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Summer of Soccer: Writing History | Minnesota United FC

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4 months ago

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Summer of Soccer: Writing History | Minnesota United FC


The first two international soccer tournaments of the summer came to a close yesterday, and I’m not sure how to feel about it yet. It’s bittersweet, because seeing the finals is always the most exhilarating part, but when I woke up this morning knowing that there’d be no international soccer to watch, I shed a single tear while staring at my reflection in the television screen.

Now I have to actually WORK while I’m at work instead of doing “research”? No, that can’t be right. I’ll extend the tournament fun a bit longer for all of us; let’s go through both competitions and talk about the knockout stage, key takeaways, and my favorite things from each one. Then, we can all go back to the real world until the Olympics start up to distract us once more.

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Euros: Está Volviendo a Casa

The last time we checked in on the Euros, I said Germany and Austria would play each other in the final. HA! That did not happen. Not even close, though I feel like Germany would’ve made the final if they didn’t have to play Spain in the quarterfinals. Tough draw!

In fact, the entire lower half of the bracket was a tough draw. If you’d bet on five of the eight teams in that half of the bracket to win the entire tournament before it got started, I wouldn’t have thought you were crazy. Spain, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, and France all had to go through one another to make the final, and it’s no surprise that iron sharpened iron and produced the tournament champions, La Furia Roja, who claimed their record fourth title.

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This was a new-look Spanish side, with youngsters Nico Williams (22) and Lamine Yamal (turned 17 the day before the final) grabbing headlines for more than just their youthfulness. Where once the world was dazzled by Tiki Taka and the fluid exploits of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets, we now see the field marshaling of Rodri providing a base from which Yamal and Williams can use their speed and attacking quality to wreak havoc on even the world’s most organized defense. The Spaniards weren’t playing the exact style that made so many fall in love with them in 2010, but I’d say this new version of it will win a few admirers in its own right.

As for the runners-up, I can’t say I’m surprised. I enjoy poking fun at England’s failures, but jokes aside, this is an extremely talented squad that has experienced unprecedented disappointment in recent times. Losing consecutive Euro finals is ludicrous, but when you throw in their fourth-place finish in the 2018 World Cup, it begins to feel like some force is working against the Brits. We saw flashes of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham’s skill, but a sometimes uninspired, haphazard tournament from the Three Lions kept Southgate’s men from finally jumping that final hurdle and left Harry Kane trophyless once more.

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Beyond the final, there were plenty of stories worth mentioning. It was a tournament that emphasized collective achievement and performance over the individual, and while Rodri ended up winning player of the tournament, it could easily have gone to any number of players on the winning side. Turkey played fantastic soccer, showing that they could very well be at the start of a golden era for their national team, and Arda Guler might be the man to lead it. Georgia acquitted themselves well in their first-ever Euros appearance, making the Spanish sweat in their Round of 16 matchup when they went up first, courtesy of the tournament’s leading goal scorer (own goal).

We saw some legends say farewell, including the German pair of Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller, France’s Olivier Giroud, and Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen, all three of whom have either retired completely or stepped away from international soccer. Likewise, we may have seen the likes of Luka Modric, Xherdan Shaqiri, and (maybe) the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo play their final minutes at major international tournaments. Only time will tell which of yesterday’s stars will be a part of tomorrow’s stories, but for now, let’s just appreciate that we had the chance to watch such immensely talented individuals.

In many ways, this Euro was a changing of the guard, as every iteration is to some degree. Guler (19), Yamal (17), Bellingham (21), and Germany’s Jamal Musiala (21) look to be the cream that will lead the next crop of soccer superstars, with several other names worthy of mention showing their stuff in Germany over the last month. What great players, what a tournament, what a game. Truly beautiful.

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Copa América: The GOAT Gets Another One

For anyone that watched both the Euros and the Copa América, it was clear that there are stylistic differences across the Pacific Ocean. Where the European teams tended to follow a distinct style of play, the American teams threw in more flair, along with some extra grit and showmanship that, in my opinion, either made the games more exciting or killed off any recognizable rhythm.

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I was much closer on my predictions for the Copa América than I was for the Euros, so cut me some slack. I thought Uruguay would fall to Argentina in the final, and though Colombia replaced Bielsa’s men for the silver medal, I got the champions spot on. Not the hardest prediction to make, but hey, it’s honest work.

The champions played with a swagger that comes from having been there and done that, making it three major tournament wins in a row. The aura of Lionel Messi was arguably more effective than the man himself at this edition of Copa América, as Lautaro Martinez ended up being the star man for La Albiceleste when he was given the chance. They were tasked with beating a stubborn Canada side twice in the same tournament, as well as a youthful, exciting Ecuador side that we’ll likely be hearing from in the future. All in all, it wasn’t Argentina’s most entertaining performance at a tournament, but dang was it an effective and efficient way to claim their 16th (!!) Copa América.

