After big Minnesota United win, is Minnesota a 'soccer state?'
Minnesota United midfielder Emanuel Reynoso reacts after scoring against Real Salt Lake during the first half of an MLS soccer match June 24 in Sandy, Utah.
Rick Bowmer | AP
If you happened to be at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Sunday, you heard fans singing “Wonderwall” in unison. That’s the sound of a Minnesota United win.
The Loons beat Mexican team Club Puebla Sunday night, 4-0. Emanuel Reynoso scored the last point, a free kick, in the game’s 65th minute.
Andy Greder covers the team for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He talked with MPR News guest host Emily Bright about the team’s success, the Minnesota Aurora’s equally strong season and rising star power in Major League Soccer.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
EMILY BRIGHT: If you happen to be at Allianz Field in Saint Paul last night probably heard something like this.
CROWD: (SINGING) I said maybe you're going to be the one that saves me. And after all, you're my wonderwall.
And that is the sound of a Minnesota United win with fans singing "Wonderwall" in unison. The Loons beat Mexican team club Puebla last night 4-0. Emanuel Reynoso scored the last point, a free kick in the game's 65th minute. Andy Greder covers the team for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and he is on the line. Welcome to Minnesota Now, Andy.
ANDY GREDER: Thanks for having me on, Emily.
EMILY BRIGHT: So what a game last night. One player was ejected early on. The team still managed to win in a shutout. Is that a testament to the team's strength this year, do you think?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. They've had kind of an up and down year. They have been struggling for most of the season. But their best player, the guy you mentioned, Emanuel Reynoso, he's back. He's in the starting lineup and he's been scoring wonderful goals since he's come back. And they've also added Teemu Pukki, a high-priced Finnish player who's played in the top levels in England and they feel like those two guys can change the level and get this team back into the MLS Cup playoffs for a fifth straight year. They're the only team in the Western Conference to do it four years in a row and they want to keep that streak alive.
What's interesting about last night, it was the first competitive international game that Minnesota United has ever played. There's a new tournament called The Leagues Cup, and it's all the teams from Major League Soccer in the US and in Canada in a tournament against Mexico's Liga MX. And so it was a unique environment for them to play a Mexican team in a competitive environment. And they were thrilled to be able to come out with such a resounding win.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. You know, we have a clip of Reynoso making that last free kick of the game.
SPEAKER: Left footed. Curling delivery in. Another moment of magic for Emanuel Reynoso. Joining Hlongwane with the brace. And it continues to fall apart for Puebla.
EMILY BRIGHT: Alas, we don't have the sound of anyone shouting goal for like 30 seconds. But for folks who miss the game, what were some of the high points for you?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, for sure. That Emanuel Reynoso free kick made a lot of jaws drop at Allianz Field just because of the audacity to shoot from well outside the 18-yard box to go for goal. Usually that's a spot where you try to put it in front of goal and have a teammate headed into the net. So to take it all on yourself was just an incredible effort.
And it really reminded me of Lionel Messi, the Argentine World Cup winner who just joined Inter Miami and is arguably the greatest player of all time. He had a free kick outside of the box in Miami on Friday night in the last kick of the game to win it for them. And Reynoso is also from Argentina, and he was trying to follow in Messi's footsteps.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. I wanted to mention that. So is the US on its way to becoming a so-called soccer country? Are we already there?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. It's difficult to say that we're already there. You know, Allianz Field is typically a sold out environment. Obviously Minnesota Aurora has had enormous success in their first two years. So as far as attendance goes this is a great market for soccer. Now, when it comes to TV viewership and clicks on newspaper websites it still lacks behind the four major sports in the US.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Minnesota Aurora they ended their regular season with a perfect record. So clearly two strong programs here for Minnesota and a lot of love for them.
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, for sure. I think what's great about it is you see fans embrace the fact that this is a sport that does things differently, that sings songs during games, that bangs drums during games, and kind of has a unique soccer culture where they will wear scarves on 90 degree days and wave them over their head during corner kicks. So it's a unique environment. It's a unique landscape. You don't see other US teams playing clubs from other countries. So it's a unique environment to be able to see the fact that it's not just a monolithic kind of one country, this is the way that it's done in sports. It's really a global game.
EMILY BRIGHT: I love that this was an international competition. So what's up next for Minnesota United this season?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. So they'll continue playing in Leagues Cup. They play Chicago Fire, which is a fellow MLS team on Thursday at Allianz Field. And if they get a good result there and Chicago versus Puebla next Monday goes in Minnesota United's favor, then they'll advance to the knockout rounds of this tournament. And Puebla has been struggling this season. But if they get to the knockout rounds there could be a team like Club America, which is one of the giants in Mexican soccer in Mexico City. Really the New York Yankees of that league. They might be awaiting Minnesota in the next round and that would be a real true test for the Loons.
EMILY BRIGHT: Oh, that'll be some fun soccer to watch. Say, where are the Loons ranking in the league?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, you know, I think they're just outside of the playoffs. I think they're in 10th or 11th right now. So they have some ground to make up. They haven't played as many games as the rest of their competition in the West. And they, like I said, they have some of their best players back and playing well. So they feel like they can go on a streak and make up the ground and make the playoffs come October.
EMILY BRIGHT: And are you going to be watching the Women's World Cup too? Have you been watching that?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, absolutely. I was at Brit's Pub with my wife on Friday night. And it was the first game of the tournament for the US. They were heavy favorites against Vietnam, but it was a great atmosphere. It wasn't-- the lawn wasn't fully packed, but it was nearly so. And there was a lot of festive red, white, and blue at that game.
