MINNEAPOLIS — The Chicago City Dutch Lions are struggling. In spite of fine individual performances from Leonardo Santos, Jake Lane, and (exempting a conspicuous lapse) goalkeeper Tobias Stirl, those struggles did not come to an end at Edor Nelson Field on Friday night. Minneapolis City SC turned a 1-0 lead and a man advantage at the half into a 4-0 victory by the final whistle. It was the Dutch Lions’ third-straight loss by three-or-more goals while being held scoreless.
In full candor, it was not the most daunting date on the Crows’ schedule. Also, because of this, the game was a must win for a club that has made adjustments in its quest to return to the postseason. Looking back to its NPSL days, Minneapolis has not seen playoff soccer since 2021.
With Jared Hecht, Nick Kent, Joe Highfield, Cole Schrage, Andrew Heckenlaible and Preston Kipnusu among the starters, it might have been the biggest and tallest lineup in Minneapolis’ 10-year history. It reflected a shift in philosophy as new sporting director Casey Holm, along with head coach Justin Oliver, have left their fingerprints on the assembled roster.
That height paid off in the opening moments, as Kipnusu notched his second goal of the season in just the fourth minute. For the second time in as many home games, holding midfielder Joey Tawah swung in a corner for the 6-foot-4 forward to hunt down and bury in the back of the net. And, that a Minneapolis No. 6 has tallied a pair of assists through three games is a welcome surprise.
“I was happy with the start,” Oliver said. “We got an early goal from a set piece, off of a decent sequence. That was all good stuff.”
It gave hope the Crows might take flight, early. However…
“After the goal, we just had… I used the words lifeless… lethargic.. and we just wasted the next 40 minutes that ensued,” exhaled Oliver, in his postgame.
Low Block Woes
Chicago settled into a five-four low block while defending, and from the jump. It wasn’t expansive, expressive, ambitious or aesthetic. But for the remainder of the half, it was frustrating.
“In the first half we were playing a little too passive,” said winger Morgan Olson. “We weren’t really making direct runs, in behind.”
Highfield tested Stirl with a free kick that forced a fine save. Schrage did well, when called upon, to cut out diagonals that threatened to spring counter attacks. But what through-balls the Crows sent were overweighted. A 36th-minute effort from Kipnusu went just wide of the far post, and was a half-second ahead of Highfield, who might have otherwise poked it in.
In the middle of the half, the visitors were creating just as many chances as the hosts, prompting interventions by Hecht and Kent, and a couple of comfortable saves from Daniel Sessler. Still leading from Kipnusu’s early header, the pressure of an upset was mostly-absent. But in playing down to the level of its opposition, Minneapolis failed to impress.
“I know that they were organized, and we had some bad turnovers that they could have punished,” said Oliver. “We just had poor details, poor ball speed, no messaging. Again, just flat, lifeless, lethargic. Was not happy.
“And, fortunately, Preston, like he’s been doing all season, seals the centerback, gets him sent off, changed the game massively.”
Two goals and three assists through three games is nothing to slouch at for a center forward, but it also does not come close to measuring Kipnusu’s contribution. The Drake sophomore has drawn multiple yellow cards from opposing defenders in each game, and gotten a pair of them sent off through three, as opponents struggle to contain the big No. 9.
In the 45th minute, it was Dominic Scandariato’s turn for an early shower. Shielding the ball while boxing out the centerback, Kipnusu was quickly through on goal, and grabbed from behind with two arms. The foul occurred a couple yards beyond the penalty area, so only a free kick resulted, but the Dutch Lions were still reduced to playing with 10 men.
Oliver noted it changed the halftime talk, but only slightly.
Placing Missing Pieces
In the second half, Oliver challenged his team to take more chances in the attack, and trust they could win the ball back if and when the aforementioned did not succeed. He brought Division III All-American Shea Bechtel, former Wake Forest standout Jake Swallen, and Crows veteran Curtis Wagner in off the bench. And he told dangerman Jackson Kirsch to stay higher up field.
The combination of chiding, tactical adjustment, reinforcements, and a man advantage worked.
“I expected to hit the ground running [with City],” said Kirsch, “but not scoring like this. Like, I’m not usually banging in goals like this.”
In the 55th, on the break, a Morgan Olson cutback fed the No. 10 inside Chicago’s 18-yard box. Kirsch was decisive, and fingertips from Stirl weren’t enough to keep the ball out of the net.
Ten minutes later, again in transition, a deflected cross from Kipnusu bounded in between the Dutch Lions’ back line and Stirl. But it was a hard-driving Kirsch who was first to the ball, lobbing it off the half-volley as the keeper was caught out in no-man’s land.
The brace accounted for Kirsch’s fourth and fifth goals of the season. That mark has already tied him with Eli Goldmann for most goals from a Crow in a League Two season.
“I’m a little-bit more advanced centrally, here, than I am at school,” said Friday’s Man of the Match, “and it’s been kind of challenging at times. Like you see, the first half, I’m just so tempted to drop deep and get on the half-turn and play in those spaces. At halftime, coach Justin challenged me to stay forward and trust my teammates.”
There were other bright spots in the second half, as well. Bechtel’s first goal for Minneapolis since 2023 — after spending last summer with crosstown rivals St. Croix Legends — sealed the victory in the 81st minute. Swallen’s club debut saw the midfielder make an immediate impact, winning tackles and springing his teammates in transition. And Wagner’s season debut came off without a hitch, adding a true left-footed defender to a back line that has only conceded once over its last 180-minutes of play.
“I thought Jake gave us a massive, massive 45 minutes,” said Oliver. “Won a ton of combination of firsts, seconds and thirds. His line breaking passes were awesome. A very, very good debut from him. So, I was pumped, as he’s kind of working to getting back into [match] fitness. We are hoping that Friday will be a bigger run out for him.”
Praise for individuals aside, Oliver’s brow remained furrowed after the final whistle.
“The game state changed massively with being up a man,” the head coach said. “So, I was a lot more-focused on… kind of disappointed in the performance because of that. Went up a man, got some more goals, which was good. But as I sit here and reflect, I will be focused a lot more on that first 45 minutes that took place. That is where our process needed to be better.”
Race for the Heartland
Draws against two of the preseason favorites, plus a home win against a struggling side, isn’t blindingly brilliant. But, it is a trio of results that have seen the Crows keep pace, early. Minneapolis now embarks upon a three-match road swing, with each of the trio of tilts quite winnable, as Sueno FC, a rematch with the Dutch Lions, and Rochester FC lie ahead.
“Five points from three games; not a bad foundation,” said coach Tudor Flintham. “Just need to start faster and iron out some of the details.”
Escaping Friday night with all three points after its least-impressive half of soccer on the young season, it’s now time for Minneapolis to assert itself, if it wishes to remain a postseason contender.
“We have a lot of talent in the team,” said Olson. “Not just the starting XI, but we have a lot of depth, as well, and that’s going to help us. Every single day, in practice, and in games, I feel we’re improving and gelling and getting that chemistry together. And I think this year we definitely can push for playoffs — for sure.”
