MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis City won the first-ever Summit Keg, defeating regional rival FC Fargo 6-0 on Friday. The Mean Green, which traveled with just 11 players, kept pace with the Crows for the first 43 minutes of the game, but conceded just before halftime. With City utilizing a full bench and open substitution in the friendly, Fargo was simply unable to keep pace in a second half that saw them outscored by a five-goal margin.

Donning its City-of-Lakes fauxback kits, the hosts made use of a familiar 4-2-3-1 to start the match. Matt Elder received the nod in goal, with Lance Gaspar and Kevin Hoof bookending Aaron Olson and Jack Miler across City’s back line. Miler—a Lakeville native who plays his collegiate soccer for Harvard—made his debut for Minneapolis. A.J. Albers, Luke Haakenson and Max Stiegwardt formed the Crows’ midfield triangle, while Will Kidd and Sam Forsgren flanked Andy Lorei up top.

Fargo started Iziah Schramm-Miller in goal, and was forced to use fellow goalkeeper Steve Harris in defense. Harris partnered Danny Daniels and José Bahena with the Mean Green employing a three-man back line. Garrett Weisshaar and Paul Harris were deployed as wingbacks, with Ope Obakin and Victor Meza playing in the Mean Green’s midfield. Archie Suah spearheaded Fargo’s front line, bracketed by Francisco Garcia and Lucas Urrego.

First Half

While City set out to impose itself on the game, Fargo—playing without substitutes after an afternoon of travel—elected to defend deep. Head coach Tommy Nienhaus offered reminders from the technical area to his charges, making sure the Mean Green set themselves behind the halfway line on defense.

The game’s first real scoring chance would come in the 10th minute, when City slipped a diagonal ball into the penalty area for Lorei. The forward was able to run on to the ball and loose a powerful effort, but the ball continued to rise as it cleared the crossbar before smacking Les Barnard’s scoreboard.

In the 18th minute, a short throw by City was sent into Fargo’s 18-yard box. In the ensuing scramble, the ball was knocked down into Kidd’s shins near the goal line. A quick, diving hand from Schramm-Miller parried the ball out of danger before Kidd could bundle it in for a goal.

Fargo looked as if it was going to threaten City’s goal in the 20th, when Obakin played a ball over City’s back line for Suah, but the play was flagged offside.

The two sides exchanged chances in the 26th minute. First, Sam Forsgren sent a cross from City’s left flank into the 18-yard box, finding the head of Andy Lorei. Fortunately for the Mean Green, the resulting header, though met well, was sent directly at Schramm-Miller.

Then, coming back the other way, a quick counter caught the Grumpy Cats napping. It looked as if a ball played through City’s ranks on the ground would put Urrego through on goal, but Elder was quick in coming off his line. The Fargo winger was able to get his foot to the ball near the top of the D, but Elder was as well. Gaspar, tracking back, cleaned up the deflection.

City struck woodwork in the 30th minute following a throw in deep in Fargo’s end. The ball was worked to Lorei, who’s blocked shot fell to a ranging Albers. Arriving in the penalty area, the holding midfielder smashed his shot off the crossbar from 15 yards out.

It seemed as if a shorthanded and disciplined Fargo side were going to make it to halftime with the score tied, thanks to compact and passionate defending. But the Crows struck just before the break.

Cammarota—a 38th minute substitute—got on to the end of a diagonal pass while cutting in from City’s right wing. Played in one-on-one with Schramm-Miller, Cammarota left the keeper with little-to-no chance, finishing low and just inside the far post.

For City, the goal must have felt overdue. The Crows alternated between being unable to convert from short range, and settling for long distance shots when a compact Mean Green defense proved difficult in breaking down.

For Fargo, having battled and nearly escaped the half on level standing, conceding just before the break must have stung.

Second Half

The second half was all City. With an 18-man matchday squad and open substitution, Keith Kiecker and Jeremy Iwaszkowiec made full use of rotating their players, presumably with an eye to Sunday’s must-win home finale against Cedar Rapids.

City retook the field with an eleven of Duncan Werling, Shane Marshall, Jack Miler, Sean Bernabo, Hoof, Isaac Forsgren, Sam Forsgren, Ian Smith, Connor Stevenson, Cammarota and Tim Willis.

While not able to bring fresh legs into the game, it was Fargo that offer the first scoring chance of the second half.

Still sitting deep and trying to counter long through the channels, Suah tracked a ball hit over his head and found himself with a half step worth of space on the edge of City’s penalty area. The half volley Suah attempted appeared to call for a left foot, but the forward opted for the outside of his right boot, and sent the ball over the crossbar and far post.

City would double its lead in the 53rd when Sam Forsgren played a soft pass just behind Fargo’s back three. A streaking Smith ran on to the ball, and coolly slotted in low pas Schramm-Miller.

