Match Recaps

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — In its previous game, against Chicago City Dutch Lions on May 30, Minneapolis City SC played its worst half of the 2025 season. And, in its worst overall performance, left Edor Nelson Field the 4-0 victor. Away to Sueno FC on Friday evening, the Crows turned in perhaps their strongest performance of the summer, on balance, but left the Land of Lincoln with no points following a frustrating 3-2 defeat.

“This is the best game we’ve played out of the four,” said Minneapolis head coach Justin Oliver, “and this is the one that we’ve lost. So, like, the game is not always fair. They took their chances inside the 18 and executed in critical moments. I don’t think that we did that well enough, so that is why they earned 3 points and we didn’t. I think our process and our performance was deserving of more. But when you don’t take those chances… and props to their keeper for some of those saves that he made.

“So, yes, definitely feel hard done. I think that based off of chance creation, shots on target, shots, corner kicks, set pieces — every statistical measurable that you can use — I think our performance today was really, really good. We just unfortunately did not take some of those chances that they did, and that’s why they’re on the winning side, and we are unfortunately-not, today.”

The game got off to a rocky start as Easton Bogard found space through the center of City’s defense and opened scoring in the 6th minute. Morgan Olson notched his first goal of the season, curling a shot off the far post and in to level the game in the 24th.

A counter led to a foul and a Sueno free kick just outside the penalty area. In the 34th minute, Michael Nesci would curl his set piece in to give Sueno its second lead of the evening. Nesci would double that lead with a back-post header after halftime, giving City a steep hill to climb in the match’s remaining half hour.

Second-half substitute Mizael Harris tallied his first assist of the campaign, feeding No. 9 (in both program and archetype) Preston Kipnusu for the latter’s third goal of the season.

For defender Jeffrey Richter, who grew up playing club soccer with Harris ahead of both enrolling at Augsburg College, when the pair were sent on in the 60th minute to bolster City’s right flank, it felt just like old times.

“It’s really nice, because I already have that chemistry built with [Harris]. I kind-of know his movements, where he wants me, where I want him,” said Richter. “So, it’s just nice to be able to sub in with Miz and connect with him, since we already have that chemistry built, and from prior to college as well, since we played club together for so many years.”

The combination put wind back in Minneapolis’ sails as it renewed course for a result. But in the remaining 20-plus minutes — emphasis on the plus, as a large running track and no ball kids led to a full seven-minutes of added time — City was ultimately unable to reach harbor, as no third goal arrived.

Close Calls

Credit goalkeeper Michael Mroz, who just finished his freshman year at the University of Evansville, for preserving Sueno’s victory.

In the final moments of the first half, University of Portland and City teammates Olson and Joe Highfield combined for a give and go that saw Highfield put laces through a well-struck shot… that Mroz did well to parry.

Kipnusu played a deft one-touch flick-on for his Drake Bulldogs and Crows teammate Jackson Kirsch. The latter lashed a close-range shot low… and Mroz got enough of the ball to pop it up and out of danger in the 66th minute.

Kirsch picked out Highfield for a powered-header from the edge of the 6-yard box in the 72nd minute… which forced Mroz to flash a top-hand save to parry the effort over the bar.

In addition to being thwarted by Mroz’s heroics, there were a number of other bouts of sustained attacking pressure that fizzled, as well as shots from dangerous areas that were not placed on frame by the Crows.

“I think we created some dangerous chances. We just need to finish them, just work on our final piece,” Richter said. “I thought we did well in possession. Did well competing, winning first and second balls. So, I think just finishing the final touch and working on that. I think we controlled the game in moments pretty well. So, yeah…”

Caught on the Front Foot

Whether directly, as with Sueno’s first goal, or as second-order events, such as the free kick that followed a foul earned in transition, the hosts carved their victory out of the counterattack.

“Possession-defending, when we have the ball, being disciplined, and making sure we know where they’re at so we don’t get countered is something we can definitely improve on,” said midfielder Ian Shaul, who was in the thick of the action, going the full 90 minutes on the night. “That is something that hurt us; was counters. We get a lot of guys forward, weren’t clinical, and suddenly they’re coming right back at us.”

For Oliver, that his Crows conceded first, and never held a lead on the night, bolstered the effectiveness of Sueno’s counterpunching.

“Something we’ll have to work on in training is making sure we have a better resting-slash-counter shape,” Oliver said. “This is where it’s tough. When you’re up, or the score is tied, it’s a lot easier to do that. Because, when you’re losing, and you have to be a little more aggressive, [get] numbers forward, that those kinds of moments are a little bit more risky. We’ve got to put numbers forward to try to equalize. So, then there’s going to be, naturally, more space, more bodies for them against less bodies for us.

“I would say a big thing is starting the game on the front foot and taking [our] chances. Again, goals change games. And if we would have taken some of those to equalize or even go up when it was there for us, the game state, I think, would have been a lot different.”

Race for the Heartland

With the exception Chicago City Dutch Lions, the Heartland Division’s remaining six teams are all in the thick of the hunt for the postseason. That Friday’s defeat for the Crows might at least have been a win — or at least a draw — if the soccer ball of fate had bounced a bit differently, is simultaneously aggravating and mildly encouraging.

“I felt like we had better chances than them,” said Shaul. “I felt like, different day, maybe a couple more fall for us, and that their three goals shouldn’t have happened. Those aren’t that dangerous and we should do better defensively. So, I think we clean those up a bit.”

Rochester FC has been this season’s surprise, riding a stout defense (only two goals conceded through four matches) to a perfect 4-0-0 record, while scoring a pair of goals against each opponent outside of hanging three on the Dutch Lions.

Just 2 points back of a post-season rung on the division ladder with eight games left to play, there’s still time for the Crows. But they’ll need to start stacking results to emerge from a crowded field. Up next is an away game against the Dutch Lions, which should help. Then, a pair of in-state matchups away to Rochester and home against cross-metro foes the St. Croix Legends.

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.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The scheduling fates were less than generous to Minneapolis City SC, handing the Crows a pair of the Heartland Division’s better clubs to start the summer. Aided by drawing a red card and a pair of penalties, the Crows scraped a 3-3 draw against RKC Third Coast at home in their season opener. To stay on level terms with the preseason favorites — while Justin Oliver and Tudor Flintham are still getting their team to gel — checks the box for acceptable result.

