NOTE: This appeared first at SoccerCentric.

Minnesota United FC’s game this week is on Saturday evening, against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who currently sit last in the NASL standings – but who have already beat Minnesota this year, 2-1 in South Florida.

For more on the team, I emailed Strikers expert Pieter Brown, who hosts the nationally known internet soccer radio show Ultras Alive (www.UltrasAlive.com). You can listen Monday nights at 8pm Central Time as they discuss every level of American pro soccer (and Monday, I’ll be on the show as well.) Pieter and I went back and forth about the Strikers and about United as well; our conversation is below.

JM: I’ve heard goalkeeper Jeff Attinella has headed back to Real Salt Lake after four games on loan with Fort Lauderdale. Who’s going to be in between the pipes on Saturday?

PB: Coach Shore has not handed me his starting line up, but expect to see Matt Glaeser between the pipes. Matt is recovering from a slight injury, however. Antinella was brought in to push Glaeser and get him back to his 2012 form. What I think has given Matt his confidence back was stopping 2 PK’s in the US Open Cup win against Laredo.

JM: Speaking of the US Open Cup, the Strikers got to host FC Dallas after beating Laredo. What was the attendance and the atmosphere like at that game?

PB: The atmosphere created by the Ultras and Flight 19 was awesome, the attendance not so much. Only a couple thousand diehards showed up for a match that saw the Strikers control the game for the first 60 minutes.

With new ownership in Minnesota have there been noticeable upgrades in marketing, excitement or attendance?

JM: There are different answers to the new ownership question. There has been a definite upgrade in marketing – for one thing, there is some. Under league ownership, the team didn’t have any kind of budget for that sort of thing, so just seeing TV ads and billboard ads and hearing radio ads is a change. As far as excitement and attendance, though – the excitement feels like it’s at the same level, and the attendance could be slightly skewed by the games being at the Metrodome rather than in the northern suburbs like usual. That said, if the team can translate the attendance to Blaine – where 4,500 fans feels like a packed house – then it’ll definitely be a success.

I’m surprised to hear that nobody showed up for a game against an MLS team – what do you think caused that? I guess south Florida isn’t necessarily famous for attendance (see: the Marlins), but I would have thought for a big game it’d be more than just die-hards.

PB: The weather hasn’t helped attendance lately, as it has rained for what seems like weeks. Plus, there was zero advertising for the FC Dallas game – but those are excuses that get tired and old. South Florida is a tough sports market to crack, and while the Strikers have made some inroads, they have a long way to go. If they played the LA Galaxy, I think you would see a larger crowd, but in South Florida who really cares about Dallas.

Minnesota United brought in a very talented group of players this year and yet are stuck in the middle of the table. With such a talented roster shouldn’t they be in first place by a healthy margin?

JM: The simple answer is two words long: everybody’s hurt. The actual answer is probably a little more complex; injuries have hurt Minnesota’s continuity at every position, but that doesn’t completely explain the inconsistency shown by a number of players. It’s impossible to blame any one thing, but United certainly didn’t expect to be stuck in mid-table at this point. And injuries or not, losing at home to Des Moines in the US Open Cup is painful for everyone involved.

Turning to this week: Fort Lauderdale has scored the fewest goals in the league; the previous Minnesota game was the only time they got more than one in a match. Is it still injuries causing problems up front, or are their larger issues afoot?

PB: The injuries are really starting to stack up. The lineup is getting younger and younger every game as the reserves are having to step up and start, but injuries have let a player like Manny Gonzalez shine. Others are going to need to step up with Mark Anderson getting another annoying injury that will keep him out for at least 3 more games.

When you think about it, we only have 2 healthy forwards in Aly Hassan and Darnell King. King has spent most of his time in defense this year, and Hassan has struggled to get any playing time. We also have NY Cosmos on loan player Stefan Dimitrov, but he’s been terrible so no one wants to to see him take the pitch.

So we’re going to see two teams limping out on the field in Minnesota. Do you get the same feeling we have down here that it’s time to starting thinking about the Fall Championship?

JM: Not yet, for Minnesota fans. If the results all go United’s way, the team could conceivably be in first place on Saturday night, so it’s too early to give up on the year. If Minnesota drops points on Saturday, though, thoughts may turn that direction.

Final question – what’s your prediction for Saturday’s score?

PB: Final score: 1-1.

JM: Thanks for all your help, Pieter.

NOTE: This appeared first at SoccerCentric.

