Minneapolis City SC

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Minneapolis City SC.jpg
Full nameMinneapolis City Soccer Club
Nickname(s)The Crows[1]
Founded2016; 5 years ago (2016)
StadiumEdor Nelson Field, Augsburg University[2]
Capacity1,500[3]
ChairmanDan Hoedeman
Head coachMatt vanBenschoten
LeagueUSL League Two
2021 (NPSL)1st, North Conference
Playoffs: Regional final
WebsiteClub website

Minneapolis City SC (known informally as Mpls City SC or The Crows) is an American soccer club based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2016, the team plays in the USL League Two, a national league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, and are the reigning NPSL North Conference champions. The club won three NPSL North Conference championships (2018, 2019 and 2021). Their nickname is The Crows, coined by the club's supporters, which comes from the "Mega Murder" of crows that roost in Minneapolis.[4] In September 2021, the team announced that it would join USL League Two for the 2022 season.[5]

History[]

Founded in 2016 as an offshoot of Stegman's Soccer Club, team managing director Dan Hoedeman stated that his goal with the team is to re-create the local feeling of the Minnesota Thunder's early days. As such, every player is a Minnesota resident and the team is owned by "members" who make important decisions for the team, such as the league, colors, logo and budget.[6][7]

In their inaugural 2016 season in the Premier League of America,[8] the team finished at three wins, four draws and three losses, good for third place in the league's West Division.[9] Their first competitive game was a scoreless draw against Bavarian SC in Milwaukee.[10] The club's first goal was scored by Matthew Gweh in their first home match, a 2–1 win over Croatian Eagles at Les Barnard Field.[11]

That October, they would win their first qualifying match for the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating league-mates Oakland County FC by a score of 2–1 in extra time.[12]

In 2017 Minneapolis City SC announced it was joining the National Premier Soccer League. The team is a member of the North Conference in the Midwest Region[13]

With the win over Oakland County FC, Minneapolis City became the first amateur team from Minnesota to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup proper, but were disqualified from the tournament for switching leagues.[14]

In 2018, Minneapolis City SC clinched the NPSL North Conference title[15] while going undefeated in conference play, one of only five teams in the NPSL to remain unbeaten in the regular season. Additionally, the Crows were the top offensive team in the entire league with 46 goals scored.

They followed that up with the 2019 NPSL North Conference title. Interestingly, after beating Duluth FC 4–2 in the second-to-last match of the season to clinch the 2018 title, the Crows went to Duluth and beat them 4–2 in the second-to-last match of the season to clinch the 2019 title as well.[16]

Club culture[]

Called a "ramshackle, DIY soccer club" by The Growler, and not unfairly as the club has embraced that ethos both as a way to harken back to the original days of pro soccer in Minnesota and as a way to create a "people-driven alternative to corporate pro sports".[17][18]

Mural of Martin Browne by Kamp Seedorf

Minneapolis City launched a "throwback" style logo and kit before ever playing a game. The kit and logo were designed by designer Matthew Wolff, from Minneapolis, whose credits include the branding for Los Angeles FC, New York City FC, and others.[19]

In 2019, Dutch street art group was invited to Minneapolis to do murals of some of the club's players. It was the first time the Almere-Amsterdam collective had featured an American club or American players.[20]

Supporters[]

Minneapolis City is a well-supported club for the NPSL,[21] and the Citizens supporter's group is a large reason why.[22][23]

Known, especially in the North Conference, for being loud, for their tifo, and for humorous in-game heckling, The Citizens are a staple at Crows games.[24]

Affiliates[]

Stegman's Soccer Club is an amateur soccer club based in Minneapolis. The club fields five competitive amateur men's teams across the two major summer leagues in Minneapolis-St Paul: Stegman's 1977, Stegman's Old Boys, and Stegman's Athletic in the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League (MASL), Stegman's United and Stegman's Blues in the Minnesota Recreational Soccer League (MRSL), and various small-sided teams in various other leagues throughout the year.[25]

In 2021, Minneapolis City created the Minneapolis City Futures program, a supplementary training program for local players under the age of 20, to bridge the gap between youth and adult soccer in the area. [26]

Rivalries[]

The Green Line Derby was contested between Minneapolis City SC and Viejos son los Trapos FC. The two clubs played just 2.5 miles (4.0 km) apart and the name of the rivalry game was coined for the light rail line that connects the two cities.[27]

Another in-town rival for the Crows was Minnesota TwinStars, who played in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis before folding after the 2019 season. As with any local derby, the games were hotly contested and rife with chicanery and "technical difficulties".[28]

Matches between Minneapolis City SC and Duluth FC are also important to supporters and, typically, to the conference title race.[29] While Crows fans may care more about the local derbies, this remains an important match.