Thursday’s ask might have been tougher yet, travelling 400 miles to Aurora, Ill. before facing another formidable side in River Light FC. For the second match running, the Crows would concede in the dying moments of the first half. This time it was a header from Lights centerback Tomasz Slawek. But, unlike in that first match, it was the Crows who would score last to snatch a result.

Four minutes into stoppage time, attacking midfielder Jackson Kirsch zipped a 25-yard free kick into the near, bottom corner. A kickoff followed in deference to custom. But Kirsch’s was effectively the last kick of the game, stealing a point via a 1-1 scoreline. This after Kirsch’s collegiate teammate at Drake, forward Preston Kipnusu, had won the free kick.

Standing over the ball — evidently with ice water in his veins — Kirsch was conscious but unbothered by a sense of urgency that had reached its height.

“Just take a few deep breaths,” Kirsch said, “embrace the pressure of the moment. Kind of enjoy that maybe it is the last kick of the game. I had a chat with [fellow midfielder] Ian [Shaul]. We had an idea of what I should do with the free kick. And then… just go with it.”

It was Kirsch’s third set-piece goal in his first two games for City.

Shaul, the Notre Dame midfielder, pulled double-duty on the day, adding free-kick whisperer to playing the full 90-plus as the No. 8 for the Crows.

“The wall set up a bit inside, and it was too close to go up and over,” Kirsch noted. “So actually, it wasn’t my thought. Ian whispered to me, ‘Maybe under the wall?’ I was like, ‘Well, shoot. Yeah.’ I went for it; ending up going right under and around the wall, and it slid into the bottom corner. And then, we’re off to the corner to celebrate.”

City defender and fellow Bulldog Cole Schrage noted the lift Kirsch’s strike gave the team.

“It makes it a lot easier,” said Schrage. “That would have been a long six hours on the bus after losing that game.”

Schrage, for his own part, played a key role in a gritty defensive performance to help keep the game within reach for a moment of magic to salvage the night, earning Man of the Match honors.

“It’s pretty difficult,” said Schrage, on defending with the knowledge that another concession could mean defeat. “Just got to keep pushing. Can’t let them get another goal to seal off the game. Also, have to keep pushing forward as much as you can to try and find that tying goal.”

As it stands, the Crows have flapped and clawed to a pair of points against the Seagulls and Lights, which keeps them in fine position to compete for their first-ever League Two playoff berth. Pending reinforcements only add to the excitement around City’s chances, as midfielder Jake Swallen and forward Joe Highfield are expected to be available for selection against Chicago City Dutch Lions on May 30.

Earning the Right to Play

That the Lights scored at the end of a first half where they had the run of play is both incredibly frustrating — Oliver has oft spoken of the need to maintain focus and intensity at the start and finish of halves — and also, perhaps, karmically just. It could also be argued that the Crows were due a late goal of their own, after halftime adjustments produced an improved performance in the second half.

City did not muster many dangerous scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes, but Kipnusu, at center forward, remained a handful for opposing defenders. Both starting centerbacks for the Lights — first Vaughn Osga, then Slawek — earned first-half cautions for bringing Kipnusu down.

“[He] just frees the game up for us,” said Kirsch. “He’s such a hassle for them, that they gameplan for him and sometimes overlook players like me, Ian, Morgan [Olson] — the lads who are in that midfielder role — that can get underneath him. And, it just helps free us up.”

Expecting that the Lights would press his Crows high upfield, and having that confirmed from the opening kickoff, Oliver had his holding midfielder, Joey Tawah, drop into the back line in possession. Kirsch and Shaul also sat deep to try and create even numbers up top, as City looked to play direct to Kipnusu.

“You got to see that Preston turned both of their centerbacks and got them on early yellow cards, which was very big,” Oliver said. “Because of the threat we had shown by going to Preston, they kept their No. 6 free in the second half, which more-often gave us a clear plus-one, so we were able do a lot better in possession in the second half.”

Oliver, for the second-straight game, made use of Jared Hecht’s positional flexibility, moving the 6-foot-5 Gustavus alumni from centerback to forward, pairing him with Kipnusu up top after the break.

“Switching Jared up front at halftime, and having Preston and Jared up there, we were still a bit direct for the first five minutes,” said Kirsch. “They realized those lads up top were too big for them to keep going in an all-out press. After that, they dropped off, and we were able to keep our foot on it and keep the ball in their half, more.”

“Second half,” said Schrage, “we’re winning first and second balls. We’re winning up higher. We’re keeping it more in their half. I think that was the big difference.”

For Oliver, that change was part of the flow of the game.

“Sometimes you have to earn the right to play,” the head coach offered. “If a team is going to show that they will man-to-man press you — whether you have a three-two build, or a four-one build — you have to show them that you can threaten them behind, or with somebody up top that can cause them problems.”

Keeper Rotation

Jack Roach made his senior-team debut, replacing Daniel Sessler in goal to start the second half. It was a bit surprising given Sessler’s performance across the opening 45 minutes, having kept the game within a goal for the Crows. Thankfully, it wasn’t injury that prompted the change.

“I came into the game with the intention of wanting to give Daniel and Jack, both, a half,” said Oliver.

This, after Sessler’s heroics had denied the Lights on a five-on-two break.

“The kid cut in on his right foot, and Sessler made a huge, huge save,” said Oliver of the sequence. “[From the bench] we had the perfect angle to see how huge of a save it was. It was big time. And then, he made another great reaction save, close, as well.”

As unorthodox as the change was, Roach proved equal to the task and did not concede during his shift.

“[Roach] had the one threat that hit crossbar, that would have been a worldie had they scored on it,” Oliver said. “He did everything else really well, and it was comfortable for him. So, Jack went in and did what was needed after Sessler had two huge saves for us.”

Given the importance of the presumptive top-of-the-table tilt, rotating his netminders was a gamble that could have drawn some ire had it not come off well for Oliver. But the coach’s faith in Roach was well placed, and now the Crows head into the heart of their schedule with confidence in their entire keeper room.

Race for the Heartland

The Heartland Division regular season is not a marathon, but rather, a 12-game sprint. This season, we’ll be presenting the race for its two postseason berths in terms of points dropped. And, fear not, Crows fans. Results are there for the taking in City’s next five games.