Forsgren took matters into his own hands in the 60th minute, weaving his way through several tired Mean Green defenders, then casually poking the ball past a Schramm-Miller left with too much goal to cover.

City’s third goal visibly took the wind out of Fargo’s sails, but Schramm-Miller continued to battle and would finish the day with 10 saves.

One of which came in the 67th minute, when Smith ripped a shot from the top of the arc. Diving to his right, a strong right hand from Schramm-Miller kept Smith from notching a brace.

The Grumpy Cats would score again in the 68th minute. Stiegwardt, dribbling at the end of the 18-yard box, sent a short diagonal pass through the Mean Green’s ranks. In similar fashion to his first goal, Cammarota made a well-timed run into the box and finished low and to the left of Fargo’s keeper.

Stevenson would score next for the Crows. With his back to goal, Ike Forsgren laid off a clever no-look pass to a streaking Stevenson, who was able to hold off his mark while driving to goal and find the far corner of the net in the 69th minute.

In the 71st minute, Cammarota was provided a open shot at the edge of the penalty area, but missed a hat trick by inches, as his effort rolled just wide of the far post. Reflecting after the game, the forward offered, “Yeah, I should have had that.”

An exhausted Fargo suffered an own-goal in the 75th minute, as Danny Daniels—tracking back towards goal—sent an attempted clearance into his own net.

Kidd would cap the scoring for the Grumpy Cats in the 78th, tapping in an easy goal at the back post after Hoof had charged forward from defense, and played a driven ball across the mouth of goal.

In the 80th minute, starting goal keeper Matt Elder reentered the game as a field player.

Elder whiffed on a low and driven cross in the 82nd minute, but nearly scored a moment later.

Lorei created space in the penalty area with a fancy bit of footwork, then laid the ball off for Elder. The keeper-turned-forward put his laces through the ball, but the resulting shot sailed just over the crossbar.

Reactions

The friendly, for this year at least, settled a lengthy back and forth on social media between the two clubs.

“We’re just having a lot of fun out here,” Cammarota said. “It kind-of sucked for them with 11 guys, coming all the way down from Fargo. But it was good to get a win, for us.”

“[First-choice goalkeeper] Steve [Harris] was our rightback,” said Nienhaus. “That’s the kind of day we had.”

Fargo did have success in the first half defending with a three-man back line. When asked if his team’s shape was a matter of necessity or choice, Nienhaus offered, “Even though we could have changed things with what was a different personnel group, it wouldn’t have made a whole lot of sense, as I’d have had to do a lot of on-the-fly coaching with the tactics. So we just left it the way we normally play, and guys that normally get 10-to-15 minutes had to play 90 today.”

Having viewed the match from the opposite bench, Iwaszkowiec gave his thoughts.

“The gameplan was pretty simple today. Get up, knock it back to our midfielders, then through to our wingers. And also, just getting wide. I felt like we did that a little bit better in the second half,” said Iwaszkowiec. “We used our width, got our wingbacks involved in the attack. At least a couple goals were scored from—the one Lance [Gaspar] hit to Will Kidd—a ball crossed from a wide back who had gotten up into attack.”

“It felt a little bit like a friendly, and they were obviously not at full strength. It was kind of a weird game.”

The evening did give the City coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate a few players with an eye towards Sunday’s match with Cedar Rapids.

“There’s a lot of good dudes in this pool, and it has never been a problem with talent.” Iwaszkowiec continued, “It was really fun to see Jack [Miler] out there, first time playing with us. And then Luke Haankenson. It doesn’t get any easier trying to pick a starting eleven, I’ll tell you that.”

Miler, having recovered from injury, said of his City debut, “It was really, really fun to get out with the team. Everyone seemed to connect well, and it was fun to get back out here and play again. I’m excited for the next couple of games, to see what I can do and where I can fit in with the team.

Asked if he expected to see minutes against Cedar Rapids, Miler replied, “I think so. I had no setbacks tonight with my injury. Hopefully, not too sore tomorrow and Sunday, and I can get back and get as many minutes as I can.”

Needing a win, Iwaszkowiec offered his thought’s on Sunday’s contest, stating, “[Cedar Rapids] are a tough team, and they’ve gotten some good results. I think it should be a passionate, spirited game, for sure. And we need the three points if we want a chance.”

His counterpart, Nienhuas, discussed Fargo’s bid to hold off Duluth for the American Premier League title.

“We have a similar opponent with our last game. How they play against the TwinStars will dictate how they do. Not only do they have two games [in hand], but they have no losses. Whereas, we’ve got one, and that may come back to bite us.”

 

Minneapolis City play their home finale Sunday at 4:00 PM against Cedar Rapids at South High School’s Les Barnard Field. FC Fargo play their season finale on July 28th when they host FC Minneapolis at Jim Gotta stadium in Moorehead, MN.