Star Tribune: A sit-down with Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad
Jul 11, 2024
Khaled El-Ahmad, Minnesota United’s first-year chief soccer officer and sporting director, knows what he wants for his club.
Specifically, the total elimination of disposable plastic water bottles. He wants those gone. Yesterday, if possible.
Star Tribune: MNUFC Notebook
Jul 10, 2024
Over the past seven games, Minnesota United has been in a free fall down the Western Conference standings. The Loons, in third place after defeating Sporting KC, have dropped all the way down to the 10th spot, out of the playoffs.
Since he took over the Loons, coach Eric Ramsay has mostly gone game-by-game with his approach. He rarely mentions the team’s spot in the table, or whether they might be in the playoff places — but that doesn’t mean he’s unaware. And he’s setting his goals for the rest of the season realistically.
LA Galaxy 2, Minnesota United 1: Recap and analysis
Jul 8, 2024
Minnesota United dropped a sixth straight game in Los Angeles, a continuation of a streak of “relentless disappointment,” to quote manager Eric Ramsay.
Here’s my game story for the Star Tribune; here’s the extended analysis.
Star Tribune: Loons hurt hard by Copa América
Jul 6, 2024
A month ago, Minnesota United was one of the hottest teams in MLS. With 28 points in 15 games, they were sailing along at a pace that would have won the Western Conference in three of the preceding four seasons.
The Loons’ record since then, though, shows just how much of a hole has been blown in the side of what was a promising voyage: Six games, zero wins, just one point.
Vancouver Whitecaps 3, Minnesota United 1: Recap and analysis
Jul 4, 2024
I was back covering the Minnesota United game for the Star Tribune, and the Loons made the wrong kind of history, losing their fifth consecutive game for the first time since the club joined MLS.
Here’s the game story; here is the analysis / notebook, with some extra postgame quotes.
MNUFC Pregame: Explaining the Loons' goalkeeper situation
Jul 3, 2024
In 2023, Minnesota United had four goalkeepers on its first-team roster – overkill, perhaps, but an acknowledgement that no team ever wants to run short of keepers.
This year, the Loons went with a different plan: two goalkeepers on the MLS roster, two more signed to their MLS NEXT Pro roster.
Though they knew that starter Dayne St. Clair would likely miss some time with the Canadian national team during Copa América, they had MLS veteran Clint Irwin ready to fill in, plus Alec Smir and former Homegrown player Fred Emmings signed with MNUFC2 and eligible for short-term backup duty.
All that could go wrong was a few poorly-timed injuries – which, in this month of cascading roster disasters, is of course exactly what happened.
Star Tribune: Loons need more from depth players
Jul 2, 2024
A key theme of this Minnesota United season has been the constant presence of young players around the first team. Fans have seen eight players make their MLS debuts this year, all new acquisitions or players from MNUFC2, the second team.
The only issue: Many of those players have yet to make their mark, meaning that the Loons — losers of four straight games, heading into Wednesday night’s home game against Vancouver — still have significant depth problems during their biggest roster crunch of the year.
Why MNUFC sold Kervin Arriaga
Jun 28, 2024
Kervin Arriaga has been one of the breakout players for Minnesota United this season – so much so that he’s now moving to play under even brighter lights in Europe.
The 26-year-old Honduran is joining Serbian giants FK Partizan, for a mid-six-figure transfer fee, one that could increase depending on Partizan’s success. The Belgrade club, 27 times league champions, will attempt again this year to dethrone cross-town rivals Crvena zvedza – better known here as Red Star Belgrade – for the first time since 2016-17.
Partizan is also in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, with their first game set for July 23rd or 24th; they would need to win three rounds of play-offs to make it into the 36-team group stage.
I tell you all this because it’s the beginning of trying to explain something that doesn’t make immediate sense: why would Minnesota United sell Kervin Arriaga?
Link dump
Jun 27, 2024
Forgive me for a link dump; sometimes it’s the only way I can remember what I’ve written.
May 18: Minnesota United beats Portland on Sang Bin Jeong’s first goal of season
Analysis: Minnesota United add another club in Caden Clark’s bag as he plays backline
May 22: Are Minnesota United, Emanuel Reynoso moving closer to a split?
May 24: How Minnesota United coach Eric Ramsay’s simple formation shift led to big success
May 25: Minnesota United settles for 3-3 draw at Colorado after coughing up two-goal lead
Analysis: Minnesota United’s Eric Ramsay learns Colorado conditions are primed for chaos
May 29: Minnesota United shut out 2-0 at LAFC to end unbeaten streak
Minnesota United reality check: Three rough halves show Loons not yet MLS title contenders
May 31: With Emanuel Reynoso gone, Minnesota United must think long-term
June 1: Minnesota United gets back to winning ways by topping Sporting Kansas City 3-1
June 4: Minnesota United’s depth chart is a shell of itself with international call-ups, injuries
June 8: Shorthanded Minnesota United draws 1-1 with FC Dallas
Analysis: It’s a night for debuts, and Minnesotans, for Minnesota United at Allianz Field
June 14: Minnesota United shows there’s more to statistical picture than expected goals
June 15: Loons add another ‘L’ to lifetime losing streak in Seattle – Twin Cities
June 19: Short-handed Loons drop 5-3 match in Dallas – Twin Cities
June 22: MN United lose Dotson to yellow cards and fall 1-0 to Austin FC
Double gameweek for MNUFC
May 17, 2024
For the first time this year, Minnesota United is playing two games in a week, with the LA Galaxy Wednesday and the Portland Timbers on Saturday. And so it’s been rather a busy week for me, with covering both games, and trying to write some setup articles as well, for the Star Tribune.
Here’s what I’ve done so far:
Tuesday: Minnesota United’s designated players have the talent to match the LA Galaxy - but not the production - For once, Minnesota’s designated players are perhaps even bigger names than those in Los Angeles. Their production - especially the AWOL Emanuel Reynoso - can’t match up, though.
Wednesday: Late header by Kervin Arriaga earns Minnesota United 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy - The Loons played a great first half, but still had to come from behind in the second half to rescue a draw.
Thursday: Minnesota United’s draw with the LA Galaxy was a tale of two halves - The analysis from Wednesday night’s game, including a ton of quotes about how the Loons defended Riqui Puig, and why they’re so good on set pieces.
Friday: Much like Ted Lasso, new Minnesota United coach Eric Ramsay doesn’t talk about winning - “I’m genuinely not a coach that’s going to talk about winning all that often.” You don’t see a lot of coaches talking like this - well, one fictional coach, and one Minnesota manager, at least.
Again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been reading. It means a lot.