MINNEAPOLIS — Perspectives on Minneapolis City SC’s season-opening, three-all draw are multiple. As to what it portends for the 2025 season for the Crows, hindsight will be needed to ultimately place it in proper context.

In four prior meetings, dating back to 2023, the Crows had lost each encounter with RKC Third Coast by a two-goal margin. Also, the Seagulls are the consensus preseason-favorite to win the reconstituted Heartland Division. City, having played to a 3-3 draw at Edor Nelson Field, earned its first-ever point off of RKC. Basic math establishes that this is improvement.

At halftime, the Crows were down 2-0 at home after conceding near-immediately in the second minute, and once again moments before the break in the 45th minute. Shaking off what can be extra-demoralizing goals given their timing, City fought back to earn a draw in the second half. This is a moral victory and something on which to build.

Holding a one-goal lead in the 80th minute, and with a man advantage at home, but giving up an equalizer so late, made the resulting tie feel like two points lost as opposed to one gained.

The challenge of pulling a team together for the first game or two of the League Two season is one that confronts every team. A majority of players are arriving in from their various colleges, and doing so staggered across a couple weeks. Justin Oliver and Tudor Flintham have only a few training sessions to try and establish a functional level of cohesion before their charges take the field in a competitive match. But this is no different than with what the Seagulls’ Gabriel Hall and Hayden Howard are tasked. Nor any other League Two coaching staff.

“We had four people that started, today, that had only been in one training session,” said Oliver. “And that was a pregame training session on Thursday.

“I think, today, you got to see good moments. Some bad moments. Some where I wish we could have ironed out some details and wrinkles, to be a little more on the same page. But all in all, a fine opening game.”

“The message I was giving the guys [at halftime],” said centerback Nick Kent, “was, ‘We’ve got to make sure we’re defending, still.’ We can’t just think that goals are coming. We’ve still got to defend. We’ve still got to worry about the next five minutes. But also, don’t drop back too much, you know. Keep the pressure on them.”

If you are a Crows fan — which is overwhelmingly-likely if you are reading this — then the hope is Sunday’s defensive lapses are easily ironed out on the practice field. Also, that the pending arrival of returning Crows Joe Highfield, Morgan Olson, Mizael Harris, Mitch Munzig, and Curtis Wagner — along with a number of new faces — bolsters a squad that just went toe-to-toe with one of the division’s best clubs.

The Details

2′ | 0-1: Edor Nelson’s east goal gets a lot of sun, beamed in from an acute angle, on most summer evenings. That light got the better of Crows keeper Nolan Meyer on a cross, which was spilled, and then backheeled in by Seagulls’ centerback John Wandschneider. The former First-Team All-State keeper from Andover, and redshirt-sophomore netminder at UW-Milwaukee, largely shook off the error and kept his composure over the remaining 88-plus minutes.

45′ | 0-2: A Crows turnover deep in their own defensive third saw RKC score in the dying moments of the first half. It allowed Bienvenu Djunga to welcome his teammate, Jaden Prado, onto the scoresheet. Djunga received the ball at the top of the penalty area, then tucked a pass in to Prado who had slipped in between City’s back line via a nice diagonal run. The pair looked dangerous all evening and proved so in combination.

“We kind of came in at halftime, and we said, ‘Alright, look, this game is going to be entirely different. So, the first half is borderline irrelevant, now, because we’re up a man,'” Oliver said. “We got to see a slight bit of how they were to look to defend [against] us, with that happening. So we made some very attacking minded subs, getting some more pace, size, athleticism up top. And some pure one-v-one dribblers out wide. And we just kind of talked about finding two-v-ones around the edges, or one-v-ones once delivering balls. And then when we could, to put balls behind the back line.”

Jared Hecht replaced Ondieki Maina as Minneapolis put a second forward up top. And Andrew Heckenlaible replaced Bernard Assibey-Rhule out wide. That Heckenlaible would go on to make an encouraging 45-minute debut for City was notable; the St. Lou U man had flown into Des Moines and driven over three-and-a-half hours, arriving shortly before warmups on Sunday. One could be forgiven for wondering what the winger is capable of with his legs fully underneath him.

46′ | 1-2: Defender Jonah Garcia lofted a long ball from midfield in the direction of forward Preston Kipnusu. The 6-foot-4 Drake freshman got a touch to the ball, which he shielded from Seagulls keeper Nicholas Diana. Diana in turn bodied Kipnusu, ceding a penalty. Kipnusu’s collegiate teammate, attacking midfielder Jackson Kirsch, slotted his penalty straight down the middle to get the Crows on the scoreboard.

50′ | 2-2: Kipnusu swung a cross in for Hecht which was cut out for a corner. Holding midfielder Joey Tawah curled an in-swinger onto Kipnusu’s head, which the latter drove down and into the back of the net.

“We did work [in practice] at like just driving at them [on corners],” Kipnusu noted. “And we knew that they were going to play like a zone. So we played it into that area, and it was actually a really good ball. And you’ve just got to attack it, and that’s what happened.”

74′ | 3-2: Centerback Nick Kent headed a ball clear of City’s defensive third, upfield for Hecht. The big forward made one deft touch to control the ball, and a second on the turn to play Kipnusu in on goal. For the second time on the evening, Diana took Kipnusu to ground and Kipnusu’s first touch took the ball around Diana. The keeper would earn a caution and again send City to the spot. Kirsch opted to snap a shot low and to the keeper’s right. Diana got a piece of the ball, but not enough to prevent the Crows from taking the lead.

80′ | 3-3: RKC worked the ball from one flank to the other, setting up a give-and-go between Nicholas Pendleton and Brett Perkins. The combination put Pendleton through a channel and the winger scored, near corner, to level the contest.

As an aside, Hecht looks to be an interesting player for the Crows this summer, in part because of the flexibility he offers. Fans may be familiar with the Gustavus graduate, having faced City as a member of the St. Croix Legends for the past two seasons, and has experience both as a centerback and forward.

Bringing Hecht on and leaving him up top, it was evident Oliver wanted to avoid sitting too deep with a man advantage. But ahead of the Seagulls’ third goal, that instinct took hold among a Crows side still building familiarity with one another. Given a bit of space inside the attacking third, RKC was able to salvage a point from a game it left having a number of its own errors to correct.

