Introduction

Minnesota Soccer Spot 

Monday, February 19th

What are we doing here? What has happened since October 2023? Predictions, thoughts, etc. 

*Disclaimer: My takes are not thoughtful, and they are NOT based in knowledge.* 

Introduction: What even is this blog?

For those of you who follow me on Twitter (it's called "X" now, I know. I refuse to conform), you already know I have a lot of thoughts in real time regarding whatever soccer is in front of me. If there's a game on, it's safe to assume I'm watching it. I decided to channel that energy (not sure whether to call it positive or negative) into a more formal avenue of expression. Hence, this blog was born. 

Me photographed with Boxy following
a road victory against NYCFC on August 20th, 2023

Before I get into my thoughts and tangents, I'll provide a bit of information regarding myself. My name is Lydia Wisti. I'm twenty-two years old, and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am a recent college graduate of the University of St. Thomas, graduating with a degree in Music Business and Political Science. I grew up playing soccer but stopped at the age of seventeen to pursue other passions and interests. As it turns out, being an avid viewer of soccer has become one of those passions, hence why we're here. 

Me being photographed by my aunt coming through my line at
Allianz Field. This is the moment of whiplash. 

Currently, I am in between gigs as far as work is concerned. Along with my part-time desk job, I work as a ticket taker (now referred to as gatekeeper. My boss would appreciate the correct terminology) at Allianz Field on gamedays. I spend every home game I can at Allianz Field, and every away game (minus the one or two my dad and I travel to see each year) on my parents' basement couch, vocalizing frustration at the TV and players who cannot hear me. 

What has happened since October 21st, 2023?

MNUFC starting lineup VS SKC on 

October 21, 2023 (image belongs to MNUFC)

On October 21st, 2023, Minnesota United fell to Sporting Kansas City on decision day, knocking them out of the MLS 2023 playoffs for the first time since 2018. This loss also broke their four-year-long streak of making the postseason. Since then, Minnesota has said hello to some new faces and goodbye to some fan favorites. 

This photo belongs to MNUFC from their 
instagram

Just before the holidays, the club announced their roster decisions going into next season. Before the roster moves were announced, it was already known that defender DJ Taylor was re-signed to a two-year contract with a club option for 2026. (original article link: https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-dj-taylor-pen-new-contract). While I have thoughts on it, I am not surprised by this re-sign. DJ Taylor is a solid player. There is no denying that. He has provided an edge in the MNUFC attack with decent service into the box. Along with that, he is clearly a hard worker. This season and moving forward, the thing I (and I would assume other MNUFC fans are looking for) am hoping for is more consistency in the defensive third. There were moments last season where marks were lost, and he was beaten for speed. With the help of defensive depth and competition in his position (Valentin, arguably Rosales and Dotson, Padelford, etc), I'm hoping it will light a fire under his belt. 

In the initial roster moves announcement, the club stated they had picked up options for Kervin Arriaga, Michael Boxall, Joseph Rosales, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Zarek Valentín. All of these moves, in my opinion, are positive and unsurprising. No need to go in-depth with my thoughts on these. The one that I was wondering if they would re-sign was Valentín. In my opinion, he is a stronger fullback option than Taylor, so I am happy to see the club bring him back. Along with these signings, the club made it a point to mention they had been working on contracts for Wil Trapp and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. 

Me photographed with MNUFC captain Wil Trapp following
a road victory against NYCFC on August 20th, 2023. It looks 
like he's visiting me in jail. 

After some negotiations, the club ended up re-signing Wil Trapp. For me, this move was surprising. Last season, Wil Trapp was the third-highest-paid player on our roster behind Emanuel Reynoso and Teemu Pukki. I initially assumed Wil Trapp, most likely having to take a hefty pay cut, would prefer to transfer. He must've agreed to a pay cut. (It will be interesting to see what happens when salaries are announced because this is only an assumption). This might be a hot take, but I am happy to see Trapp come back for another season. While, in my opinion, he should not be starting, he is a solid depth piece and seems to be a positive team leader. 

In the same article, the club announced that contracts for Bakaye Dibassy, Eric Dick, Fred Emmings, Ménder García, Jan Gregus, Emmanuel Iwe, and Ryen Jiba were not picked up. Along with contract options not picked up, longtime defender Brent Kallman's contract was not renewed. 

Meme courtesy of the MNUFC FANS CHAT
 (Love you guys)

Bakaye Dibassy, who signed with Minnesota United mid-season in 2020 and was arguably a fan favorite, was the most disappointing one on this list. After Dibassy fell to injury in August of last season, the team struggled the rest of that year, squeaking into the playoffs with the help of (I believe) a thirteen-game unbeaten run. My father likes to call this "the beginning of the end." Any fan watching could see the defense was lacking at the time. (I would argue the defense hasn't stopped lacking, but that's a whole other conversation). Since the injury, Dibassy had struggled to make the starting lineup and fully regain his starting position. The signing of Tapias also added to this struggle, with him and Boxall forming that center-back partnership long before Dibassy made his way back from injury. Whether or not Tapias or Dibassy should've been the starting center back is up for debate, but regardless, Tapias has claimed that starting position. I assume those reasonings combined with him being an older player factored into the club's decision. It's sad to see him go, especially considering how integral he was for Minnesota United during his time. 