And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the US does this year. They are trying to win their third straight World Cup. And the competition has been closing in on them. There's a lot of European teams that feel like they've narrowed the gap. So the US is the juggernaut, but there are some up and comers that are trying to dethrone them.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, Andy, thanks so much for talking soccer with me.
ANDY GREDER: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on.
EMILY BRIGHT: Thank you. Andy Greder is a sports reporter for The Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
CROWD: (SINGING) I said maybe you're going to be the one that saves me. And after all, you're my wonderwall.
And that is the sound of a Minnesota United win with fans singing "Wonderwall" in unison. The Loons beat Mexican team club Puebla last night 4-0. Emanuel Reynoso scored the last point, a free kick in the game's 65th minute. Andy Greder covers the team for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and he is on the line. Welcome to Minnesota Now, Andy.
ANDY GREDER: Thanks for having me on, Emily.
EMILY BRIGHT: So what a game last night. One player was ejected early on. The team still managed to win in a shutout. Is that a testament to the team's strength this year, do you think?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. They've had kind of an up and down year. They have been struggling for most of the season. But their best player, the guy you mentioned, Emanuel Reynoso, he's back. He's in the starting lineup and he's been scoring wonderful goals since he's come back. And they've also added Teemu Pukki, a high-priced Finnish player who's played in the top levels in England and they feel like those two guys can change the level and get this team back into the MLS Cup playoffs for a fifth straight year. They're the only team in the Western Conference to do it four years in a row and they want to keep that streak alive.
What's interesting about last night, it was the first competitive international game that Minnesota United has ever played. There's a new tournament called The Leagues Cup, and it's all the teams from Major League Soccer in the US and in Canada in a tournament against Mexico's Liga MX. And so it was a unique environment for them to play a Mexican team in a competitive environment. And they were thrilled to be able to come out with such a resounding win.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. You know, we have a clip of Reynoso making that last free kick of the game.
SPEAKER: Left footed. Curling delivery in. Another moment of magic for Emanuel Reynoso. Joining Hlongwane with the brace. And it continues to fall apart for Puebla.
EMILY BRIGHT: Alas, we don't have the sound of anyone shouting goal for like 30 seconds. But for folks who miss the game, what were some of the high points for you?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, for sure. That Emanuel Reynoso free kick made a lot of jaws drop at Allianz Field just because of the audacity to shoot from well outside the 18-yard box to go for goal. Usually that's a spot where you try to put it in front of goal and have a teammate headed into the net. So to take it all on yourself was just an incredible effort.
And it really reminded me of Lionel Messi, the Argentine World Cup winner who just joined Inter Miami and is arguably the greatest player of all time. He had a free kick outside of the box in Miami on Friday night in the last kick of the game to win it for them. And Reynoso is also from Argentina, and he was trying to follow in Messi's footsteps.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. I wanted to mention that. So is the US on its way to becoming a so-called soccer country? Are we already there?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. It's difficult to say that we're already there. You know, Allianz Field is typically a sold out environment. Obviously Minnesota Aurora has had enormous success in their first two years. So as far as attendance goes this is a great market for soccer. Now, when it comes to TV viewership and clicks on newspaper websites it still lacks behind the four major sports in the US.
EMILY BRIGHT: Yeah. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Minnesota Aurora they ended their regular season with a perfect record. So clearly two strong programs here for Minnesota and a lot of love for them.
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, for sure. I think what's great about it is you see fans embrace the fact that this is a sport that does things differently, that sings songs during games, that bangs drums during games, and kind of has a unique soccer culture where they will wear scarves on 90 degree days and wave them over their head during corner kicks. So it's a unique environment. It's a unique landscape. You don't see other US teams playing clubs from other countries. So it's a unique environment to be able to see the fact that it's not just a monolithic kind of one country, this is the way that it's done in sports. It's really a global game.
EMILY BRIGHT: I love that this was an international competition. So what's up next for Minnesota United this season?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah. So they'll continue playing in Leagues Cup. They play Chicago Fire, which is a fellow MLS team on Thursday at Allianz Field. And if they get a good result there and Chicago versus Puebla next Monday goes in Minnesota United's favor, then they'll advance to the knockout rounds of this tournament. And Puebla has been struggling this season. But if they get to the knockout rounds there could be a team like Club America, which is one of the giants in Mexican soccer in Mexico City. Really the New York Yankees of that league. They might be awaiting Minnesota in the next round and that would be a real true test for the Loons.
EMILY BRIGHT: Oh, that'll be some fun soccer to watch. Say, where are the Loons ranking in the league?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, you know, I think they're just outside of the playoffs. I think they're in 10th or 11th right now. So they have some ground to make up. They haven't played as many games as the rest of their competition in the West. And they, like I said, they have some of their best players back and playing well. So they feel like they can go on a streak and make up the ground and make the playoffs come October.
EMILY BRIGHT: And are you going to be watching the Women's World Cup too? Have you been watching that?
ANDY GREDER: Yeah, absolutely. I was at Brit's Pub with my wife on Friday night. And it was the first game of the tournament for the US. They were heavy favorites against Vietnam, but it was a great atmosphere. It wasn't-- the lawn wasn't fully packed, but it was nearly so. And there was a lot of festive red, white, and blue at that game.
And yeah, it'll be interesting to see how the US does this year. They are trying to win their third straight World Cup. And the competition has been closing in on them. There's a lot of European teams that feel like they've narrowed the gap. So the US is the juggernaut, but there are some up and comers that are trying to dethrone them.
EMILY BRIGHT: Well, Andy, thanks so much for talking soccer with me.
ANDY GREDER: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on.
EMILY BRIGHT: Thank you. Andy Greder is a sports reporter for The Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
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