The Man Who Played an Entire Game in One Half Hour

Wandschneider, while blessed with a lengthy surname, did not spend a long time on the pitch in Minneapolis. Things began fortuitously as he opened scoring with an opportunistic poach seconds into the evening. The centerback would go on to have his hands full, tasked with marking the Man of the Match, Kipnusu.

One could admire the defender’s fearlessness, at minimum. After receiving a caution in the ninth minute for a professional foul on the striker, the Marquette freshman persisted in committing a further pair of fouls on Kipnusu, receiving subsequent warnings from the referee. Either might have gotten Wandschenider sent off. But only one kind of caution lay ahead, as neither Wandschneider nor Kipnusu were done with their entanglement just yet.

“Just gotta keep going,” Kipnusu said. “I know that guy’s gonna constantly beat at me, beat at me… Just do what I do. Control the controllables. And just keep attacking that player — especially when I knew he was on a yellow. I knew that if he’s on a yellow and he keeps fouling me, he’s gonna eventually get another yellow and get a red.”

That second yellow and red would come in just the 34th minute.

“And I don’t know what that guy was thinking when he kicked out at me, but he got a red,” Kipnusu noted. “[I] just gotta keep fighting at ’em.”

Kipnusu, for his part, won a pair of penalties for the Crows, and finished the day with two assists and a goal across 87 minutes. But it’s arguable whether anyone had as big an impact on the game as did Wandschneider on a per-minute basis.

Bulldogs Lead the Way

The aforementioned Kipnusu had a memorable debut. As too did Kirsch, who became the first Crow to score a brace on his debut.

“I’m super happy,” said Kirsch about scoring a pair of goals. “Got a bit lucky, Preston winning those pens for me. But, happy to contribute to the point. Although… we could have got three. But, [I’m] just happy to contribute.”

Joining his Drake teammates in the starting XI was sophomore defender Cole Schrage, who played the full 90 and looked more than up for the challenge of the League Two campaign.

That the trio chose to spend their summer as roommates in Woodbury and playing for the Crows is in part fruit borne from the appointment of new sporting director Casey Holm. The latter, in working with Oliver and Flintham to build a roster, hope an increased focus on cohesion between recruitment, system and style can see City qualify for the League Two postseason for the first time.

In terms of recruiting, the atmosphere at Edor Nelson doesn’t hurt, either.

“It’s insane,” Kipnusu said. “It’s one of the reasons I came here. [Also] the staff, the team — just amazing. I’ve loved it. Obviously disappointed because we couldn’t get the three points, today, but we’ll just move on and to the next one.”

by Ian Katan

ST. PAUL, Minn. — In the second edition of the Minnesota Super Cup, Twin Cities rivals Minneapolis City SC and St. Croix Legends battled for the chance to lift silverware. By a trio of unanswered goals, it was St. Croix who took home the trophy.

Though not all 22 players who walked out under the late-July sun may have been regulars in each side’s lineup — the return to college for many athletes having already begun — the two teams were far from unfamiliar opponents. Playing seven times over the last three summers, the two most recent results were split; the Legends beat City 3-0 in May, but the Crows bounced back with their own 2-0 win on July 14.

The pair had managed similar records in this season’s Super Cup, with two group-stage victories a piece. City beat Rochester FC 2-1, and Minnesota United MLS Next 5-1. Legends defeated Duluth FC 4-2, and Force FC 4-1. A meeting between two sides that had found their form in the tournament signaled an exciting matchup for lower-division soccer fans. 

And after one false start, it was finally time for the anticipated Oliver v. Oliver derby. City head coach Justin Oliver took charge of the Crows in May, while his twin brother, Tyler, is head coach of the Legends. Though the squads played a league match 11-days prior, with Tyler serving a League Two suspension for a red card, Thursday’s cup final was the first time this season that both brothers were on the touchline. 

“It will be another cool, unique experience for me getting to coach against my twin brother,” Justin Oliver said, after his side took down the Legends earlier this month. “It’s very special that, you know, we’re two of the three head coaches at the USL2 level in Minnesota. So I got a ton of respect for him.”

“They say it’s really tough to beat a team three times in one year,” Tyler Oliver said, during an interview at halftime of the July 14 match in Stillwater. “So maybe if City takes this one, we’ll take the Super Cup one.”

Unfortunately for fans of the Crows, Tyler Oliver’s prediction proved true.

In similar fashion to the recent meeting in Stillwater, the opening goal didn’t take long. But this time, it wasn’t in City’s favor. Thirteen minutes in, Nathan Donovan flicked on a long throw-in, and Ramzi Ouro’s glancing header found the far post.

Minneapolis and St. Croix traded blows, looking to nullify or extend the lead. Each let promising chances go untaken, before the Legends found another breakthrough. Goals on either side of halftime from Stu Sain (43’) and Asher Ozuzu (46’) sealed the game for St. Croix.

“Really, setpieces,” midfielder Joey Tawah reflected, on where the Legends gained their edge. “I mean if you look back, it was us that had control of the ball, control of the game, it was just those few moments where we switched off, and at this level if you do, you will get punished.”

“In the regular season, we put in a good performance like that, you can build off it cause we deserved more. But in the final, ultimately the biggest thing that matters is the result,” Justin Oliver said.

While City lacked goals, chances to score were still present. Eli Goldman, who ended as the Super Cup’s Golden Boot winner thanks to his hat-trick against MNUFC MLS Next, was denied his fourth goal of the tournament by a last-man clearance in the 67th minute. Sidike Jabateh and Henri Tophoven also tested Nolan Meyer in net, keeping up the form that saw City take the most shots of any side in the group stage. 

“I think it was really unlucky for us to not leave with a couple of goals,” Justin Oliver said. “We played well, which is kind of back to the theme of the season, it’s just our finishing touch and final ball just was not quite good enough.”

Beyond creating chances that, on another day, could have kept them in the game, City fought hard at the defensive end to stay in the contest. 2024 Golden Crow recipient Evan Siefken’s commanding performance shut down multiple Legends attempts to pull further away, and undeterred by fatigue late in the match, Zuheer Al Abase stayed sharp to deny former-Crow Clemente Arcuch Puig from point-blank range with an impressive block. Spirit, still present despite a frustrating result, was clear to see.

