FiftyFive.One
• Voices From Soccer's North •
Tag: Chase Gasper
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Matchdays Twenty-Nine Through Thirty-Four: Playoff Spotlight
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Twenty-Nine Through Thirty-Four: Playoff SpotlightThe Loons are on the threshold of their first playoff match in MLS, their first playoff appearance in any league since November 8th, 2015, and their first home playoff match since the infamous Fort Lauderdale game exactly a year before that. In other words, it’s been a long time coming. Minnesota got here by the…
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Matchdays Twenty-Three and US Open Cup Semi-Finals: Spark Joy
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Twenty-Three and US Open Cup Semi-Finals: Spark JoyOne of the things that bound me (and I suspect many others) closely to the sport of soccer was the culture that was built up around clubs. Sports are fun regardless, and to some degree all teams, from the Boston Red Sox to the Vegas Golden Knights, create their own culture. But what’s exceptional in…
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Matchdays Twenty-One and Twenty-Two: A Tale Of Two Draws
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Twenty-One and Twenty-Two: A Tale Of Two DrawsAfter the Loons’ thrilling 1-0 win against FC Dallas, Head Coach Adrian Heath went after… the writers at MLSSoccer.com… for… uh… ranking Minnesota too low in their Power Rankings. As a former writer of Power Rankings, let me offer this advice to players and coaches: ignore them. By the way, if you are a player…
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Matchdays Seventeen: Hope For The High Road
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Seventeen: Hope For The High RoadWhen we last left off with Minnesota United, back at the start of the month, the club was reeling off the back of three straight league defeats. An embarrassing mess in Atlanta. A gun punch at home against Philadelphia. Worst of all, an ugly display in Colorado. The club was notably struggling on offense, and…
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Matchdays Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen: At A Loss
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen: At A LossI am running out of things to say about Minnesota United. Part of that is due to summer doledrums. The team’s composition has been stable, there are no gaping holes in the roster, or egregious line-up decisions being made week after week. We’ve been living with this team for a few months now, and we…
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After Productive Offseason, Loons Look Set For 2019, But Not Beyond
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: After Productive Offseason, Loons Look Set For 2019, But Not BeyondA couple months ago, after Minnesota United announced their roster cuts, I surveyed the wreckage of two years of a “soft open” approach to team building. The team’s roster had massive holes, especially in midfield and defense. Although the club did not move as swiftly and confidently as I expected, they have made five big…