FiftyFive.One
• Voices From Soccer's North •
Author: Wes Burdine
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Don Garber on Expansion, Liga MX, and the Future of Soccer in Minnesota
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: Don Garber on Expansion, Liga MX, and the Future of Soccer in MinnesotaIf he is tired, you can’t tell. Don Garber, the Commissioner of MLS, is ebullient as he walks into the room to give his pitch to the local media at Minnesota United FC headquarters. He just finished with television and now he’s hitting the writers. And if he is on a roll, you can’t fault…
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Minnesota United Play to Another Preseason Draw in Preview of MLS Opener
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United Play to Another Preseason Draw in Preview of MLS OpenerIn two and a half weeks, Minnesota United will open the MLS season at Providence Park in Portland. On Sunday night, fans got a small taste of what that night might look like when the Loons and Timbers played to a 2-2 draw. Both teams played with lineups that featured very few of the players…
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No Number Ten and Other Observations From Minnesota’s Preseason
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: No Number Ten and Other Observations From Minnesota’s PreseasonIt was taken for granted: Adrian Heath plays with a 4-2-3-1 formation. That is gospel. During Minnesota United’s preseason, however, the Loons have been lining up differently. In the first preseason match available to the public, we got a brief glimpse of how United might set itself up in 2017. The biggest surprise from Heath’s…
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Minnesota United Draws Vancouver to Open Portland Preseason
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United Draws Vancouver to Open Portland PreseasonMinnesota United FC kicked off its preseason in earnest on Thursday, playing to a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Kevin Molino put the Loons ahead with an Olimpico in the 50th minute before the Caps evened up the score in the 82nd. The Loons played their first streamed match of the preseason, giving fans…
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Minnesota United to Unveil New Jerseys
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United to Unveil New JerseysFor now, the MLS Fantasy Soccer page has Minnesota United playing in Hanes cotton, white jerseys. With the MLS season less than a month away, fans have been unsure of what their team may look like next season. The wait will soon be over, as the team expects to unveil their jerseys late next week. The…
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On Gehenna; Or the Hell Outside MLS’ Expansion Gates
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: On Gehenna; Or the Hell Outside MLS’ Expansion GatesThe recent fury of MLS Expansion activity has drawn quite a bit of excited comment. However, a troubling question lingers in the background: what happens when MLS has finished expanding? In Hebrew, the word is “Gehenna.” Eventually, it turned into hell, but the place of suffering was also a real, geographic place: the Valley of…
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Breaking Bad: Why Minnesota United are Counting on Chemistry for Expansion Success
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: Breaking Bad: Why Minnesota United are Counting on Chemistry for Expansion SuccessBy now, seemingly every Minnesota United recruit has been briefed on Grant Wahl’s infamous prediction that the Loons’ over/under for wins this season should be set at five games. It has become an instant rallying point for the team, and Adrian Heath’s boys are dead-set on proving the doubters wrong. Dogging the Loons has been their…
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Lech Poznan Winger Muhamed Keita “Visiting” With Minnesota United
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Lech Poznan Winger Muhamed Keita “Visiting” With Minnesota UnitedMinnesota United has been on an Arthurian quest to sign every possible Scandinavian and it seems they may not have yet completed their mission. FiftyFive.One can confirm that Lech Poznan winger, Muhamed Keita, is “visiting” with the Loons as they train in Arizona. Keita was first spotted by the Star Tribune’s Meg Ryan, who is…
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Report: Minnesota United in Talks to Sign Danish Attacker Bashkim Kadrii
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Report: Minnesota United in Talks to Sign Danish Attacker Bashkim KadriiFor weeks, Loons head coach Adrian Heath has hinted at a “huge” signing and it seems we may now know that signing’s identity. Danish media outlet TV3 reports that forward Bashkim Kadrii looks to be making a surprise move to Minnesota. Kadrii currently suits up for FC Copenhagen, though he has seen limited time over…
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Minnesota United Preseason Camp Fills Out With Signings and Trialists
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United Preseason Camp Fills Out With Signings and TrialistsAs Minnesota United began preseason on Monday, there was a mix of new faces and old. The club started with 16 players officially announced, but reached 22 by the end of Tuesday in addition to a large group of trialists. Most notably, the Loons completed the signing of Finnish midfielder, Rasmus Schüller from Swedish side BK Häcken. Previous…
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Heath’s Rejected Molino Bid in the Age of Transparency
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Heath’s Rejected Molino Bid in the Age of TransparencyWhen reporting on Minnesota United’s offer to Orlando City for Kevin Molino last week, FourFourTwo’s Paul Tenorio threw in an interesting figure: $500,000. In light of MLS’ new-found transparency, this number tells us that the interest from Minnesota was significant since it would have been the second-highest intraleague transfer as far as the public record…
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Ben Speas Signs With Indy Eleven
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Ben Speas Signs With Indy ElevenAfter a year playing for Minnesota United FC, attacking midfielder Ben Speas has signed with Indy Eleven, according to a source. Earlier this week, Speas had announced that he would be leaving Minnesota and now it seems he will be ending up in Indianapolis. ⚫️???? pic.twitter.com/ksqpkZdTmE — Ben Speas (@BenSpeas17) January 17, 2017 The midfielder…
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Target to Sponsor Minnesota United FC Jerseys and Major League Soccer
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Target to Sponsor Minnesota United FC Jerseys and Major League SoccerWhen Minnesota United players don their inaugural MLS jerseys, they will have a bullseye on their chests. FiftyFive.One has learned that Minnesota United FC is set to announce Target Corporation as their sponsor tomorrow. The multi-million dollar sponsorship is a big boost to United’s ambitions as it looks to recoup a large layout for an MLS franchise…