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More than a year after Minnesota won a Major League Soccer franchise, the actual entry date is official: Minnesota United FC will begin playing in the top league in March.


The Minnesota team's entry into MLS is contingent on a new stadium to be built just west of downtown St. Paul near the Green Line light rail line. 


Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber made an 

 to several thousand loudly cheering supporters at St. Paul's CHS Field Friday night. 


McGuire says the team will play the 2017 and at least part of the 2018 season at TCF Bank Stadium. He expects the 

 in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul will be completed sometime in 2018.

The club will also keep its name, despite 

 "United" team in the league, from Washington, D.C. and another, Atlanta United, joining in 2017 as well.


Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire said the numerous Uniteds was the subject of multiple conversations with Garber. 

 
"It went back and forth, here are the reasons why, here are the reasons not," McGuire said. "In the end, I think it was the passion of the fans who were really pretty vocal about why this makes sense."

Here's why we don't have Major League Soccer yet in Minnesota


Earlier this week, the St. Paul City Council approved two measures to allow the stadium and surrounding re-development of a large parcel near Snelling and University Avenues to move forward. But also this week, Gov. Mark Dayton said he would not call a special session to fix a tax bill with an unrelated wording error. The bill contained 

 that are an important part of the financing of the stadium.

Lifestyle

MPR News Staff

Author

Peter Cox

More than a year after Minnesota won a Major League Soccer franchise, the actual entry date is official: Minnesota United FC will begin playing in the top league in 2017.

MN United begins Major League Soccer games in March

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