“In terms of how you control moments and control the game, everything was awesome for us. You don’t take solace in it, but I can at least take pride that if we put in that performance against them, more often than not, we’re gonna be the ones leaving with a win,” said Justin Oliver.

A further upside from the otherwise disappointing result was six Futures appearances throughout the night. Mitchel Munzing, Jordan Ross, Joseph Swallen, Asher Johnson, Tomas Menna, and Sam Kaeding all logged minutes after impressive seasons with the U-21s, in which they won the Midwest West division regular-season crown. 

“Sam Kaeding was massive, Tomas Menna was massive” said Justin Oliver, applauding the two Futures players who, making their first starts, stepped up with strong showings. 

“It feels really good, playing this whole summer with the U-21s, having a good season with them, and just to be rewarded for it,” Kaeding said. “This game didn’t go as planned, but we executed exactly what we wanted to do really well, just got unlucky with the score.”

A 3-0 loss to end the summer was at odds with a year in which Minneapolis battled through a mid-season coaching change and multiple rough-patches to a 7-8-0 overall record, its highest points total in League Two, and its first trip to a cup final. That improvement, for the Crows, hints at a club on the rise. 

“I think it’s been a year of growth for the club,” said Tawah, finishing his second season with City. “Tonight was not our night, but if you look at how we played tonight, it says a lot, ‘cause we, in my eyes, controlled the game, and it’s not a 3-nil game at all. It’s hard to swallow, but at the same time, there’s a big sense of pride because we have grown here, and tonight it showed.”

“Even though it’s a final and it hurts to lose it, we focus on the process and what we’ve done, and it’s all about the journey, not the end result,” said Justin Oliver. “If you want to judge it off whatever metric, I think that our last 12 games were a resounding success.”

Contributing to that success, as always, is the continued passion around the club. The Citizens flocked across the Mississippi to Macalester Stadium, and supported their team from the stands throughout the evening. Drums, chants, and flags provided energy and enthusiasm, regardless of the score.

“It’s a club that’s just building. We have great coaching staff, and we got better players every year. The chemistry is really good, and it’s fun to be a part of the club,” said Kaeding. “It’s very promising.”

“As I grew up watching City, it was a club that, I mean, we won, always. Most times coming to a game as a fan, you would expect us to win,” Tawah said. “The next step for us as a club, as players, is truly give our fans what they really deserve, which is a team that’s really fighting for them and showing what they mean to us because the support that this club has is unique and special.”

Justin Oliver’s perpetual focus on process had the coach turning his attention towards next season, postmatch, and already looking to use 2024 as a platform on which to build.  

“I definitely want to use this as the benchmark. The phrase that I like to use, instead of getting fixated on a point total at the end, it’s about our day-in-day-out process, and are we deserving of more, and hopefully we make that jump to earning more,” said Justin Oliver. 

“It’s all special. I have so much belief and positivity and optimism heading in towards what’s next,” he said. “I know if we have a little longer of a time together, a little more continuity in the squad, we can be pushing to be in the playoffs, we can be, hopefully, back competing for another Minnesota Cup final next year. The sky’s the limit, and we’re still just on an upward trajectory.”

Tawah concurred, adding, “Now it’s time to reflect and see what we can do better,” finished Tawah. “For me as a player, and for fans, I’m excited for the future.”

by Ian Katan

STILLWATER, Minn. — Crossmetro rivals Minneapolis City SC and St. Croix Legends squared off on a muggy Minnesotan evening, in a match filled with storylines. Most importantly, first-half goals from Henri Tophoven and Mizael Harris brought Minneapolis to 15 points, its most in a League Two season. 

With postseason qualification out of sight for both sides, attention was focused more on team accomplishments. The Legends, with a 2-2 draw in Thunder Bay on June 16, secured their highest points total in League Two. 

Looking to replicate that feat, City had equaled its own high-water mark with a recent 2-1 win over Thunder Bay. In 2022, two draws and a season-finale win collected 5 points. In 2023, three wins and three draws earned 12 points. Sitting on 12 points after four wins in 2024, any result against the Legends would mean City set a new USL season-best.

“I’m super, super happy with the 10 games that I got with them,” head coach Justin Oliver reflected on his first year in charge of the Crows. “[In League Two] 15 points is our best total, five wins is our best total, so we have a bunch of stuff that we’ve built off. I’m super proud of the guys because, again, they bought in right away, they were committed, everybody showing up doing the right thing, so massive kudos to them.”

In addition to aiming for club-high finishes, there were plenty of other factors at play. The Crows beat the Legends just once in six previous attempts — a 1-0 home win on July 15, 2022 — and were eager to get one back against their Twin Cities rivals. And beyond signaling the end of the league campaign, the match served as a preview of the upcoming Minnesota Super Cup final, also against St. Croix Legends. 

“Tonight […] they got to see some stuff that we would probably do against them. We got to see stuff that they would do to us,” Oliver said, looking ahead to the championship. But before the Crows and Legends face off for a chance at silverware on July 25, Sunday evening’s match needed to play out. 

In Stillwater, an in-form Henri Tophoven broke the cagey opening 16 minutes with his third goal in four games. Jameson Charles intercepted a long clearance and noticed Tophoven dropping into space between the lines. Finding himself under an unexpected lack of pressure, the German striker shifted the ball out of his feet and tried his luck from 28 yards. 

Legends goalkeeper Nolan Meyer sighted the attempt well, but Tophoven’s shot was dipping. Just in front of Meyer, the ball swerved down and caught enough turf to bounce over the diving gloves.

Ten minutes later, City’s night improved further. Boston University wingback Andrew Soczynski made a long run forward, and snapped a cross towards Eli Goldman. In similar fashion to City’s recent opener against Thunder Bay, Goldman opted not to take the chance himself, but teed it up unselfishly for strike-partner Mizael Harris. From eight yards, Harris powered a shot under Meyer for his second goal in as many matches. 

“I feel like it kind of just shows the perseverance of the whole team, you know, going through a coaching change midway through the season,” Soczynski said. “As you can see in our last couple of games, we kind of brought it together as a group, we stuck together and rolled through the season. […] And we were able to get some wins here at the end of the season, which is huge for our players, huge for the team.”