By the end of last Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the San Antonio Scorpions, I was wondering whether Minnesota United FC could possibly take any positives from the game – and concluding that they couldn’t. This was a San Antonio team that was last in the league, hadn’t won this year at home, and had scored fewer goals than any other team in the NASL. The Scorpions scored in the first minute, then in the 91st, and Minnesota had to feel like their swoon was back.

A few thoughts, in no particular order, now that I’ve had a couple of days to reflect on the game:

1. United will not be happy with their defense – something that is becoming a theme for the team. Both of San Antonio’s goals were slightly ridiculous. The first came off a throw-in ten yards into the Scorpions half that somehow managed to bounce past the Minnesota back line. On the second, San Antonio winger Walter Ramirez somehow managed to dance around two defenders and roll a shot inside the far post.

United is tied for last in the league defensively this year, having allowed 13 goals in eight games. Injuries have been a problem – both Kyle Altman and Connor Tobin have missed time – but that doesn’t explain everything. Against San Antonio, United played the back four and goalkeeper that they started for most of 2012, and they still gave up two goals and got caught flat-footed a couple of other times.

There are no easy changes to be made; the team has already switched starting goalkeepers, from Daryl Sattler to Matt Van Oekel, without seeing immediate results. One thing is clear, though; for most of the year, Minnesota has needed to score three goals to win, and that’s a hard ask.

2. Minnesota actually controlled possession and played some good soccer on Saturday. United had four midfielders out with injury, leading to the team starting a midfield cobbled together with bailing wire and duct tape. But even so, they had the better of the possession, especially in the first half, when San Antonio hardly seemed able to get near the ball.

I’ve had a number of people ask me about whether depth is a problem for Minnesota, but I’m not sure you can say that, after Saturday – at least in the midfield.

3. United’s finishing simply has to get better. Too many crosses are either misdirected, or sail harmlessly through the opposition area. Too many shots miss the net entirely. Over the past few games, Minnesota has done a much better job of getting the ball wide and getting the ball into dangerous areas, but on Saturday, they hardly forced the San Antonio keepers (Pat Hannigan went off injured, forcing Jeremy Vuolo into action midway through the first half) into a save.

It doesn’t help that Pablo Campos’s scoring touch has deserted him, at least for the moment. In 2012, he scored a goal on more than a quarter of his shots; so far in 2013, he’s scored just once in 11 shots at goal. He needs to rediscover that 20-goals-a-year touch.

Saturday’s game against Fort Lauderdale at the Metrodome is an absolute must-win for Minnesota if they want to be in the running for the first-half championship. They’ve been lucky so far with other results, in that a win Saturday could still conceivably put them into first place. They won’t get a better opportunity: at home, and against a Strikers team that’s currently in last place.

I suppose the problem is that Minnesota’s already lost once to Fort Lauderdale this year – and as far as the last-place designation goes, San Antonio was in last place, too, until last week.

Tuesday, the North American Soccer League announced that Minnesota United FC midfielder Simone Bracalello is the league Player of the Month for May. Bracalello is tied for second in the league with four goals this season, and is tied for third in the league with three assists.

“This means a lot to me, because they recognize that I’m doing well,” Bracalello told the team website in a video posted on YouTube. “I’m happy because I helped the team to do well, and the most important thing for us is how the team does.”

Bracalello has been Minnesota’s best player so far this year, leading an attack that’s tied for the league lead with 13 goals – important, given that United is also tied for the league lead in goals allowed (also 13).

The Genoa, Italy native has been in Minnesota since 2010, and had often been used as a forward in the past. Last year in the playoffs, though, they tried him as a wide midfielder, and he responded by scoring once and setting up three more goals. This year, he’s found a home on the left side of midfield, and he told me following the team’s last home game that playing out wide, where he could face the goal and run at defenders, felt much better than playing with his back to goal as a forward.

“Now I start from the back and see the play – that position is my position,” he said. “Before, I played [up front] because they asked me to… but it’s not my position.”

I encourage you to watch the video linked above; you’ll see his wizardry in action. He’s the main creative force for Minnesota right now.

It’s almost difficult keeping track of all of Minnesota United’s injuries in the midfield – and somehow, they just keep on piling up. “We’re even lighter, if we can be,” said head coach Manny Lagos.

Among the long-term injured, Aaron Pitchkolan remains out with an ankle injury, suffered two weeks ago against Tampa Bay. Max Griffin still has a hamstring issue, one that has kept him out for over a month. Lucas Rodriguez has been battling through a hamstring issue of his own, and is out for tonight’s game in San Antonio.

Now Bryan Arguez, who had just started establishing himself as a key player for the team in central midfield, is again injured, and did not travel to Texas. It’s enough to send you to the roster with one question: who’s left?

