FiftyFive.One
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Tag: Miguel Ibarra
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Photo Gallery: Minnesota United FC Loses First-Ever Playoff Match
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Photo Gallery: Minnesota United FC Loses First-Ever Playoff MatchA lot has been written about the 2-1 loss Minnesota United FC suffered in its first-ever playoff match. In short: the fortress that Allianz became during home matches did little on a night where United couldn’t finish. Striker Ángelo Rodríguez probably should have had two goals before halftime, and new signing Robin Lod — who…
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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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Photo Gallery: Minnesota United FC vs Hertha Berlin
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Photo Gallery: Minnesota United FC vs Hertha BerlinMinnesota United FC fielded players who usually don’t get minutes against Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin in a 1-0 loss on Wednesday evening. The home side hit the crossbar in the first half and a had a handful of half-chances but couldn’t find a goal in what was an energetic, if slightly less emphatic, match this…
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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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Photo Gallery: Minnesota United vs Columbus Crew
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Photo Gallery: Minnesota United vs Columbus CrewMinnesota United took down Columbus Crew 1-0 in a hard-fought win on a chilly May 18, 2019.
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Matchday Ten: Loons Hard To Read After Dramatic Week, Captivating Draw Against Seattle
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Ten: Loons Hard To Read After Dramatic Week, Captivating Draw Against SeattleWhat a week! Normally I use the opening section to discuss the weekend’s match, but I actually don’t have a lot to say about it. I thought it was a really fun game, a draw was probably the fair result, and that the atmosphere seemed to be kicked up a notch. Soccer is fun. But…
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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 Three: Minnesota Put Under Pressure By Galaxy, Beaten For First Time In 2019
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Three: Minnesota Put Under Pressure By Galaxy, Beaten For First Time In 2019Are the Loons mediocre? Maybe. They’re still not bad. Minnesota fans now what bad looks like. But after a 2-3 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the air should come out of some of the slightly silly hype that swirled around this team after their opening two wins of the season. The Loons are winning…
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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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Matchday One: Offseason Upgrades Shine In Opening Win In Vancouver
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday One: Offseason Upgrades Shine In Opening Win In VancouverAre the Loons good? Yes, I know it’s only week one. Yes, I know Vancouver are a team who are so thoroughly rebuilding that they more resemble an expansion side than this year’s actual expansion side. But on a Saturday afternoon in the Rain City, Minnesota United did something I haven’t seen in over three…
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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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Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Colorado Rapids
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Minnesota United FC vs. Colorado RapidsThere are few matches Minnesota United could play after its 5-1 undressing by Philadelphia in which one would expect a victory. Fortunately, a home match against the Colorado Rapids counts as one such game. While Minnesota’s season has been disappointing, Colorado’s has been devastating. So what will it take to convert “should have won” into…