Before we move on to my miscellaneous favorites from the competition, I need to give Colombia their flowers. The heroic performance of James Rodriguez (Copa América record 6 assists) made me feel like a teenager watching the 2014 World Cup all over again, and I fell in love with Los Cafeteros all over again. Luis Diaz was electric as always, and the soccer their team was playing this month was mesmerizing more often than not. They fell flat in the final, but what a display. Bravo, Colombia.

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Final aside, it was an exciting tournament throughout. We witnessed the maturation of a new Uruguayan generation, and we discovered that Brazil’s next superstars aren’t quite ready to shoulder the burden of the Canary Yellow. I was surprised to see Panama and Canada separate themselves as the best two Concacaf teams in the tournament by far, and while I still think the USA and Mexico have more quality, they certainly didn’t show the spirit and fight that their fellow confederation members did.

On a particularly bright note, Loons Tani Oluwaseyi and Dayne St. Clair performed very admirably in Canada’s third-place match, proving to be valuable assets in the Canadian men’s national team setup. If I were a betting man, I’d say additional call ups are in their futures. Well done, lads, and well done to Jesse Marsch for leading the Maple Leafs to fourth-place in their first-ever Copa América.

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The group-stage exit of the USMNT proved to be the straw that broke Gregg Berhalter’s job security, and though I may be in the minority that’s sad to see him go, I am choosing to be excited for whomever is chosen to replace him. I’ve already talked about the state of US Soccer enough, but I’ll add this: let’s be patient and supportive as we continue to build a better tomorrow for American soccer. It’s going to get better; trust me.

From the tactical masterclass of the Euros to the passion-filled slugfest of the Copa América, we’ve been treated to a fantastic month of international soccer. It was exhilarating and frustrating at times, pulling me in and making me care about people from places I’ve never been and may never go. I rode the highs of the Georgian underdogs and felt the lows of the Colombians that fell at the final challenge. I learned about new cultures, participated in the joys of competition, and felt closer to the world around me.

As always, these tournaments ended up being far too short for my liking. I can’t wait for the 2028 editions of both of these tournaments, but first, let’s enjoy this summer’s Olympics. Then, start preparing yourself for World Cup 2026! We’ve got so much to look forward to in this awe-inspiring sport over the next few years, and I can barely contain my excitement.

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Minnesota Politicians Form Presidential Recommendations Committee

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42 mins ago

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November 24, 2024

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Minnesota Politicians Form Presidential Recommendations Committee


WASHINTON D.C. (WJON News) — Four Minnesota politicians have formed a committee to recommend candidates to President Donald Trump.

Congressmen Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, Brad Finstad, and Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach announced the formation of the committee to help recommend candidates for U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshal, and other vacancies that may come up in Minnesota.

Stefan Zaklin, Getty Images

The lawmakers say the committee’s members are some of the sharpest legal minds in Minnesota and they have a wealth of experience and expertise. The committee will be chaired by former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Barry Anderson. The full committee will be:

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Barry Anderson (Chair), former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice
David Asp, Partner at Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP
John Hinderaker, President of the Center of the American Experiment
Allie Howell, Trial, and Appellate Counsel at the Upper Midwest Law Center
Tad Jude, a former judge in Minnesota’s Tenth Judicial District

Anna Rose Layden, Getty Images





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Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings Week 12 Game Day Preview

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9 hours ago

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November 24, 2024

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Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings Week 12 Game Day Preview


Minnesota Vikings (8-2) at Chicago Bears (4-6)

Kickoff: Noon, Sunday

Where: Soldier Field, Chicago

TV: Fox (Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin)

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Radio: ESPN AM-1000 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Jason McKie)

Spanish Radio: Latino Mix 93.5 FM (Omar Ramos, Miguel Esparza)

The Line: Vikings by 3 1/2, over/under 39 1/2 (Fan Duel).

Chicago Bears On SI Pick: Vikings 23, Bears 8

The Series: The teams meet for the 126th time. The Vikings hold a 66-58-2 series lead. The Bears have lost five of the last six even though they won the last game 12-10 at Minnesota. They are 33-27-2 at home in the series.

The Coaches: Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell owns a 28-17 record in his third season. He is 3-1 against the Bears and 14-8 on the road overall.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus owns a 14-30 record in his third season and a 1-3 mark against Minnesota. The Bears have an 11-12 record in home games under Eberflus.

The Teams: The Bears come off their second walk-off shocker of the season, losing to Green Bay on a blocked Cairo Santos 46-yard field goal try, 20-19, for their fourth straight defeat. They now try to stop Minnesota (8-2), a team surging in second in the NFC North with a three-game winning streak behind QB Sam Darnold and WR Justin Jefferson. They just beat Tennesee 23-13. It’s Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams trying to handle the blitzing scheme of Vikings coordinator Brian Flores and the potent Vikings offense attack a Bears defense reeling a bit after allowing Green Bay’s go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter last week.   