The only bit of luck for the team is that Kentaro Takada has returned from his injury problems, and played all 90 minutes in last week’s 3-2 win over Tampa Bay. He and Michael Reed will almost certainly play in central midfield.

Out wide, it’s a different story. Miguel Ibarra remains healthy, but has had a disappointing year so far – no goals, no assists, and just one shot on goal this year, even though he has played almost every minute of the season. On the other side, Simone Bracalello has been the team’s best attacking player in 2013 – but even he is listed as “questionable” on the injury report.

If he can’t play, then it’s probably down to Kevin Venegas, a former winger that was converted to a fullback this year. Venegas came on at halftime for Bracalello last week, and if the Italian winger can’t go, it might again fall to Venegas to fill in.

Healthy(-ier) in the back, still hurting up front

At least the United defense is getting healthier. Captain Kyle Altman “should be good to go” for tonight’s game, according to Lagos. Altman suffered a concussion in training several weeks ago, and some had feared that he might be out for the remainder of the first half of the season – his last games in a Minnesota uniform.

With Connor Tobin is available as well, Cristiano Dias settling in, and Brent Kallman doing well in his first two pro games, Minnesota appears to have plenty to choose from in defense – a luxury they don’t have anywhere else.

Up front, Etienne Barbara is still out with a back injury, but Pablo Campos appears to be healthy for his return to San Antonio, where he was last season’s league MVP.

It’s pronounced “Jayson”

One bright spot for Minnesota has been the re-appearance of forward Geison Moura, who has been in and around the Minnesota team for most of the last three years. Moura, signed on a temporary deal to shore up the squad, scored against Tampa Bay on Saturday, and was the team’s liveliest player after he came on in the second half against Des Moines.

“Essentially this is his secondary business; he’s really sought after as an indoor specialist,” said Lagos. “He’s always trained with us in the offseason, and he’s been part of this team in one way or another the past couple of years.”

Moura played just over four matches’ worth of minutes over the past two years in the NASL, picking up one assist along the way. In indoor, though, he was the 2012 MVP of the Major Indoor Soccer League with Missouri, and scored 17 goals last season for Wichita in just 14 games.

“That type of player, and that transition to sign him, was a no-brainer when we needed some players on the roster,” said Lagos. “He took a little bit of the spring off to get married, and then came back. I think Geison and I have a really good relationship, and we discussed where he was at mentally and whether he could help out – and I think right now, he’s really excited to be part of the team.”

A burgeoning rivalry?

San Antonio coach Tim Hankinson called Minnesota his team’s “greatest rival” on Twitter this week, and it’s true that the teams do have a history. Lagos, however, was not willing to go as far with the rivalry talk. “I’m not very good at saying those things,” he said. “I will say this: all of those games have been great games, very competitive – honest, hard soccer that has produced a lot of excitement. It’s got the pieces in place to become a great rivalry.”

The Scorpions have only been in the league for one season, but San Antonio and Minnesota played six times last year – including twice in the playoffs. The second of those playoff games produced one of the more famous moments in Minnesota’s short NASL history, as Campos – now with Minnesota – headbutted Altman, earning himself a red card and providing the advantage Minnesota needed to upset the league’s best team, 2-1.

Gameday details

Tonight’s game in San Antonio kicks off at 7:30pm. You can watch all the action from your computer, at nasl.com or mnunitedfc.com. If you’re in a social mood, the Dark Clouds – the team’s die-hard fanbase – will be watching at the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis.

This Saturday, Minnesota United FC visits San Antonio, their first visit to the Scorpions’ new home at Toyota Field. The teams played on opening day this year, drawing 0-0 at the Metrodome.

It’s been a strange year for the Scorpions. On the one hand, they opened a new soccer-specific stadium in San Antonio, probably the nicest facility in the NASL. On the other hand, last year’s regular-season champions are last in the league at the spring season’s halfway point. They’ve also turned over almost all of their front-office staff and seemingly three-quarters of their roster.

In other words, it’s been up and down this year in San Antonio. To find out more, I emailed Chris Hockman, who covers the Scorpions for the San Antonio Soccer Examiner and is a columnist for Soccer Newsday.

1) San Antonio was last year’s league champions, but more than halfway through the spring season, they’re sitting at the bottom of the NASL table. What’s gone wrong in San Antonio?

Where do I start? The club had an awful pre-season, they played two Division 2 Colleges and an NPSL team and that was it. In no way is that preparation for the rigours of NASL play. Communication has really been lacking, while poor pass selection is a trend in NASL – the Scorpions seem to have perfected it this year, often completely bypassing a talented mid-field. They just don’t seem to have any passion this year. Whatever spark was there last year that fired this team up, it’s gone; they don’t seem motivated.

