn't hesitate to join up and start a chapter.

I took the picture below before the start of the Brazil friendly as a shot of contrast, to show how out numbered this small group of fans (in blue) were nestled in amongst thousands of Brazil fans.  Little did I know how big the AO's would become.   -ck

Taking a second to update the blog...  Ooooof, wow what a last couple of months.  Chapter travelled 8 members to Columbus for the Mexico match and 12 to the Jamaica match in Kansas City.  Great time was had by all.  Lots of people met from all corners of the country. 

Chapter is talking about getting BloNo scarves made, we are also looking at starting a philantrophy within the community.  The AOFC soccer team is heading into

Our chapter goal now is to get 18-20 people to travel to an away game.  Stay tuned.

It has been confirmed that AO BloNo will be in attendance at both the Jamaica match in Kansas City and the Mexico match in Columbus.  About 5 will travel to Ohio while 8 plan to be in KC.  Hope to see you there!

The American Outlaws soccer team had a remarkable summer on the pitch.  The team shook-off the Springs' mixed results and returned to sweep through the summer schedule..  The AOBloNo LOCOS met Celtic FC in the final and were trailing 1-0 until late with 2 minutes left on the clock.  Stand-out Nigerian forward Jimoh Abiola was fouled inside the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick to take the team to shoot-outs.  After 6 penalty takers converted from each side Dustin Harmon's effort was saved by the Celtic keeper thus ending a brilliant run.  Lots to play for in the Fall, great season so far! 

"I thought the team came out and showed a lot of heart tonight, we were on the receiving end of some very lousy calls, but we held firm and kept coming at them.  We were undeterred, and finally pushed it to penalties.  It's always a tough way to end a game, let alone the campaign, on penalty kicks but we were in with a chance, and in this business that is what is important, that we had our chance.  See you in the Fall" -

Becoming official on May 22nd 2013 the AO Bloomingon Normal chapter was granted chapter status as the 81st national chapter of the American Outlaws.  President Christian
Kang, Vice President Eric Vogel, Treasurer Justin Veach and Secretary Alex Cardona.

Moving forward, the chapter will have this website as an official page for the