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Tag: Ibson
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Matchday Twelve: Minnesota Escapes With Home Point Against Sporting KC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Twelve: Minnesota Escapes With Home Point Against Sporting KCMinnesota United rebounded, in a fashion, from their awful loss last weekend to San Jose, with a gritty draw against Sporting Kansas City. An early Khiry Shelton goal was canceled out by Darwin Quintero’s early equalizer, and neither side could break the deadlock in the seventy minutes that followed. Is a point at home a…
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Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Sporting Kansas City
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Sporting Kansas CityMinnesota really should have lost against Los Angeles last week, playing on short rest, with some new starters, and on the road against one of the league’s best teams. The loss to San Jose, however, was a deflating head scratcher. Key errors were punished, and the league’s worst team snapped a seven-game winless streak on the…
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Matchday Eleven: Lapses in Concentration Persist, Sink Loons Effort Against San Jose
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Eleven: Lapses in Concentration Persist, Sink Loons Effort Against San JoseStop me if you’ve heard this one before. Minnesota United put in an overall strong effort against their opponent (in this case the San Jose Earthquakes), but individual mistakes gifted goals away, and ultimately the Loons played much of the game from behind and could not complete the comeback. It is beyond a broken record…
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Match Preview: Los Angeles FC vs. Minnesota United FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Los Angeles FC vs. Minnesota United FCI said last week that a bit of luck and a bit of skill was all it took to change the narrative in a league as wacky as MLS. Against Vancouver, that definitely proved true. But the recipe for victory against the Whitecaps could not possibly be something one would want to replicate against Los…
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News in Brief: MNUFC Acquires Miller, Nguyen to LAFC, and More
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: News in Brief: MNUFC Acquires Miller, Nguyen to LAFC, and MoreMLS primary transfer window closes The MLS primary transfer window closed this week with a couple notable transactions materializing at the eleventh hour. After holding out earlier this year for a trade, midfielder Lee Nguyen was traded to LAFC for $700,000 in allocation money. MNUFC also finalized a deal late, trading winger Sam Nicholson to…
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Matchday Eight: Better Lucky Than Good For Victorious Loons
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Eight: Better Lucky Than Good For Victorious LoonsSoccer is a funny game, and it often breaks in unexpected ways. Against the very-bad-on-the-road Houston Dynamo, the Loons played poorly—worse than they did at home against Atlanta and on the road against Portland. They gave the Dynamo chance after chance, and didn’t exactly muster much on the opposite end. Yet, Minnesota emerged victorious on…
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Minnesota United FC Comes From Behind, Bests Visiting Houston 2-1
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United FC Comes From Behind, Bests Visiting Houston 2-1A beautiful spring day was nearly spoiled when Houston scored in the early going. Two goals by the Loons would be enough though, and Minnesota broke a four game losing streak and won at home 2-1. Minnesota’s lineup Even with a defense that has let in more than two goals a game, Coach Adrian Heath…
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Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Houston Dynamo
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Houston DynamoFour straight losses and a pulverizing injury to Ethan Finlay has Minnesota fans, and surely the team itself, reeling. The club does not appear to be one signing away from having it all figured out as the transfer window closure nears. As Houston heads north on Saturday, there are more questions than answers. Loons coach…
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Matchday Seven: Loons Bright Spots Overwhelmed By Errors, Again, Again, Again
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Seven: Loons Bright Spots Overwhelmed By Errors, Again, Again, AgainAt points last season, I sometimes felt like reprinting my previous columns, as Minnesota United FC made the same mistakes over and over again. Well, it’s deja vu all over again, after a fourth straight loss from the Loons, a third straight winnable game that was never as close as it should’ve been, and another…
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Match Preview: New York Red Bulls vs. Minnesota United FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: New York Red Bulls vs. Minnesota United FCHow you view Minnesota United’s season so far probably says a lot about you as a person outside of soccer, as well. The Loons are perched near the peak of the Western Conference after two confident victories. Those wins, however, came against two sides missing key players, and who may not be very good anyway. Should we be…
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Matchday Three: Minnesota Bury Chicago In Dominant Second Half, Continue Impressive Form
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Three: Minnesota Bury Chicago In Dominant Second Half, Continue Impressive FormIt was a completely different home opener for Minnesota United FC in their second year in MLS. The sun was shining, the temperature was well above freezing, and the team on the field looked—dare we say it?—downright good. The previous Saturday, the Loons turned in a classic road performance and emerged clutching three points in…
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Minnesota United Win Home Opener, Top Chicago Fire 2-1
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United Win Home Opener, Top Chicago Fire 2-1Minnesota United FC topped visiting Chicago Fire 2-1 with goals from Ibson and Sam Nicholson. Minnesota found itself above .500 for the first time in team history. A brisk but pleasant day in Minnesota greeted the Loons for their first home game of the 2018 season. While there was still snow in the upper deck…
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Match Preview: Orlando City SC v. Minnesota United FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Orlando City SC v. Minnesota United FCIf you are looking for a sure bet one way or the other this weekend, avoid this match. Orlando City will be missing six probable starters and are coming off a game which, despite its dramatic finish, was still just one point earned at home against lowly D.C. United. For the Loons, the question will…