Down two, St. Croix nearly pulled one back moments later. Shea Bechtel, a face familiar to many City fans after his 2023 campaign in white and black, rattled the crossbar from close-range. Then on an attack just before the break, squeezed between a retreating defender and a well-positioned goalkeeper, Bechtel was forced to try for the far post, only missing narrowly. St. Croix’s best chances going untaken meant the Crows’ two-goal lead lasted to halftime.

As the stadium’s bleachers — which featured a respectable number of Citizens making the trek to the eastern suburbs— cast more and more valuable shade across the turf in the second period, St. Croix kept up their attack. Nathan Donovan ripped multiple shots at City’s net in the minutes after play restarted. The striker would have converted, if not for another standout night from Evan Siefken in net. 

“Evan Siefken made some really big saves for us, again. There’s a reason he was the Golden Crow this year, just being so big time, so consistent, so steady,” Oliver said. 

“Evan Siefken played outrageous today,” defender Max Kent put it, more succinctly.

A 56th-minute red card for former Crow Luca Contestabile gave Minneapolis a man-advantage in addition to their two goals, though it didn’t mean smooth sailing was in the forecast. 

“Honestly, when we went up a man, I think we actually started to play worse. We were worse on the ball, we didn’t compete as hard,” Oliver said. “We just didn’t really punish them when we went up a man. I think that was just due to a mentality switch. Part of that is on me for not being more clear with instructions of ‘Do we want to play more now that we’re up a man, or do we still want to continue to attack?’”

In City’s home opener earlier this summer, St. Croix beat Minneapolis by three unanswered goals. Though the Crows may not have put out their most comprehensive performance on Sunday, the fact that it was City with the advantage was a clear indication of progress made since that defeat.

“Big thing for us is, I think, that it gave us some momentum and belief that, you know, losing to them 3-0 at our place last time, and coming back here and winning 2-0,” Oliver said, looking back on the previous meeting. “It just, again, goes hand in hand where we’ve now played everybody tight in the league, and can go toe-to-toe with anybody.”

“We also had a system that we’ve played for now, what, eight or nine games?” Kent said. “So we’ve had time under this coaching staff, we’ve really all agreed upon what our roles are and it’s, I think, a whole different team than that first time around.”

Though unable to find a game-sealing third goal, City battled through the 90-degree weather to earn their fourth clean-sheet of the year, and secured the points that carried them to their best-ever League Two finish. 

“I feel like the heat was obviously a factor. We felt it in the warmups right away. But I feel like we were able to stick with it, continue to work hard,” said Soczynski. “We were just on tonight. We found that early goal. We were able to keep believing, were able to keep fighting. We fought for each other.”

“It’s gonna look like an interesting team that we play in the Cup final, given the number of guys who are either going back to school or have conflicts,” said Kent, looking ahead to when the two sides will meet again, eleven days later. “But, look, the fact of the matter is we have a really good system here. Justin, Tudor [Flintham], have got a really good, solid idea of how to put this team together. They know the opponent, so we know we can beat them. We have the tools to beat them.”

“I think a lot of what we need to do goes into what we did today. It goes into our preparation, how we prepare for matches, how we train our mentality leading into these games,” Soczynski said.

While the Super Cup final lingers on the horizon, the group shared a moment to admire and appreciate the progress made by their team. 

“The club is just awesome. It’s special. I love being in charge and doing it with Tudor, and I’m super proud of the guys, and I’m super proud of the USL2 season,” said Oliver, assessing the importance of setting a new club-best. “I think it’s just getting City back to the level that it belongs, and deserves to be at. It’s one of the best-ran clubs, regardless of level. There’s so much passion and energy and belief from the people who run the club, the fans, the players, all of it.”

“I completely agree with Justin. I was glad to get the 15 points in the season. It shows massive growth in the team, especially given, you know, the start we had,” Kent said. “Of course, we always look for more. This club isn’t bound for 15 point seasons. That’s not our standard.”

“But really glad with the development of players, and the team, and you know, we’re now playing soccer we can be proud of. I’m happy that we got the results, happy that we finished higher than last season. But of course, hopefully, it can get people excited for what’s to come in the future.”

Making Kent’s reflections on the season and hope for the future more impactful was the fact that the shutout and victory were the last acts of his accomplished career. 

“It was obviously sad to think that tonight’s the last night,” said Kent, reflecting on a list of accolades that includes All-MIAC awards at Macalester College, being named a team captain at Syracuse University, and spending six years with the Crows. “Soccer is a gift. I said this at the end of the game, but it was actually something that I heard when I first got to City. It was something that guys ahead of me always would say or, you know, people in the front office would always say.”

“It was Max’s last game of the season. We knew that. We had to leave it all out there today. And that’s what we did,” Soczynski said, of playing for his fellow defensemen.

“I just kind of came here tonight with the attitude of just being super grateful,” Kent said. “Obviously it’s been a long, nice career and I feel happy that I had the pleasure of playing here one more season. But you know, I’m excited for what’s to come with all these guys.”

“At the end of the day, City finds a way to win, and that’s the standard,” he finished. “So I’m just happy that I finished my career playing the way that City plays, and that is winning at all costs.”

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.”

by Ian Katan

MINNEAPOLIS — With two matches remaining in what has been a challenging League Two season, Minneapolis City SC turned its sights towards a separate competition, and found its biggest win of the year. 

The final group-stage game of the Minnesota Super Cup brought Minnesota United FC’s MLS Next team to Edor Nelson Field. Both Minneapolis and Minnesota beat Rochester FC in their first of two group games, City 2-1 and United 1-0. That slight difference in goals scored meant that the Crows would qualify for the Super Cup final with a win or a draw, and the Lil’ Loons would only advance with a win. 

“For those that aren’t as familiar with the Minnesota soccer community, that Lil’ Loons team is good,” City head coach Justin Oliver said. “They went to the Minnesota Cup final last year, they beat us at home last year.”

After losing to the MNUFC MLS Next team in last year’s inaugural Super Cup match, the Crows bounced back in their second group stage game by beating Duluth FC 3-1 and qualifying for the competition’s semifinals. Their tournament run ended there, as a 3-2 loss to eventual champion Med City FC was the final match of City’s season. This year, motivation is high to go out on a happier note. 

