MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis City SC hosted undefeated St. Paul Blackhawks in Minnesota Super Cup group-stage play on Friday evening. Thanks to Crows chances gone begging, and a fantastic 88th-minute equalizer from Bethel forward Jordan Ross, the match ended in a 3-3 tie.
Things began in promising fashion. Augsburg defender Jeffrey Richter pounced on a second-rebound to score his first senior-team goal for the Crows, and did so in just the 6th minute. Two minutes later, Kasdan Blattman would first-touch a Johanso Camacho cross to even the score. The dynamic exchange foreshadowed the remainder of the evening’s events.
As the game unfolded, the visitors were content to sit deep and concede the balance of possession. Fielding a notably-quick lineup, the approach flattered the Blackhawks’ strengths.
“They have quality attacking players,” said City head coach Justin Oliver. “When they were very committed to team defending, putting numbers behind the ball, which is a perfectly fine thing to do, then they hit out in the transition, again, through quality players. And that’s a good recipe to get a result, at any level, but especially at this end; narrow pitch, getting six players pushed up against the back line, making it tough on us.”
The two teams went into halftime tied at 1-1, before the Blackhawks took their only lead of the night in the 65th minute. Christopher Franz squared a pass for Jared Garcia, and the midfielder’s far upper-corner finish warranted a goal.
After a pair of concessions from barely as many dangerous scoring chances allowed, City was now chasing the game, late, against a side that had done well to defend crosses, sit deep and counter.
“It changes the way that we have to go about it,” said Oliver. “We have to be more risky. We have to put more numbers forward. We have to have our center backs do more risky-things, with driving on the ball and trying to attract, and do different things. Versus, you know, if we go up, now we can swing the ball, they have to come out to us, and again, the game state changes. So, that that’s frustrating.”
Enter Joe Highfield, to the rescue, having subbed on only moments before Garcia’s goal.
“[Oliver] didn’t say much to Morgan [Olson] or I,” recalled Highfield about his instructions upon entering the game. “Just kind of let us do our thing. And he trusts us, so we know that, and we’re confident in ourselves.”
A courageous bit of play from winger Shea Bechtel, putting his body on the line to win a penalty off of Macalester keeper Drew Moseman, sent Highfield to the spot in the 69th minute. And though the netminder went with Highfield’s shot, the near-perfect bottom-corner placement left Moseman little chance.
Highfield would notch a brace in the 75th minute, putting a cultured side-foot to a pass from winger Bernard Assibey-Rhule. It might not even be fitting to call Highfield’s effort a strike, given its calm efficacy owed to placement more than power.
A 79th minute cross from Highfield picked out the toe of forward Tomas Menna, and was blocked, out for a corner; one of a number of near-goals that hadn’t materialized for the Crows. And, with Minneapolis failing to have put the game out of reach, Ross pulled it level.
“Jordan Ross, every time he plays against me at St. Olaf, he bags goals,” said Oliver. “He’s got three-in-three whenever I’m coaching, so maybe I’m just bad juju with him.”
In the 88th, adjusting to a cross played behind him, Ross pulled off a looping bicycle kick from just inside the Crows’ penalty area to equalize. And, hats off to the former Futures player. It was a spectacular effort.
City would create a few more chances across five minutes of added time. Two corners. A low-driven shot from Adam Senna that found its way through traffic. A Highfield knockdown just out of the reach of Andrew Heckenlaible. A cross from Assibey-Rhule that skipped inches in front of Heckenlaibe, catching Highfield on the stretch, which was lifted just over an open net.
But the final whistle came, before a fourth Minneapolis goal.
“They took their chances really well. Really good finishes, to be fair,” said Highfield. “But we got a lot, as well; a lot of the ball, a lot of chances. For sure, everyone feels a little hard-done by the result. But that’s soccer.”
The Knife’s Edge
The draw was City’s second in cup play, and fourth in seven total matches this summer. What’s more, the Crows have had only a single result decided by more than a one-goal margin.