2) I’ve heard some rumblings about front-office upheaval with the Scorpions this year. What’s been going on – and has it hurt the team?

Michael Hitchcock ran the club last year through his PMI company, and was hardly ever in San Antonio. This year they brought in Howard Cornfield and the staff is actually employed by the Scorpions instead of PMI. That’s a good thing. But Howard doesn’t have the soccer experience and contacts that Hitch had, so that may be hurting a bit – but at least he’s not working for Atlanta as well, like Hitch was.

I also think it’s been a money thing. There’s a lot of speculation that Hitch spent too much money (hard to argue, the club brought in guys like [forward, and all-time MLS regular-season goal-scoring leader] Jeff Cunningham but never used him) and perhaps owner Gordon Hartman is looking to save some money, given all profits from the club go to charity. That’s speculation though. I don’t get to look at the figures so I don’t know, but on the surface that seems to be what’s happened. Is it good for the team? Probably in terms of long-term survival – Hitch’s management would likely have run the club broke very quickly… but in terms of results and keeping fans happy, probably not.

3) On Twitter on Wednesday, Scorpions coach Tim Hankinson called Minnesota his team’s “greatest rival.” From the fan’s or the media’s point of view, is there truth to that?

There’s a real rivalry there. It’s hard in NASL – as a journalist I don’t really feel the heat on any teams, it’s hard to hate teams that take you over a day to drive to. But this one is certainly feisty, especially after the playoff games last year and the transfers between the teams. I think Puerto Rico was probably bigger, but given they’re out of the league this year, Minnesota is the biggest rival for San Antonio.

Of course, the second a team comes in this league within 500 miles of San Antonio, that will change; it’s just hard for the fans to hate any team without the geographical reason there, so it’s good to see the Scorpions try and generate one.

4) Now that the stickers have been taken off the Scorpions’ new stadium, how does it look? Anything particularly good or bad that other teams can learn from?

I think it’s a solid stadium, I really like it and it’s great for this level. There are probably not enough restrooms, but that could be said about every stadium. I think the most frustrating thing is that they named some concession stands after David Beckham and Pele. I get that they’re big characters, but why not name them after players that have played for this team – at least Pele has played in San Antonio. There’s a missing elevator at the media entrance which is a little frustrating (especially given I have a leg injury right now), but on the whole it’s great. I’m trying to think of something really positive to point out for teams to imitate but it’s just a generally good stadium. I think the locker-room facilities are solid, a second smaller locker-room for the coach to give tactical talks is a cool move and I don’t see a ton of that in the US stadiums.

5) San Antonio brought in a handful of new players this offseason. After seven games, who has been the biggest standout among them?

I joke that the Cosmos had more players on their books than the Scorpions did one month out from the season – but it’s not far from the truth, this is almost a completely new squad.

Midfielder Bryan Jordan really is a cut above this team and this league; I feel for the guy, he wouldn’t be in NASL if he hadn’t been with the LA Galaxy, competing for a spot against Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, and Beckham; no one is going to beat those guys out. In terms of the Eastern Europeans – midfielder Edin Husic has been the most impressive. I looked at some videos of his when he was signed, and the kid has a lethal left boot that we’re really starting to see, I think he could be the dominant player in the Spring season if the Scorpions can pull it together.

6) How much does San Antonio miss the players that Minnesota signed for this season?

The fans certainly do. I personally thought Pablo Campos was overrated, much to the frustration of the fans. Daryl Sattler is missed, but Jeremy Vuolo seems to be doing well since he’s gotten some starts at goalkeeper. I spoke to Coach Hankinson before the season about it, and he said that he would have liked Campos- but it sounded like he didn’t like the Scorpions offer, and I don’t know if he’s worth what I heard he was asking. Hankinson said Aaron Pitchkolan would only have been a substitute, which surprised me; he seems exactly the kind of player this team could use, and I certainly miss him.

Campos has really been a surprise to me this year. Last year he took 100 shots and scored one-in-ten and would never pass. This year he seems more choosy with his shots and is actually passing the ball! I think it’s an easy excuse though. You look at this team on paper and I think they covered well for the three – except for maybe Campos, they didn’t really get the striker they needed. But Vuolo was an able replacement for Sattler, and I’d take Phelan for Pitchkolan any day. I think that’s what makes this season so disappointing for Hankinson. This squad, on paper, is better than last year’s squad, but for whatever readon they just aren’t producing.

 

My thanks go to Chris for explaining everything about the Scorpions.