Standing in their way, though, MNUFC’s Academy were far from an easy opponent. The Lil’ Loons managed a 4th-place finish in the MLS Next Mid-America Division and a trip to the MLS Next Playoffs last month. But knowing the quality within its squad, Minneapolis was still confident. 

“Obviously we have a lot of great players on the team, but there was something that is not clicking,” Crows forward Steevie Lamarre said, looking back on recent performances that weren’t always rewarded with attacking returns. 

“When the dam breaks, when the luck starts to break for them,” City founder Dan Hoedeman foreshadowed on live commentary as the match kicked off, “we’ve got a team that can really go on a tear.”

On Sunday evening, the dam didn’t last long. 

Less than a minute in, a high-press on a short goal kick meant City was already within yards of the United net when it forced a turnover. A bobbled pass allowed forward Eli Goldman to pounce before it reached the intended target. With his first touch of the game, Goldman slammed the Crows into a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish for the remaining 89 minutes. 

Taking just 50 seconds, Goldman’s finish was Minneapolis’ fastest ever. 

For a team that has struggled to find the back of the net,— at one point going three games without scoring — the Crows’ early advantage served as a reminder of what they’re capable. 

“If you focus on your process over an extended period of time, that is going to win out at some point,” head coach Justin Oliver said following the match. “We felt like we were creating good looks in a bunch of our games, and we weren’t taking our chances. Today, we did.”

Bolstered by an immediate lead, City wasted little time taking control of the evening’s proceedings. Goldman, along with Sidike Jabateh, Henri Tophoven, Bernard Assibey-Rhule, and Mizael Harris, gave United defenders headaches with tireless forward runs. The Crows took advantage of the Loons’ high line, using well-weighted balls over the top to fashion at least seven notable-chances in the first half; any of which might have doubled their lead. 

“Playing, like, one, two, three-touches, trying to be quick, and then just combining well,” Tophoven said postgame, about what went well for his side offensively. “We are really making a lot of runs from each other, depending on each other, so it’s gone really well these last two games.”

Deserving applause for preventing those chances, however, was MNUFC shotstopper Oliver Kelly. Multiple close-range saves frustrated City’s frontline, who would have expected to see the net ripple after creating so many favorable opportunities.

Despite Kelly’s heroics, the volume of chances  proved too great to keep the game within a single goal. After being foiled by the keeper on breakaways, crosses, one-on-ones, and headers, Minneapolis widened the scoreline with the penultimate  kick of the first half. Jabateh, who had asked questions of Minnesota’s backline all half with his strength and eye for a quick shot, picked up the ball 40 yards out and broke towards the net. 

From the top of the penalty arc, Jabateh unleashed a strike that turned Kelly into a spectator as it found the bottom corner. His second of the season would prove to be the game winner, the second Super Cup match in which Jabateh netted the decisive goal. 

“Honestly, I think that’s the biggest point. We had so many more shots these two games than throughout the season,” Tophoven said. “I think that really helped us being able to score more goals, and being very effective on top.”

A dominant first-half was a fitting show for the Crows’ largest home crowd of the season, drawn by the local opposition and good weather. Going into halftime, the characteristic drumming, chanting, and colorful flags and flares of the Citizens were on full display.

“Oh my gosh, I love our fans,” Lamarre said after the full-time whistle. “It’s awesome, you know, I have a lot of my U-9 boys that I coach that came to the game, they’re always asking me for advice and everything. Having them there to play in front of them and everything is such a great feeling.”

Though United made halftime changes, both Citizens and Crows kept their energy high in the second period. Seven minutes after the restart, a long throw-in from Curtis Wagner found its way to the back post via a flicked header. A patient Tophoven waited as the ball dropped onto his foot, before bouncing a half-volley over Kelly’s stretching arms and into a three-goal lead. 

“It was a pity that I had to miss so many games throughout the season, would’ve loved to take part of it,” Tophoven said. An injury had kept the German forward out for much of the 2024 campaign, but the Tophoven has returned with two goals in two games. “It’s great just to be back on the field with the boys and contributing to the wins.”

Tophoven wasn’t satisfied with just one goal contribution, though. In the 65th minute, he slid a clever pass through United’s backline for his strike partner Goldman to run onto. Undeterred by Kelly’s interventions on a number of his first-half efforts, Goldman made his next chance count. The ball was in the back of the net before the keeper could react.

After a tiring match spent mostly on the back foot, the Lil’ Loons deserved credit for fighting onwards despite the lopsided scoreline. Dominick Vargas sent a close shot over Evan Siefken’s crossbar a few minutes after Goldman’s double, and John Farris found the far corner for a consolation goal four minutes into second-half stoppage time. 

Though Farris’ finish brought a thin silver lining to United fans in attendance, by the time he scored, City had already extended their lead to five. Seconds into extra time, Lamarre flicked a pass over his marker towards the wide-open Goldman, who didn’t wait for the ball to land before lashing his third of the night past Kelly.

Goldman’s haul made him the first Crow to score two hat-tricks (after his trio of goals in a 5-3 loss to RKC Third Coast last May), and moved him to within two of Will Kidd’s 19-goal career tally, City’s all-time leader. 

“Eli Goldman finishing with three today was awesome,” Oliver credited his forward. “He’s one of our catalysts going forward.”

The Minneapolitan cake would have been iced even more sweetly had any more of the Crows’ 20 total shots managed to find the net, but 5-1 was a plenty decadent scoreline. The last time City managed such a large result was a 5-1 victory over La Crosse Aris on June 18, 2022. 

“I was so happy with the performance today,” Oliver said. “We’ve been knocking on the door, and today, we just kind of kicked through it.”

“One thing about this group that I love is that it doesn’t matter if we have two or three games left, we’re gonna finish it through,” Steevie Lamarre said, emphasizing the importance of the commanding victory. “We’re gonna keep on playing, even if things don’t go our way. We’re gonna play until the last minute, so to get the result we got tonight, I’m happy.”

“It just boosts the morale a little bit more for the end of the season. We obviously want to finish out good, and now with the opportunity to win a trophy at the end of the season, that would be amazing,” said Tophoven. 

The final hurdle between City and the Super Cup trophy is fellow League Two side St. Croix Legends, an opponent not unfamiliar for Oliver.