Don't ask

Jan Gregus, who has had an interesting path with Minnesota United, was also on this list. This fan favorite (arguably) was signed following the injury of Kervin Arriaga. To fans, it was clear he was brought back as a means of replacing Arriaga for the rest of the season. He provided solid midfield depth during his time here. He had initially signed in 2019, having been an integral part of the team's growth from then until now. He took on his role this past season with grace and a positive attitude, and it is sad to see him part ways with the club again. (Also, the MNUFC to Chicago Fire or Houston Dynamo Pipeline is real. I don't make the rules). 

I took this photo with my professional
photography skills

Ménder García was the third more well-known player among fans on this list. With his departure, the Loons' striker graveyard grows. García had signed during the 2022 season. During his time in Minnesota, he provided speed off the bench in moments where the team needed an attacking boost. In my opinion, García being let go is an understandable move on the club's part. In my non-professional opinion, Mender was invisible in many games he played and didn't provide a productive spark off the bench the way the club (I'm assuming) and fans would've hoped. Regardless, he is clearly a talented player. During the offseason, I spent some of my free time watching old highlights. While Mender seemed to disappear in real time, I weirdly noticed him more in hindsight. He always seemed to have the right idea? From the little I have rewatched, he made solid runs and was a hardworking player. I was hoping another MLS team would pick him up. There seems to be a trend of players, especially attacking players, struggling with us, and then finding success elsewhere. Wherever he ends up, I wish him luck! 

Bye bitch!

The club also decided against re-signing long-timeer Brent Kallman. Some fans have a bittersweet feeling about this. With his departure, he is the last original Minnesota United player from their time in NASL. Personally, I do not care, and I believe this was a long time coming. I also will not let this image be forgotten about. The image says it all. Nothing more needs to be said. 

The one player that I am truly sad wasn't brought back is Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. He had signed with Minnesota United halfway through last season around the same time Teemu Pukki did. While he was with the club for a short amount of time, I believe he brought that spark off the bench that players like Mender Garcia and San Bin Jeong have lacked. With Lod's position up in the air, it would've been nice to see Tajouri-Shradi playing as that inverted winger, something I believe the attack has lacked since Robin Lod's injury. He was a fun player to watch, and it's sad to see him go. (Also, Minnesota United didn't even acknowledge his departure? Come on y'all. Now I have to use the welcome image for this post).

Along with returning/leaving faces, the club has signed a few players, all defenders and midfielders. I am reserving judgment on these players until I get to see them play, but it is good that the club is beefing up our defense and midfield. I would like to see some fullback depth acquired, as that is a position I feel the club needs to see some improvement in. 

Links to signings

Victor Eriksson: https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-signs-defender-victor-eriksson

Moses Nyeman: https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-signs-midfielder-moses-nyeman

Carlos Harvey: https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-signs-midfielder-carlos-harvey

Alejandro Bran: https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-acquires-midfielder-alejandro-bran-on-loan

Caden Clark: (was announced earlier, but I thought I'd add it as a refresher): https://www.mnufc.com/news/minnesota-united-acquires-midfielder-caden-clark

We are one week away!

Minnesota is one week away from the 2024 season kickoff! Their first match will be a flight down to Austin, Texas, where the Loons will take on Austin FC. (Nobody wants a home opener in February. I worked that World Cup Qualifier a couple of years ago. 0/10 experience, would not recommend). Along with the Loons, Austin FC failed to make the postseason having finished 12th in the Western Conference. I won't speak for Austin fans, but following a dominant season in 2022, I can imagine fans are disappointed with how they finished last season. Austin FC will be looking to start their season strong with a win at home, and I know Sebastian Driussi will be looking to have a say in that. 

Based on having watched today's pre-season match, here's how I expect the Loons will line up against Austin (assuming Reynoso and Bongi won't be fit). 

This image belongs to MNUFC. I will
start making my own graphics soon,
I promise.

So, what about the league in general?

Outside of just Minnesota United, I spend a lot of my free time during the MLS season watching various matches. On my Hinge dating profile, my most controversial opinion is that Major League Soccer is more entertaining than the Premier League. While I say this mainly to make Euro-snobs (and just men in general) angry, I swear I have a point. Entertainment isn't always the same thing as quality. Sure, the Premier League is better in quality, but MLS is special. Only in MLS would the translator for a coach get red-carded off the field. I love soccer, but I'm also here for the entertainment. MLS is also insanely hard to predict. Any team can win on any given day. And while this may be true across the board, it's especially true in MLS. 

With that random tangent being said, here are my loose predictions for this season. I'm not the best with design, so we're going old school: MLS standings ranked on my notes app.

I plan on making a separate blog post detailing my predictions. I'm just going to let them sit here and allow you to process what is probably not based in knowledge. 

From here on out, these posts won't be nearly as long, I promise. If you got through the whole thing, congratulations and thank you. See you next week!