The Minneapolis-Milwaukee rivalry was renewed when Minneapolis City and Milwaukee Bavarians were in the PLA together.[30] This remains a top fixture for supporters, though it happens only irregularly now that the two clubs are in different leagues.

Honors[]

  • 2017 U.S. Open Cup qualifier
  • 2018 NPSL North Conference Champions
  • 2018 Minnesota Trophy Winners
  • 2019 NPSL North Conference Champions
  • 2020 U.S. Open Cup qualifier
  • 2021 U.S. Open Cup qualifier
  • 2021 NPSL North Conference Champions
  • 2021 NPSL Midwest Region runners-up
  • 2021 Minnesota Trophy Winners

Players[]

Roster[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad correct as of February 13, 2018.[31]

No. Pos. Player Nation
1 GK Matt Elder  United States
2 DF Aaron Olson  United States
3 DF Josue Boutouli  Togo
4 DF Jonah Garcia  United States
5 DF Myles Norville  Barbados
6 MF Aidan O'Driscoll  United States
7 FW Will Kidd  United States
8 MF Max Stiegwardt  Paraguay
9 FW Justin Oliver  United States
10 FW Matt Gibbons  United States
11 FW Mark Boquin  El Salvador
12 FW Jake Simons  United States
13 GK Troy Louwagie  United States
14 FW Nick Hutton  United States
15 MF Dominick Mesdjian  United States
16 MF Samuel Ruiz Plaza  Spain
17 FW Medo Youssef  Egypt
18 MF Javier Juarez  United States
19 DF Mike Riley  United States
20 MF Arthur Parens  United States
21 DF Abdallah Bah  Sierra Leone
22 DF Zuheer Al Abase  Iraq
23 DF Matt Murakami  United States
24 DF Jack Barry  United States
25 MF Charlie Adams  United States
26 FW Cole Schwartz  Indonesia
27 DF Wes Lorrens  United States
28 MF Franco Pretell  Peru

Notable players[]

Minneapolis City players who went on to play at professional level include Brandon Bye (New England Revolution), Luke Haakenson (Nashville SC), Miles Stockman-Willis (Vrigstad IF) and Andy Lorei (San Diego Sockers).

Additionally, former Minnesota United player Brian Kallman turned out for the Crows in the 2017 season.

Coaching staff[]

  • United States Matt vanBenschoten – NPSL head coach
  • United States Tori Burnett – NPSL assistant coach
  • United States Trai Chace – performance analyst
  • United States Michael Prunty – UPSL head coach
  • United States Kevin Lebahn – UPSL assistant coach
  • United States Joe Warren – goalkeeper coach
  • United States Derric Johnson – goalkeeper coach
  • United States Adam Pribyl – technical director

Statistics[]

Season-by-season[]

Season Division League Wins Draw Losses Regular season Playoffs Open Cup
2016 4 PLA (Western Conference) 3 4 3 3rd Did not qualify Did not enter
2017 4 NPSL (Midwest Region, North Conference) 8 1 5 3rd Did not qualify 1st Round, Disqualified[32]
2018 4 NPSL (Midwest Region, North Conference) 10 4 0 1st Regional semi-final 3rd qualifying round[33][34]
2019 4 NPSL (Midwest Region, North Conference) 9 1 2 1st Regional semi-final Did not enter
2020 4 NPSL (Midwest Region, North Conference) - - - cancelled cancelled Qualified, cancelled
2021 4 NPSL (Midwest Region, North Conference) 11 0 1 1st Regional final [35]

Historic record vs opponents[]

[36][37]

Opponent League Record

(W-D-L)

Open Cup Record

(W-D-L)

Friendly Record

(W-D-L)

