MINNEAPOLIS — Since joining USL League Two, Minneapolis City SC has seen more dropped points, from more close games, than is pleasant to reflect upon. Friday night, at Edor Nelson Field, one of those broke in the Crows’ favor; a hard fought 1-0 victory over frenemy Bavarian United SC putting wind back in Minneapolis’ sails, after the club from the City of Lakes began the season a bit adrift, with an 0-2-1 record.
Postgame interviews, and the mood in City’s locker room, offered evidence that the night’s win was worth more than just three points in the division table.
Keeper Kaelen Matacastillo, back for his second summer with the club, recalled last year’s slow start, and welcomed the victory with open arms.
“It means a lot to me, to the team. This season, we’ve just been putting our heads down, grinding, with our new coach and Matt [VanBenschoten] to the general manager [role],” Matacastillo said. “This one win means a lot and hopefully we can build off it. It feels good to have it finally bounce our way. They probably out-possessed us, but we put the ball in. So, we’ll take it.”
The result was evidence of growth for head coach Carl Craig, and for City, a small step towards building the kind of success the club had before it faced the level of competition found in League Two.
“[I]f you watched last week, defensively we were great. There’s a real togetherness starting to happen within the group,” said Craig. “Obviously, the familiarity [helps]; also the accountability to one another. Teams don’t just happen. So I’ve seen a relationship start to build, and now, the desire to actually get results. At times, our football’s great. At times, football is like bang-your-head-against-the-dugout poor. But what we’ve got now is at least togetherness, where they’re working for each other.
“I’m learning an awful lot about this, the level that kids play at rather than at this level. Meaning, one of me colleagues is a college coach, he says, ‘Ah, I dress 28 blokes in the game and then everyone gets a game.’ So, these kids are not used to 90 minutes, and if they get fatigued, they come off. Which, to me, speaks to the football. At times, we’re so frivolous with it. Boom, kicking it up the park, and if you cannot run anymore, somebugger else will come in. Well, that’s not really football for me. This is real football.
“And by the way, Bavarians is a real football team. They were very good. So, it makes it all the more enjoyable. The fact that, I know their results haven’t been great, but they’ve got some players. Well-settled, well-organized, they caused us problems, of course they did. And, we caused them problems.”
Getting on the end of many of the aforementioned problems posed by City’s opponents was Matacastillo. A handful of key saves — including a leaping one-handed redirection of a close-range header in just the 10th minute — helped produce a clean sheet. For his efforts, the keeper earned the Citizens supporters group’s Player of the Match award.
“There’s no other word for it, I’m honored,” Matacastillo said, of the recognition. “I can’t believe it. It was a crazy game. We did our best, and I’m very lucky. For all the shifts that the guys put in, we all deserve this. I’m honored, but it was a team effort, really.”
That collective resolve in defense kept the scoreline tight, and allowed for a lone goal to tip the contest in the Crows’ favor. Just minutes before halftime, St. Olaf teammates Hakeem Morgan and Shea Bechtel drew on chemistry to seize a lead Minneapolis would not relinquish.
“We are pretty interlocked, on knowing what each other is going to do,” said Bechtel, of Morgan. “I saw him turn, open up his body, and I called for it. I knew he was going to play me. He does a really good job of playing that cross with his left foot, and I saw the keeper coming out, so I knew all I needed was a touch.”
Heading Morgan’s stellar service from the edge of the penalty area, the hardworking winger’s shot traveled unimpeded into the Bavarians goal.
“I think getting the first goal is always the most-important, especially against a strong possession side.” Bechtel noted, “They’re going to try to possess, possess, and then break us and score one. Getting the first one and making them uncomfortable was really important to winning the game.”
That it was Bechtel celebrating City’s lone goal carried an additional benefit, per his manager.
“Outstanding and I think necessary,” said Craig. “What I mean by that, and I said that to [assistant coach] Peter [Rivard], ‘Of course, we needed the goal. He needed that to give himself belief to keep going.’
“He was a bit down last week; the kid ran, and ran, and ran, and rarely seen the ball. And then today he ran, and ran. I could see it tipping a little bit, a little bit of frustration — assumptions of course — and then he scores. I said to Peter, ‘We needed that so he can sustain what he’s doing.’ To get the goal, I mean, you’ve seen the boost; tremendous.”
“I play, I don’t need to score, but I like to have an impact on the game,” Betchel countered, unaware of his head coach’s comments. “Being able to score and have the winning goal, it feels really good and it’s good to finally be rewarded for the hard work. But, I think our group today was 11 hard-working guys,15 hard-working guys, the guys who came on — everyone put in an absolute shift offensively and defensively. And, I think that’s why we won the game.”
Craig opted to make a substitution at halftime, in defense of a one-goal lead. Bringing center back Curtis Wagner on in his natural position for midfielder Jameson Charles, and shifting Griffin Gyurci forward, into midfield, produced a pair of individual performances that caught Craig’s eye.
“Griffin is actually a number six. We’ve been playing him at the five because we didn’t have a five at the time, and he’s done well for us. But Big Curtis has stepped up,” said Craig. “The beauty of it is — the 28 fellows or however many it is — what I want to show them is there’s a way for everyone to come in.”
That experience in midfield showed when Gyurci nearly created a goal by bisecting the Bavarians’ lines with a pass that put winger Eli Goldman in on goal from a narrow angle.
“I think he’s probably got as good an eye in it, as anyone, for seeing a pass,” Craig said. “His execution isn’t always the greatest, but I said to him at halftime, ‘They’re 30-yards, 40-yards higher up the field.’ Now, I know he can see them. We’ve got all that grass behind the back line where he can pick them out, and it can be devastating to the opponents.
“The other side of it is, he’s got them big, long legs to stick his toe out. He’s defended tremendously for us. So, to have that in the middle as well, to give us that extra steel, and to be able to pick a pass out, wasn’t a revelation because I know he’s played there.”
Sitting behind Gyurci was Wagner. The poise as well as the physical presence of the center half was a welcome addition, particularly for a City side that had been physically bullied in prior games.
“I think Big Curtis was tremendous; so calm. The size of that lad… but he’s one of them,” Craig said while tilting his head to look upward. “I mean, that’s a big man. But so calm. Tearing through [their midfield] and then that little bloop [with the ball] — you don’t see center halves do that very often, do you? I think he’s going to be a major piece for us.”
After noting all the positives from the day, Craig turned his attention to a long week in which City will have seven days to prepare for a rematch with Rochester FC, at home, and the three games in nine days that match will kick off.
“We’ve got an extra day, now, which is good,” Craig said. “But Monday is different to where they come from. Monday is the blokes who put 90 minutes in tonight, they’re going to take it easy. And those who didn’t, we’re going to do a bit more, you know. So, that’s alien to them, as well.
“We’re still creating chances. We have to be able to manage the game better. Put it in the net more often, so we’re not chewing our nails for 80 minutes, or 45 minutes, or whatever. I know it’s going to get tougher — only going to get tougher — even though we’re gonna evolve into better than where we are now. Because, I can see the two-game weeks are going to be very, very challenging for any club in this league.”