Stat Leaders:  Vikings QB Sam Darnold is 199 of 293 (67.9%) with 2,387 yards, 19 TDs and 10 interceptions for a passer rating of 100.0. The Vikings are led in rushing by RB Aaron Jones, the former Packers back, with 692 yards on 157 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and two TDs. WR Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings in catches (59), receiving yards (912) and TDs (5).  …  LB Ivan Pace leads the Vikings defense in tackles with 59 while OLB Andrew Van Ginkel leads in tackles for loss with a league-high 13 and in sacks with 8.0. S Camryn Bynum has a team-high three interceptions.

For the Bear, QB Caleb Williams is 201 for 325 (61.8%) with nine TDs and five interceptions for a passer rating of 82.5. D’Andre Swift leads the Bears in rushing with 635 yards on 155 atempts and his five rushing TDs is tied with Roschon Johnson for the team lead. WR DJ Moore leads the Bears in receptions with 47 and is tied with Cole Kmet for TD receptions with three. WR Rome Odunze leads in receiving yards with 479. … LB TJ Edwards leads in tackles with 78 and is tied with Montez Sweat for the lead in tackles for loss with five. Gervon Dexter leads in sacks with 4.0 while CB Jaylon Johnson has the lead in interceptions with two.

Injury Report: For the Vikings, TE Josh Oliver (wrist) is out. DL Gabriel Murphy (knee) and TE Nick Muse (hand) are questionable.

For the Bears, G Ryan Bates (concussion) and S Elijah Hicks (ankle) are out. WR Keenan Allen (ankle), T Kiran Amegadjie (calf) and RB D’Andre Swift (groin) are questionable.

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Matching Up: The Vikings are 15th on offense, 13th in passing and 19th in rushing. They are 10th in scoring. Minnesota’s defense is ranked 10th, 28th against the pass and first against the run. They are fourth in points allowed.

The Bears are 29th on offense, 30th passing and 22nd at rushing. They are 22nd in points scored. Chicago’s defense ranks 14th overall, ninth against the pass and 23rd against the run. They are seventh in points allowed.

Of Note:  Williams has not thrown an interception in 146 attempts. … Williams has been sacked a league-high total of 41 times and the Vikings are third in sacks with 35. … The Bears rank No. 1 in red zone defense (40.6%). … Minnesota is plus-4 in turnover differential and the Bears plus-9, but the Vikings are 24-2 under O’Connell in games when they win or are even in turnovers. … Darnold’s total of 19 TD passes is a career high. …  The Bears are 3-1 when they lead at halftime and 1-5 when they trail at halftime. … Matt Eberflus has a 2-8 record for his career in replay challenges including 0-3 this season. …  Opponents have scored first in every single Bears game. … The Bears will have their starting offensive line intact for the first time since Oct. 27 against Washington. They had played together five straight games at that point. … The Vikings defense has two TD returns on interceptions (Van Ginkel) and one fumble return for a TD. … Minnesota is 8-0 this season when it outrushes the opponent. … Darnold is tied for second in passes of 25 yards or more with 24, trailing only Brock Purdy. … Jefferson leads the NFL with 17 catches of 20 yards or more.

BEARS AND VIKINGS FANTASY FOOTBALL FAVORITES AND NFL WEEK 12 PICKS

BEARS AND VIKINGS: WHO WINS AND WHY

REPORT: NO APOLOGY FOR BEARS FROM LEAGUE ON PACKER’ LEGAL BLOCKED KICK

DID JAYLON JOHNSON GET ENOUGH RESPECT FROM JUSTIN JEFFERSON?

Key Individual Matchups

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson vs. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

There can be little doubt the Bears will put Johnson on Jefferson as much as possible. Johnson has a 65.3 passer rating against and has allowed 57.1% completions (20 of 35) when targeted. He has two interceptions and has allowed no TD passes this year, and three over the last three years after he gave up 10 his first two seasons.  Jefferson has had 81 receiving yards or more in eight games but his yards per game of 91.2 is the lowest it’s been since his rookie season. When targeting Jefferson, QBs have an impressive passer rating of 103.4, but it’s the lowest passer rating when targeted of his career. 

Bears DE Montez Sweat vs. Vikings RT Brian O’Neill

O’Neill has given up one sack this season and is graded the eight-best tackle out of 77 Pro Football Focus rates. He’s rated the eighth best pass blocker and 13th best run blocker among tackles on either side and has been flagged for four penalties, twice for holding, once for a false start and once for illegal formation.  Sweat has been having a difficult time registering sacks since the month of November. He still has 3 ½ sacks and made them all over the course of four straight games.   He has 14 pressures according to Stathead/Pro Football Reference and is well off the pace of last year when he had 40 for the season.

