MINNEAPOLIS — On Saturday evening, in front of its largest crowd of the season, Minneapolis City SC found success on and off the field. Between the lines, first-half goals from Mizael Harris and Sidike Jabateh were enough to carry the Crows to their second win over first-place Thunder Bay Chill. And in the stands and concourse, denim-clad fans packed Edor Nelson Field for the Gene Party, raising money for M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital‘s research in life-saving gene therapy.
“Our fans were awesome. Big Gene Party hit. Super cool that City does things like this to help the community, and it’s an awesome story,” said head coach Justin Oliver, referring to City volunteer Scott Menk and his son Evan’s gene-therapy treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. “It’s awesome that we had a sellout, today. When you load up Edor Nelson and you play in front of over a thousand fans, I know that as a player, it can be an absolutely-electric environment.
“I definitely think they were pushing us, along the way, especially when it got to 2-1 and it got nervy. Whenever you make a big challenge or you do good things, and the fans have that roar and pick you up, it’s always a big thing. We could not do it without our supporters that are big-time.”
The evening’s events got off to a smashing start in just the 10th minute, when Jabateh played Bernard Assibey-Rhule into a pocket of space. Approaching the end-line, Assibey-Rhule pulled a driven cross back towards the penalty spot. Eli Goldman thought about attempting a volley, but chose wisely, leaving the ball for his wingback, Harris, who was just-then arriving in the 18-yard box on the backside of the play.
“[Jabateh] played Bernard on the right wing, through, and I was just kind-of creeping up there, hoping it would come across the box. I saw it, and I hit it,” said Harris, with his typical modesty.
That hit was a cool, controlled half-volley, snapped low, in between a crowd of players in front of net, goalkeeper Fancesco Leuzzi, and the far post.
Harris ran to the corner flag, holding his arms wide, before being surrounded by teammates.
“For that moment, I was just really proud of myself,” reflected Harris. “I’ve struggled, trying to score or assist throughout the [League Two] season, and it finally came. So, felt amazing.”
In fact, on the summer as a whole, Harris had not struggled to score goals; his production for the Futures team had earned him a call-up to the Crows’ senior side. And in City’s home finale, the Augsburg University forward notched his first League Two goal on a familiar stage.
“Miz is electric,” said Oliver. “When he is on his day, his one-v-one dribbling is better than anybody’s. Today, he was so good. That first chance that falls to him, for him to take it on the half-volley like that and put it in the bottom-right corner was big-time.
”It’s funny, because Miz came off after about 70 minutes, last game, and wasn’t supper happy with his performance. But he responds today and puts in an amazing shift. Goes 90 minutes. Tracks back — some big-time slide tackles in midfield. He checked every single box, today.”
Concurring with Oliver’s assessment, the Minneapolis Citizens’ supporters group voted Harris their Player of the Game for his efforts.
City’s next score, in contrast to Harris’ first senior-team goal, did not arrive in novel fashion. For the second-straight game, Jabateh would deliver what would prove to be the eventual match-winner in added time at the end of the first half.
Five days earlier, facing Minnesota United MLS NEXT in the Minnesota Super Cup, Jabateh found space just outside the Loons’ penalty area, and curled a shot, low, into the far corner, in the 45th-plus-two, to push the score to 2-0 in City’s favor.
On Saturday evening, once again in the second minute of added time, Jabateh struck.
Defender Curtis Wagner did quite well to pick captain Max Kent out of a crowd of players in the box, via a long throw in. Kent’s headed flick-on was met by a side-volley from Goldman, and it would have been enough for a goal had Leuzzi not intervened with a fantastic reaction-save.
Unfortunately for the visitors, the rebound fell to Minneapolis’ cannon-legged forward, and Jabateh was only too happy to blast a shot into the postage stamp, leaving Leuzzi, working to regain his position, absolutely no chance at continued heroics.
At halftime, fans stayed in their seats as Menk and City attempted to set a world record for the most people wearing denim in a single selfie. At time of publication, the club is awaiting confirmation from the Guinness Book of World records.
The second half brought more scoring chances from each side, but Crows goalkeeper Evan Siefken continued to do his part in commanding his 18-yard box. The 6-foot-4 keeper’s imposing presence had forced an error on a Chill breakaway, and in addition to a number of claimed crosses, the netminder also contributed a lightning-quick near-post save in defense of the hosts’ lead.
Everything seemed comfortable as the clock continued its steady march towards 90 minutes and the final whistle. City’s two-goal lead gave the Crows an always-welcome margin for error against one of the better clubs in League Two. But in the 85th minute, Loris Tsiatsipy pulled a goal back for Thunder Bay.
“Going up to Canada [on July 5], losing by one when we felt we deserved points, we knew we had a chance to perform and win, today.” Said Siekfen, “Luckily, we held on, there at the end.
“It’s nice to have a 2-0 lead because then the last 10 minutes are pretty chill. Once they got the first one, it’s kind-of like, ‘Buckle in. This is going to be a ride.’ Luckily, the guys did a great job defending. Everyone defended there at the end. It was a great team effort, and I was able to collect a couple balls, high in the air, to take some precious minutes off the clock. So, that felt good, too.”
As aforementioned, for Oliver, the night’s cause was bigger than just a result. And even speaking strictly as a soccer coach, the result, itself, required context.
“I think it’s funny,” said Oliver, “I’m supper happy to get the 3 points and I’ll always take them. I don’t actually think we played as well, today, as we did up in Thunder Bay. Sometimes soccer is funny. When you focus on your performance over an ‘X’ period of time, you’ll probably get some results maybe you shouldn’t have. And on the flip-side, you can also lose some that you thought you deserved. I still think we did enough to win based on how we created chances.
”When we got the second goal, things kind-of slowed down for us a bit… Would have liked to see us get that third goal, at 3-0, and then completely put the game on ice. But instead, we let [chances] go by. They wind up getting one in the mid-80s, and then it’s a very-nervy last 12, 15 minutes.”
Postgame, fans, coaches and players greeted one another on the field to celebrate a thoroughly-successful night. Amidst the joviality, the Minneapolis Citizens’ supporters group, as is tradition at each season’s home finale, presented their Golden Crow award, given to the Crows player who, “most-demonstrates passion and commitment to Minneapolis City, representative of the Citizens’ own dedication to City’s players.”
Siefken, now finishing his second summer with the senior team, was 2024’s recipient.
“It means a lot,” Siefken said. “Playing at this club for four or five years — I can’t even remember, now — starting at the Futures program and watching the senior team, to get this award means a lot to me. I don’t think I’d ever see this day come where the Citizens would pick me. I didn’t even think I’d be playing on this [senior] team.
“It’s an exciting night for me. Like you said, talking about [2020 Golden Crow recipient] Jonah [Garcia], he was great, tonight. He was all over the field, in the midfield, and then he got dropped back as a defender. So, he was terrific. I’m very grateful for my teammates. That’s who the award really goes to.
“Morgan [Olson] and Joe [Highfield] have said stuff about this, too. The atmosphere makes me want to come back every year. You look forward to gameday just because of how exciting it is. How much support we have behind the team. And it’s fun just to have people watching and supporting you. It makes you want to play that game even 10-times harder, for them.”
