The Chicago Fire Soccer Club was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Julius Roth, a champion for soccer in the state of Illinois for nearly 70 years and a 1990 inductee into the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame.
After arriving in Chicago from Czechoslovakia in 1951, Roth was active as a player and coach at the club level and in the early 1970s became a founding organizer of both Illinois Youth Soccer Association (IYSA) and U.S. Youth Soccer. He held numerous USYSA leadership positions and in the 1980s extended his influence into the creation of the Illinois Women's Soccer League, which has since grown to nearly 800 teams.
In recent years, Roth continued to serve the sport of soccer at all levels while providing opportunities for young athletes via the Sepp Herberger Foundation scholarships to IYSA's Soccer for Success players.
The Chicago Fire will mark Roth's passing with a moment of silence prior to Saturday's home match against Seattle Sounders FC (8 p.m. CT).
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sepp Herberger Foundation are appreciated:
Sepp Herberger Foundation
416 Rugeley Rd.
Western Springs, IL
60558-1957
