FiftyFive.One
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Tag: Michael Boxall
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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 Eleven and Twelve: Low One Week, High The Next, For Inconsistent Loons
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Eleven and Twelve: Low One Week, High The Next, For Inconsistent LoonsSaturday, May 11th, was the day that Minnesota United played the Chicago Fire out in Bridgeview, IL. It also happened to be the day before Mother’s Day and my grandmother’s birthday, and ended up missing that match. It was a lucky escape. I haven’t watch the highlights yet, and I’m not sure I plan to.…
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Matchdays Seven, Eight, and Nine: The Good, The Decent, And The Ugly For Minnesota In Three Key Games
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Seven, Eight, and Nine: The Good, The Decent, And The Ugly For Minnesota In Three Key GamesWelcome back to our regularly scheduled post-game notes. Three games in one this week, because I was on vacation last weekend, and after the midweek match, it seemed prudent to let these results percolate and see what came of this past weekend. What a series of three games it was. From one perspective, the Loons…
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Matchday Five: Minnesota Bounce Back, Beats Red Bulls With Grit Plus Luck
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Five: Minnesota Bounce Back, Beats Red Bulls With Grit Plus LuckGood? Bad? Is there even a word that encapsulates the Loons right now? One week after their worst performance of the season, a deflating 1-2 loss to bottom feeders New England, Minnesota United marched into the fortress of the defending Supporters Shield champs, and came away 2-1 winners. They will now head into their homecoming…
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Matchday Two: Loons Overcome San Jose Bogeys With Emphatic Win
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Two: Loons Overcome San Jose Bogeys With Emphatic WinAre the Loons good? Here’s what we know so far, through two games on the road: they’re not bad. With Saturday night’s 3-0 thumping of the San Jose Earthquakes on the heels of last weekend’s win in Vancouver, the Loons have already surpassed last season’s entire win and point total on the road. They also…
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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…
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As Their Expansion Partners Lift The Cup, Loons Face Critical Third Year
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: As Their Expansion Partners Lift The Cup, Loons Face Critical Third YearThe 2018 MLS Season is now officially over. The Damned United are holding the cup, reaching the pinnacle of league success within just two years of existence. While the newly minted champions now face an uncertain offseason, with their coach and a number of star players leaving, this has been a moment that nobody can…
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The More Things Change…a Comparison Between the 2017 and 2018 MNUFC Seasons
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: The More Things Change…a Comparison Between the 2017 and 2018 MNUFC SeasonsMinnesota United finds itself in a familiar position. With five matches left, their points per game, goals for, and goals against are tracking to be nearly the same as they were last year. For a team that admitted it got some things wrong last season, signed a number of new players in the off season,…
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Minnesota United Jumps Out to Early Lead, Holds on For a 3-2 Victory Over Portland Timbers
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota United Jumps Out to Early Lead, Holds on For a 3-2 Victory Over Portland TimbersMinnesota used a 3-0 lead after the first half to outlast visiting Portland Timbers 3-2 inroute to their first victory in nearly two months. Lineup The Boys #MINvPOR | #ScarvesUpMN pic.twitter.com/oYMnrJ9Vtq — Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) September 22, 2018 For Minnesota’s last two matches, young defender Wyatt Omsberg had acquitted himself well, but with Eric…
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Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Portland Timbers FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Portland Timbers FCThe Loons will return to the relatively safe harbor of TCF Bank Stadium for the first time in seven weeks on Saturday, aiming to salvage a bit of pride and assess its options for 2018. The club will have most of its preferred options available and will be playing a tough Portland Timbers side. With…
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Matchday Twenty-Four: Minnesota Battles To Ugly Point On The Road, With Big Elephant In The Stadium
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Twenty-Four: Minnesota Battles To Ugly Point On The Road, With Big Elephant In The StadiumHappily for much of Minnesota’s time in MLS, there has been surprisingly little drama. Sure the team may have been bad and players have come and gone, but there’s rarely been a behind-the-scenes soap opera that other teams seem to attract. But this week was different. Days after sending beloved striker Christian Ramirez to LAFC,…
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Matchday Twenty-Three: Late Gut Punch Dooms Loons, Raises Questions About Leadership
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Twenty-Three: Late Gut Punch Dooms Loons, Raises Questions About LeadershipThrough nearly ninety minutes, Minnesota United were in the process of eking out an undeserved but professional home victory over the Seattle Sounders. Then, in stoppage time, it all fell apart. With recriminations flying thick and fast over what increasingly looks like another season short of the playoffs, it’s time to return to some hard…
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Matchdays Twenty and Twenty-One: Minnesota Change The Narrative With Two Important Wins, One Big Week
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Twenty and Twenty-One: Minnesota Change The Narrative With Two Important Wins, One Big WeekEven a year and a half on, Minnesota United have struggled to shed the first impression they gave in MLS. Hopelessly inept at defending, mercurial in attack, adrift in midfield, struggling to make a splash in the transfer market, and beset by an endless parade of wingers. Now, thanks to Darwin Quintero, Miguel Ibarra, and a…