Biggest

Victory

Biggest

Defeat

Aurora Borealis* 0-0-0 1–0–0 0-0-0 W 3–2 N/A
Cedar Rapids Rampage United* 0–1–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 N/A L 2-4
Carpathia FC 1–0–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 3-0 N/A
Cleveland SC 0–0–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 N/A L 0-2
Croatian Eagles 1–0–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 2-1 L 0-1
7–0–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 8-0 L 2-3
Des Moines Menace 0-0-0 0-0-0 0–0–1 N/A L 1-3
0-0-0 0-0-0 0–1–0 N/A N/A
Detroit City FC 0-0-1 0-0-0 0–0–0 N/A L 0-2
Duluth FC 4–2–3 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 6-1 L 1-2
FC Fargo* 0-0-0 0-0-0 1–0–0 W 6-0 N/A
FC Minneapolis 0-0-0 0-0-0 1–0–0 W 4-1 N/A
Joy Athletic Club 1–0–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 3-2 L 2-3
LaCrosse Aris FC 7–1–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 8-0 N/A
Madison 56ers* 1–1–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 3-2 N/A
Rochester Med City FC 6–1–2 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 2-0 L 1-2
Milwaukee Bavarians 0–1–1 0-0-0 0-0-0 N/A L 0-2
Minnesota TwinStars* 3–1–2 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 1-0 L 0-2
1–1–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 3-0 N/A
Nebraska Bugeaters 0–0–0 0-0-0 1-0-0 W 3-2 N/A
Oakland County FC 0-0-0 1–0–0 0-0-0 W 2-1 N/A
Rochester Lancers 0-0-0 0–0–1 0-0-0 N/A L 1-2
7–1–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 6-1 N/A
Union Dubuque FC 0–0–0 0-0-0 1-0-0 W 7-0 N/A
* 4–0–0 0-0-0 0-0-0 W 5-1 N/A
Total 41–10–14 2-0-1 4-1-1 W 8-0 L 0-2

*Team folded

References[]

  1. ^ "minneapolis City SC". Premier League of America. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  2. ^ "CITY MOVE TO THE WEST BANK".
  3. ^ "Minneapolis – City By Nature". Minneapolis Sports. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Thousands of crows roost nightly near downtown Mpls". February 4, 2014.
  5. ^ "Crows Join USL League Two for 2022 Season". mplscitysc.com. Minneapolis City SC. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Marthaler, Jon (February 12, 2016). "Soccer Insider: Minneapolis City seeks to fill the void left by United". Star Tribune.
  7. ^ "Punk Rock Soccer: An Interview With Dan Hoedeman of Minneapolis City SC". American Pyramid Blog. February 6, 2016.
  8. ^ "SSC Minneapolis City Joins PLA". pla-soccer.com. January 13, 2016. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  9. ^ "West Division – 2016". Premier League of America. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  10. ^ "Minneapolis City Draws in Debut: Bavarians 0, Crows 0". Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  11. ^ "Crows 2, Eagles 1: Minneapolis City Grinds Out Victory in Home Debut – FiftyFive.One". May 28, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  12. ^ "Minneapolis City 2, Oakland County 1: Crows Extra-Time Winners in Open Cup Debut – FiftyFive.One". October 23, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Minneapolis City SC Joins the NPSL" (Press release). National Premier Soccer League. December 14, 2016.
  14. ^ "Minneapolis City SC Disqualified From U.S. Open Cup – FiftyFive.One". February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  15. ^ "Soccer: Marthaler's Short Takes – Star Tribune". July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "Minneapolis City Hands Duluth FC 1st Home Loss". CBS Duluth. July 7, 2019.
  17. ^ "The 'ramshackle', DIY soccer club bringing a new sense of fun to the pitch". July 6, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "Why Players Pick Minneapolis City SC – FiftyFive.One". January 23, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  19. ^ "A Logo Design from Scratch: The L.A. Soccer Team's Mark – How Design". March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  20. ^ "Kamp Seedorf Are Coming". July 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  21. ^ Terada, Souichi (July 5, 2019). "Minneapolis City soccer club fills niche between college, pro levels". Star Tribune.
  22. ^ Norling, Ashle (May 13, 2017). "Meet Minneapolis City SC". .
  23. ^ "Taking Attendance: The NPSL". November 22, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  24. ^ "Northern Exposure: Minneapolis City Sc". May 8, 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  25. ^ "Old MASL website". Minnesota Amateur Soccer League.
  26. ^ "Futures". Minneapolis City SC - Uncorporate Soccer. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  27. ^ "Minneapolis City Win Green Line Derby". June 4, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  28. ^ "Technical Difficulties: And NPSL North Drama". May 22, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  29. ^ "BlueGreens Best Crows in Budding Rivalry". June 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  30. ^ "Punk Rock Soccer". May 14, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  31. ^ "The Team". Mpls City SC. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  32. ^ "Minneapolis City Out of U.S. Open Cup". Minneapolis City SC. February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  33. ^ Rueter, Jeff (May 24, 2018). "$10,000 flights and personal credit: How the US Open Cup cripples smaller clubs". The Guardian. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  34. ^ "Minneapolis City out of Open Cup as Stegman's fall to Rochester RiverDogz". FiftyFive.One. November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  35. ^ "Open Cup Committee Determines 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Will Not Be Held This Spring". U.S. Soccer Federation. April 16, 2021.
  36. ^ "Minneapolis City Schedule & Results". August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  37. ^ "Minneapolis City SC". August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.

External links[]

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