MLS Preview: Minnesota United

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Hooligan Soccer

·13 febbraio 2025

MLS Preview: Minnesota United

Club History

The loon on their crest honors the state bird of Minnesota, and the eleven feathers the eleven players on the pitch. The blue line represents the Mississippi River and the space on either side the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

The current Minnesota United iteration was officially born on March 23, 2015 when they were announced as the MLS’ 23rd team. But the club has existed since 1990 under different monikers in the USL: Minnesota Thunder (1990-2010), NSC Minnesota (2010-2011), Minnesota Stars (2012-2015).

OneFootball Video

During their eight-year MLS history, the team has never finished higher than 4th in the Western Conference, but also never lower than 11th. They have qualified for the postseason five times, giving them a good average for later expansion teams. In the 2020 Western Conference championship game, up 2-0 over Seattle Sounders with 15 minutes left to play, they conceded three goals to be denied their first MLS Cup appearance.

Ownership

Bill McGuire holds the most equity (35%), with the remaining shares held by other prominent Minnesota-based sports owners including: Glen Taylor (owner of the NBA Timberwolves), Robert Pohlad (owner of the MLB Twins), Wendy Carlson Nelson (former investor in the NHL Wild).

Significant Players

Darwin Quintero (Colombia) – Forward First Designated Player, signed in 2018, who led them that season with 11 goals and 15 assists.
Kevin Molino (Trinidad & Tobago) – Forward A key attacker from 2017-2020 with 33 goals and 26 assists despite recurring knee problems.
Teemu Pukki (Finland) – Forward The former Norwich striker was a marquee DP signing in 2023 but never lived up to expectations.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane (South Africa) – Forward/Winger Tall and pacey, the still active Hlongwane has 21 goals and 11 assists in his three years with the Loons. He was also the club’s top scorer in 2023 and 2024.
Michael Boxhall (New Zealand) – Defender Has been with the club since 2017 and holds the record for most appearances: 239

Other Facts

Allianz Field (Source)

Lost their inaugural match 5-1 to the Portland Timbers. This was followed by a 6-1 loss at home to Atlanta United. It is the largest cumulative loss (11-2) ever in away/home opening matches by any expansion franchise.
Their home venue is the 19,400 capacity Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN, which opened in 2019.
The Oasis song “Wonderwall” is sung by fans after home victories.
There is a fan group called THUNDERWALL that provides percussion support for chants.
Their mascot is an anthropomorphic loon named PK.

2024 Season Recap

15W – 7D – 12L for 52 points. Finished in 6th place in the Western Conference; 11th overall. After winning their Round one matchup against Real Salt Lake in two games (both going to penalties), they were trounced by eventual champions LA Galaxy 6-2.
Thirteen players were released, transferred or out of contract after the 2024 season, including former DP and Finnish international Teemu Pukki.

Who to Watch 2025

With an open DP slot vacated by Pukki, and over $4M of GAM, I expect to see Minnesota make a play for a central midfielder to help coordinate their offense alongside recent signing Owen Gene.

Joaquín Pereyra (Argentina) – Winger A DP who signed late in the 2024 season, he’s played seven games and is yet to make his mark.
Kelvin Yeboah (Italy/Ghana) – Forward A DP who came to the club in July 2024, scoring 9 goals in 12 matches. Scored the two goals in their loss to LA Galaxy in the quarterfinals.
Owen Gene (France) – Midfielder In a $2M transfer confirmed on Feb. 11, Gene will join the Loons from Amiens (a French 2nd league club). As he is 21, he fills one of the club’s U22 Initiative slots, rather than the DP.

First Match

Minnesota travel to take on LAFC on Feb. 22.

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