It was a notable week for Minneapolis City. On Tuesday, the club announced its home ground for the coming 2016 season. Then, on Thursday, City was provided with a path to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualification as the Premier League of America added a 12th team.
During City’s launch event on on February 6th, president Dan Hoedeman stated the Crows commitment to play within urban Minneapolis and teased a pair of natural-grass stadia located, “…no further out than Lake Street and Highway 55.”
Tuesday, City announced via Twitter that Minneapolis South High School’s Les Barnard Field, tucked just inside Lake Street and Highway 55, would be the Crows’ home ground for the 2016 season:
Our home field is Barnard Field in south Mpls. Because #MplsCity should play in Mpls. And lots of great bars nearby pic.twitter.com/F0VoklBW0I
— Minneapolis City SC (@mplscitysc) March 2, 2016
The club’s official Twitter account also mentioned the other site teased at the launch was still an option for the 2017 season, and that City’s brass was working its way through a 60-page use contract.
Les Barnard is located within walking distance of Hexagon Bar, East Lake Brewing and Harriet Brewing, which should appeal to City’s supporters.
On Thursday, the Premier League of America announced the addition of a 12th club with Cedar Rapids Rampage United set to join its West Division to play alongside City, Croatian Eagles SC (Franklin, WI), Madison 56ers, Milwaukee Bavarians and Minnesota United FC Reserves.
Cedar Rapids Rampage was founded in 2015 and recently completed its first season in the Major Arena Soccer League, finishing in fifth place the Central Division with a 5-15 record.
In a press release published on the club’s website, general manager Chris Kokalis offered, “When the Rampage indoor season ends, the Rampage United season starts kicking up. Now we’re able to provide Eastern Iowa soccer fans soccer matches nearly every month of the year.”
Two league matches were added to City’s PLA schedule as a result, with the Crows travelling to Cedar Rapids on July 10th before hosting Rampage United at Les Barnard a week later on the 17th.
Having added a 12th team, the PLA’s champion will now qualify for the Open Cup. Should manager Keith Kicker guide the Crows to a title in their inaugural season, City could participate in the tournament as early as 2017.
Northern Pitch reached out to Hoedeman following Thursday’s news. “The whole club is excited for this. It’s the second oldest cup competition in world soccer. It is going to be a very tough, very competitive league so qualification will be a huge ask, but we have had the Open Cup as a goal since we started the club,” said Hoedeman. “Keith and the coaches have been doing incredible work recruiting players of the level required to qualify and take us on a mazy run deep into the tournament so we will do everything we can to make it happen.”
On the subject of Cedar Rapids’ inclusion, Hoedeman added, “An Iowa team that drew 3,000 fans to indoor soccer is a great addition to the league. We look forward to making all of those fans sad when we visit, of course.”
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