FiftyFive.One
• Voices From Soccer's North •
Tag: Wyatt Omsberg
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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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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 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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Matchday Thirty Two: Even The Home Magic Is Now Dead, As Loons Sink To Season Low Against Colorado
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Thirty Two: Even The Home Magic Is Now Dead, As Loons Sink To Season Low Against ColoradoThe previous week’s 1-5 drubbing at the hands of Philadelphia felt like rock bottom for the floundering Loons. Then came this past weekend, where the team returned home and collapsed against a woeful Colorado Rapids team that had previously lost seven consecutive matches by a combined score of 1-22. That defeat sealed Minnesota’s 0-4 record…
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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…
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Matchday Thirty One: Away From Home, Loons Embarrass Themselves On The Field, And On The Touchline
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Thirty One: Away From Home, Loons Embarrass Themselves On The Field, And On The TouchlineOn the road, against a Philadelphia Union team on the upswing, the Loons were never going to be favorites. But even a sober observer probably didn’t anticipate the team’s complete and total capitulation. Minnesota was down 0-4 at half, and after a switch back to the 3-5-2 and a more relaxed approach from the hosts,…
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Matchdays Twenty-Seven and-Twenty Eight: Loons’ Long National Road Trip Nightmare Is Over
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Twenty-Seven and-Twenty Eight: Loons’ Long National Road Trip Nightmare Is OverIt’s easy to forget that Minnesota started their recent stretch of seven games, six of which were on the road, riding high on a crest of optimism. They had just pulled off an incredible week with nine points in three home games, and the playoff line was in touching distance. That was nearly two months…
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Match Preview: DC United vs. Minnesota United FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: DC United vs. Minnesota United FCMinnesota United is still playing MLS soccer. It has been a while, with an international break and scheduling conspiring to provide the Loons with the longest break of the season. That does not mean, however, that the team will return refreshed and with its best eleven ready to take the field. Far from it. Minnesota…
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Match Preview: Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FC
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Match Preview: Sporting Kansas City vs. Minnesota United FCAfter a late tactical switch against the Galaxy earned Minnesota a comeback draw two weeks ago, Adrian Heath earned some just plaudits for getting the tactics right. As for his lineup choices against Dallas; well, let’s hold off the talks of Heath replacing Pep Guardiola. In the coach’s defense, Minnesota is just not deeply talented…
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Matchdays Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen: What Are The Loons Building?
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchdays Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen: What Are The Loons Building?I was away on vacation the last two weeks, blissfully detached from the ups and downs (let’s face it, mostly downs) of following Minnesota United. After the horrific loss on the road to Colorado, it was a good time to step away, and though I missed one of the most memorable individual performances in team…
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Matchday Thirteen: Longtime Loons Lead Against Miserable Montréal
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Matchday Thirteen: Longtime Loons Lead Against Miserable MontréalIn a must-win match against a very bad team, the Loons finally delivered the three points that was expected of them. Despite a horrible start to the match against Montréal, the club rallied and earned the win through goals from the North’s favorite tag-team duo of Christian Ramirez and Miguel Ibarra. Over at The Athletic, our…