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Bears WR DJ Moore vs. Vikings CB Stephon Gilmore

The 34-year-old, 13-year veteran cornerback for Minnesota is a five-time Pro Bowl player and former defensive player of the year with the Patriots. He is with his sixth team and fifth in five seasons and is posting a solid 85.7 passer rating against with 61.7% completions allowed. He has given up two TDs. Moore is coming off his best game in terms of catches since Week 3 at Indianapolis. He had seven catches for 62 yards, is at 47 catches on 73 targets (64.4%) but is at a career low for average yardage (9.8 per catch). He came into the season averaging more than 14 yards a catch.  

Bears DT Gervon Dexter vs. Vikings LG Blake Brandel

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Brandel is graded 48th of 77 guards by PFF and wasn’t necessarily the intended starter. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder has been a better pass blocker than run blocker. He’s graded 45th as a run blocker, 34th as a pass blocker. He might not have been starting but Dalton Risner suffered a back injury in training camp and was on IR until early November. Dexter’s ranking as one of the best defensive tackles in pass rush win rate has declined now and he’s 20th after spending most of the season in the top 10. He has gone five straight games without a sack, although he has already broken his rookie mark for QB hits with 14 and tied his rookie mark of 17 pressures. Dexter, who is supposed to be a disruptor in this scheme as a 3-technique, hasn’t had a tackle for loss since the Sept. 29 win over the Rams  and has just three on the year. He replaced Justin Jones this year after the free agent had 22 TFLs in two seasons.

Bears RT Darnell Wright vs. Vikings OLB Andrew Van Ginkel

The 6-4, 242-pound Van Ginkel won’t necessarily rush off the Bears’ right edge all the time. They move him around almost as a wild-card rusher. Sometimes he lines up on the edge and stunts to the middle. He’s always applying pressure from different positions, much the way the Packers did with Clay Matthews. However, it’s usually a starting point over Wright. Van Ginkel’s speed and knowledge of defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitzing system make him dangerous, and he has eight sacks with two interceptions. Both went for TD returns.  Wright   is graded 25th best tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus, but as been a better run blocker than pass blocker. He is ninth in run block win rate among all tackles according to ESPN.

Bears LB Tremaine Edmunds vs. Vikings TE TJ Hockenson

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The problem with trying to shut down Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison with zones, like the Bears use, is it often leaves the middle linebacker trying to cover a wider area and the tight end can be open. Edmunds has gradually slid down the linebacker ranking charts after a fast start and is 66th on PFF’s grading out of 82 linebackers.  By Stathead stats, he is having a very solid year defending the pass with a 65.1 passer rating against, very low for a linebacker. He’s been generally less effective against the run. Hockensen will be in his fourth game post-knee surgery and appears ready to make strides. He’ll get used in the seams and underneath the coverage. He has 13 catches for 112 yards in three games. Tight ends have hit the Bears pass defense with some bigger numbers this year, so expect he’ll get looks.

-Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

-If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

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NCAA Division II and III football playoffs: Minnesota State Mankato stuns Augustana in final minutes

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18 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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NCAA Division II and III football playoffs: Minnesota State Mankato stuns Augustana in final minutes


Matthew Jaeger kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired as Minnesota State Mankato scored 10 points in the final three minutes to rally for a 20-19 victory over Augustana on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Mavericks had lost to NSIC rival Augustana three times in the past two seasons. It looked glum again Saturday as the Vikings took a 19-10 lead with 3 minutes, 11 seconds remaining on Jake Pecina’s fourth field goal of the game.

Minnesota State started its next possession at its 12-yard line but drove 88 yards in seven plays, capped by Grant Guyett’s 33-yard TD catch from Hayden Ekern and Jaeger’s PAT to pull within 19-17 with 1:35 to play.

The Mavericks’ Lorenzo Jones then recovered an onside kick near midfield. On third-and-4 from the Vikings 39-yard line, Ekern ran 16 yards for a first down at the Vikings 23 with 21 seconds to go. The Mavericks reached the 17-yard line before Jaeger’s final kick.

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Ekern passed for 175 yards and two TDs for the Mavericks, who lost to Augustana 34-16 on Oct. 26 in Mankato.

Richard Agyekum and Joey Goettl each had interceptions which led to 10 points for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks (9-3) will play at Colorado State Pueblo, which had a first-round bye, next week.

Bemidji State 24, Angelo State 14: Connor Carver’s 59-yard TD run with just over two minutes remaining and Isaiah John’s interception with 51 seconds remaining helped the Beavers earn a first-round victory in San Angelo, Texas.



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