Minneapolis still has all for which to play. It is the likely second-seed from Group 1 in the Minnesota Super Cup semifinals. And, currently, the Crows sit in third place in League Two’s Heartland Division, just two points back of a playoff spot with a game in hand.
But it’s been a stressful ride, to-date, with the narrowest margins for error; Jackson Kirsch’s last-minute equalizer away to River Light FC; Otis Anderson’s last-minute equalizer against Minnesota United MLS Next; Sueno FC keeper Michael Mroz’s heroics sealing City’s only loss of the year.
“It’s the same old song and dance, I feel like, again, today,” exhaled Oliver. “I thought we created enough chances, did enough things to win. Even with that said, we are also having to come back from behind, yet again.
“Our season is just kind of on like a knife’s edge. I think that we legitimately have a real case to have five wins, two draws, and no losses. And on the flip side, we could also have two wins, two draws, and three losses. Like that’s how tight our margins are right now. I keep feeling like we’re doing enough to win matches, but what I told the boys is we’re not executing in critical moments.”
The Kids Are Alright
A pair of recently-graduated high school seniors made their first starts for City’s first-team, in midfielder Ronan Selbo and winger Elijah Fearing. The latter had played a key role, off the bench, in City’s come-from-behind victory at Chicago City Dutch Lions on Wednesday, winning the game-tying penalty. The former stole the show against the Blackhawks.
“First of all, Ronan was fantastic,” said Highfield. “I thought, in the 60 minutes he played, he was fantastic. He won every duel, I think. I mean, I think he should have been Man of the Match, probably, to be honest. Elijah was great. He won a couple one-v-ones, got a couple balls in the box. And, super promising futures here at City and in college.”
Oliver, too, praised both teenagers in his postgame, and noted that it is unlikely he would have taken Selbo off in the second half, had the latter not already picked up a yellow card for an intelligent tactical foul.
“It’s a great fan section, so super exciting,” said Selbo, of playing in front of City fans. “Love to compete. Everyone here wants starts, wants minutes, everything they can get. So, glad to get an opportunity to start for the first time, and keep moving and working, from there.”
Announced a day prior to the game, Selbo, who played at Washburn, was named the 2024-25 Minnesota Boys Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year. During his postgame, he was asked if the recognition was expected, or a surprise.
“It was always probably going to be me or Elijah, my teammate at [Minnesota Thunder Academy], and here,” said Selbo, of Fearing. “It’s an honor, of course, and super happy about it.”
In kind with the aforementioned award’s selection committee, Oliver, too, is high on the pair.
“I’ve been very pleased with the two high school boys stepping into bigger roles for us.”
Super Cupdate
A pair of ties for City, with both the Blackhawks and MNUFC MLS Next left to face one another, means that the Crows will most-likely finish second in Group 1, which would be good enough for a berth into the semifinals. But, progression is not guaranteed. Here are the relevant scenarios and outcomes based on the result of the upcoming group-stage match on Thursday, June 19:
- Blackhawks defeat United — Blackhawks finish first in group, City finishes second, and Lil’ Loons are eliminated.
- United defeats Blackhawks — Lil’ Loons finish first in group, City finishes second, and Blackhawks are eliminated.
- Blackhawks and United Draw With 4 or Fewer Total Goals Scored — City finishes first in group, Blackhawks finish second, and Lil’ Loons are eliminated based on the goals-for tiebreaker.
- Blackhawks and United Draw With 8 or More Total Goals Scored — Blackhawks finish first in group, United finish second, and City is eliminated based on the goals-for tiebreaker.
- Blackhawks and United Draw With 6 Total Goals Scored — Blackhawks finish first in group, and we’re going to have to get back to you on what tiebreaker is used if City and the Lil’ Loons finish tied on points, goals-for and goals-against.
Whichever team does end up finishing first in Group 1 will get the benefit of hosting the second-place team from Group 2 in the semifinals. Whereas whichever team finishes second will have to go on the road to face the winner of Group 2.
