This Saturday at 4:00 PM, Minneapolis City will play its first-ever home match at South High School’s Les Barnard Field. The contest comes a week after more than 50 supporters made the six-hour drive to cheer the Crows in their competitive debut away to Milwaukee Bavarians. It will be interesting to see what type of crowd City is able to draw tomorrow, having sold nearly 125 season-ticket bearing memberships as of Friday. The match is sandwiched in between the 1:45 PM UEFA Champions League Final and Minnesota United’s home match versus the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:00 PM, in what promises to be a big day for soccer fans in Minnesota.
In advance of tomorrow’s contest, City released its 18-man matchday roster on Twitter earlier this morning.
Ben Wexler is a notable absence, with the attacking midfielder still healing from an ankle injury sustained last weekend. Meanwhile, four midfielders have the potential to make their competitive debuts for the Crows, with Max Stiegwardt, Will Kidd, A.J. Albers and Isaac Friendt all available for selection.
Goalkeeper Duncan Werling, who has committed to play at UCLA this coming fall, is also not on the matchday roster, having yet to be released by the Minnesota Thunder Academy due to a tournament obligation. The Crows should be in fine hands with Matt Edler between the posts, who performed quite well in Milwaukee. Turning to its parent organization for help, James Neher has been drafted from Stegman’s top Minnesota Amateur Soccer League side to serve as Edler’s backup while Werling remains away.
Last weekend, City head coach Keith Kiecker deployed his charges in a 3-5-2, using Nate Engel as a holding midfielder. That was due in part to the personnel available to Kiecker, with multiple Crows not yet back from college. Albers’ return gives Kiecker another player capable of playing as a holding midfielder, and the options of returning to the four-man back line used in preseason and once again partnering Engel with captain Trey Benhart in the center of defense.
Kidd and Friendt both featured on the wing for the Crows in their preseason friendly against the Des Moines Menance, with Kidd showing off an impressive workrate, albeit in a 60-minute scrimmage. With Kiecker having described his team as “75-minutes fit” following their league-opening draw, Kidd’s lung capacity could prove advantageous tomorrow.
Against Bavarians, City looked generally sound defensively and played in Kiecker’s preferred style, keeping the ball on the ground in attack. While the Crows were successful passing through the middle of the field, they struggled to find the final pass needed to create chances on goal. Kiecker has mentioned integrating a team comprised of players returning home for the summer at different times as his biggest challenge this season. Hopefully, with another week of training under its belt, City can show an improved understanding in attack.
City’s opponent, Croatian Eagles Soccer Club, was founded in 1922 and regards itself as America’s oldest amateur soccer club. The Eagles—who will be playing their season opener against the Crows—finished fifth among five teams last season, earning five points from eight matches in the Great Lakes Premier League—the precursor to the current 12-team Premier League of America.
Minneapolis City’s first supporters’ group, the Minneapolis Citizens, have asked any standing with them on Saturday to wear black in an effort to blackout Les Barnard, and will be gathering pregame at Eastlake Brewery on Lake Street. Additionally, in an effort to boost attendance, Minneapolis City is offering season ticket holders the option to bring a guest, free of charge.
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