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Tag: Minnesota Thunder
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Glory, Defeat, and Pepper Spray: Minnesota in the U.S. Open Cup
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Glory, Defeat, and Pepper Spray: Minnesota in the U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is entering its 106th season, proof of America’s rich soccer heritage. While the dominant teams of old — the Brooklyn Italians, Bethlehem Steel — are diminished or defunct today, their legend lives on. In the modern MLS era, the Open Cup is the tie that binds the teams at…
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“Papa Was a Rolling Stone”: Amos Magee Comes Home, Settles Down, and Builds a Team
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”: Amos Magee Comes Home, Settles Down, and Builds a TeamThis is a snippet from the long profile of Amos Magee that will be published next month in The Complete Darkness 2017. If you enjoy it and want to read more, support us by buying a copy, then buying a copy for your granny. If he looks a bit like a nomad, perhaps it’s because…
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Former Minnesota Thunder Owner, Dean Johnson, Attempting to Purchase Polish Club
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Former Minnesota Thunder Owner, Dean Johnson, Attempting to Purchase Polish ClubWhen Minnesota Thunder’s last owner, Dean Johnson, left the club in 2009, he left it saddled in debt. He left employees, players, vendors, and the USL with unpaid bills, including some employees who had racked up considerable personal debt with promises of being paid back. Since then, Johnson has attempted (and in one case succeeded)…
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Minnesota Soccer Community Loses John Sylvester to ALS, His Family Needs Your Help
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Minnesota Soccer Community Loses John Sylvester to ALS, His Family Needs Your HelpJohn Kelly Sylvester (Sly), girls coaching director of Minneapolis United youth soccer club and former Minnesota Thunder player, passed away on June 16th. John had a long battle with ALS and is the second Minnesota soccer figure in the past year to succumb to the disease. Making matters worse, John’s wife Tessie, who had supported…
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Tom Donovan Blazed Soccer Supporter Trail
Continue Reading: Tom Donovan Blazed Soccer Supporter TrailOn Sunday, April 30, longtime Minnesota soccer supporter and Dark Cloud member, Tom Donovan passed away after a several-year-long battle with cancer. He was 69 years old. Tom Donovan may not be a name that younger fans know, but they should. Tom was a devoted soccer supporter long before it was trendy and worked throughout…
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What Happened to the TOA’s Original NASL Founders
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: What Happened to the TOA’s Original NASL FoundersOn Tuesday, US Soccer released a statement saying they postponed a decision for 7-10 days on the NASL/USL sanctioning of the second division. The current NASL crisis (where teams are hemorrhaging money) has brought up the discussion of what the original NASL was attempting with the Team Owners Association (TOA). Those TOA members started breaking away…
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The Minnesota Thunder were US Open Cup Giant Killers in 2005
Continue Reading: The Minnesota Thunder were US Open Cup Giant Killers in 2005Originally published at ussoccer.com June 29, 2015. In 2005, the Minnesota Thunder were U.S. Open Cup Giant Killers and it was no fluke either. Led by long-time coach and founder Buzz Lagos, the Thunder defeated three MLS teams on their 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run. After narrowly scraping by the Chicago Fire PDL…
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Glory, Defeat, And Pepper Spray: Minnesota In The US Open Cup
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Glory, Defeat, And Pepper Spray: Minnesota In The US Open CupIn the modern MLS era, the Open Cup is the tie that binds the teams at the top and the amorphous, ever shifting divisions below. New legends are being written, like the Cinderella Rochester Rhinos championship in 1999, or our own Minnesota Thunder’s shocking semi-final run in 2005. To celebrate the entry of Minnesota United…
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Minnesota: A Rich Soccer History
Continue Reading: Minnesota: A Rich Soccer HistoryNo one would argue that the names: Kicks, Strikers, Thunder, Stars and Minnesota United FC are synonymous with Minnesota soccer. These are all names of professional teams that have made their mark in the state over the last 40 years. However, the pro teams tell only part of the story of a rich soccer history…