“I’m excited for it. It’s funny, cause again, that’s a club that I got love for. I played for it from 14 and on, I still coach youth soccer there, my twin brother is the head coach of the team, so it is going to be a bunch of interesting dynamics,” the head coach smiled. “I’ve been joking with the guys like, ‘Man, if you guys love me at all, I know you guys will help us get 3 points or win a trophy over them so I got some bragging rights over him.’”

Before the Oliver vs. Oliver championship can take place in late July, two more regular-season games must be played, including a final league match against St. Croix. With athletes beginning to leave Minneapolis and return to their collegiate teams, City will have to rely on their depth to find results. 

“It’s a next-man-up mentality,” Oliver said of the remaining few matches. “We’ve had different people step up into bigger opportunities. Even in our last game, we had three Futures players travel with us to round out the roster. People know that if you are available, you are committed, you are bought in, at some point you will have that opportunity.”

“Right now, the whole team is focused on the next game, the final against the Legends,” Lamarre said. “We’re gonna win it. We’re gonna win it. That’s what we’re gonna do differently this year, we’re gonna win it.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Playing away, against the Deep North’s first-place club, was never going to be the easiest of matches for Minneapolis City. But the Crows — thanks to second-half brace from Steevie Lamarre — took their first-ever point off the Chill in last summer’s visit to Thunder Bay. And on June 5, at Edor Nelson field, the Crows grabbed their first win in the series. Recent history suggested a result was possible.

On Saturday evening, things started poorly. The Chill, thanks to goals from Tyler Attardo and Diego Reveco, lead 2-0 by the 21st minute. To say the Crows did not find their footing, early, would be apt, with a pair of slips from center backs Max and Nick Kent aiding Thunder Bay in finding the net for the two aforementioned scores.

Minneapolis would rally, however. Making his first start, forward Henri Tophoven drew a corner from a shot on target. It was taken short, but led to a second, proper, and with the latter, Eli Goldman picked out the head of Nick Kent, who buried his shot for his second goal of the League Two season.

Aside from a couple unfortunate moments, City had been playing well. Now, they were back in the game, trailing by a single goal. At least for the next three minutes.

Attardo scored his second of the evening, this time from a corner of his own, as if replicating Nick Kent’s in order to wipe it away, and restore the hosts’ two-goal margin for error. It would prove, in increasingly-frustrating fashion, the eventual game-winner.

Not that the Chill failed to continue to create chances of their own on into the second half — including an Attardo breakaway that keeper Daniel Sessler managed to pressure ahead of the forward sending it just wide of the far post — but the combination of effort and near misses from the Murder made for a maddening final 45 minutes.

“At halftime, we went into the locker room feeling good about our performance, and unlucky, based on where the scoreline was,” said Oliver. “I said, ‘Guys, we’re going to go out there and win the second half.’ Unfortunately, their keeper made some great stops.”

Josha Moya saved a close-range effort from Tophoven in the 55th, and a Goldman penalty-kick in the 59th. Nick Kent was denied a second headed-goal through the combined efforts of Moya and the crossbar in the 67th. Two minutes later, Sam Jordan would pick up his second caution of the match in spite of not entering until the second half, to give Minneapolis a man-advantage for the stretch run.

Futures products Jordan Ross, Sam Kaeding and Joseph Swallen provided fresh legs off the bench. City continued to push for a result.

“They all did really, really well,” Oliver said. “Even with some [senior team] players heading back to school, early, I still feel like we went down with a really strong lineup. Jordy did well playing a bit of striker and did even better we we isolated him out wide, as a right-mid, for the last 20-or-so minutes, with some good one-v-one moments. Joe came in for Adam Senna when we went up a man — trying to take off a defender to get one more midfielder higher-up — worked hard, competed, and did a good job of connecting and playing simple.

“And Sam, they knew he was one of the younger players getting call up. They tried to isolate their striker against him when they would go long. Sam did a great job of competing against them, winning firsts and collecting seconds.”

The 90th minute arrived, and hope was kept on life support with the announcement of six minutes of added time.

Nick Kent sent a header just wide in the 93rd. A moment later, Thunder Bay were called for handling inside their 18-yard box. Tophoven, leaving Moya no chance, roofed his penalty kick to score his first for the Crows, and bring the game within a single goal.

“Henri getting back to match fitness is a big boost. He was so, so good in the game, and obviously left with a goal” said Oliver. “Did a great job and was just super dangerous. He’s a player where, you don’t quite realize how much you missed him until he’s finally playing, and puts in a performance like he did, tonight.”

Sessler came up for a pair of corners in the dying moments. The second was played out for a City throw-in. Play continued into the 97th minute. The ball was worked into a crowd, inside Thunder Bay’s penalty area. From there, a clearance was skied into the air, and before the ball could bound off the pitch, the final whistle, finally, was blown.

Several Crows collapsed to ground to rest for a count; part of a beat that’s been drumming on for a few games. Chances created… goals unscored… deserved more for our effort… but results earned by finishing.

“It sounds crazy to say, but I would be so much more worried if the chances weren’t coming,” Oliver reflected. “It’s just a little-bit unlucky. You’ve heard, ‘goals change games’. They’ve got Tyler Attardo, who is now on 10 goals in their League Two season. That, right there, will put you over the top.

“We were down 2-0 within 20 minutes and we were probably outshooting them eight-to-three, or nine-to-four, and had more shots on target, and had four-to-five corner kicks to their two. But they were clinical, and ruthless in their moments.”

The summer has landed, for a club previously accustomed to success, as another in search of it; a quest both for small victories amid defeat, as well as for the path back to winning.

City are still in contention for silverware, via the Minnesota Super Cup, and win or a draw at home on Sunday, against the Minnesota United U-19s, sees the Crows through to the final. There is also qualification for next year’s Super Cup still to play for, as Minneapolis looks to keep its 3-point lead over Rochester FC as each head into their final pair of League Two games of 2024.

“Sunday, we’re fielding a very strong lineup against the Little Loons,” noted Oliver. “I’m putting a big emphasis on us being able to compete for a trophy. So, we’re going to come out and play for a win on Sunday, while I still know that if we tie it gets us through to play the Super Cup final at the end of the season.”