MINNEAPOLIS — The top-two Heartland Division teams collided on Saturday evening at Edor Nelson Field, when 4-1-0 Sueno FC squared off against a Minneapolis City SC side that had earned 12 points from its first-four games. The Dreamers were looking to avenge a pair of losses from their last two meetings with the Crows; a division-title clinching 4-2 loss at Edor Nelson Field, and a 2-0 exit from the 2025 postseason in Des Moines.

Back were Sueno’s two dangerous wide-forwards, Easton Bogard and Michael Nesci — also Hoosier teammates at Indiana. But familiar faces in Jake Swallen, Daniel Sessler and Shea Bechtel in the hosts’ starting XI were joined by offseason additions that have added to what is arguably the deepest roster in City’s 10-year history.

“So for them, we knew from the beginning, they’re incredible running behind,” said Crows head coach Jon Forsythe. “Nesci, I have known since he was 15-16, whatever. He understands how to time the run so well. Bogart, the same. Like, they’re complete attackers. They can pop up on the right, on the left, wherever, and they can influence the game so much. So, yeah, for me, a master class, all three guys in the back did so well.”

“Something I try to hammer down to Islam [Houssni], especially,” said centerback Jason Ramos, “I try to tell him, ‘Always defend, even while we’re attacking, because we’ve always got to try to be in a good spot incase we lose it, at any moment, and then be able to react from there,’ you know? But I think we did a good job today, not just the back line, but everybody in the front, midfield, we all did good defensively.”

It was a first half where Minneapolis held the majority of field tilt and possession, punctuated by a 21st-minute goal from Nathan Donovan — the forward’s seventh of the season. Assisted by defender Dubem Obilo, there was some question whether it was Donovan’s head or Hakeem Morgan’s foot that made the final touch. But Morgan confirmed, postgame, that the official scorer was correct in awarding the goal to his teammate.

The Crows resumed where they left off when midfielder Alex Moreno lashed a shot on the turn, from outside the Dreamers’ penalty area, just two minutes after the restart. Skipping once, and impeccably placed, it snuck just between Sebastian Gorecki’s hand and his right post.

None knew it at the time, but Moreno’s fabulous strike would prove the eventual match-winner.

Making for a tense finish, at least for spectators, was Matthew Zachemski pulling a goal back for the visitors in the 53rd minute. Chasing the game from just a goal behind, Sueno’s players began to assert themselves.

“I know we don’t obviously blame referees. But I think a lot of us, myself included, got a little-bit too emotional with the refereeing and the calls,” said Crows captain Jake Swallen, on a night where frustrated Dreamers attempted to bait match officials, and Minneapolis received six of the game’s eight cautions. “I think small emotional changes can have big sways in the game, and we knew it was, like I said, it was gonna be a tough game. It’s gonna go back and forth. But I think we weathered the storm enough, obviously, to limit their chances, and their big chances.”

Crunching tackles by Swallen, Ramos and company, and tireless defending in transition, built the foundation on which a 2-1 score line would stand.

Forsythe and his charges have spoken about winning in different ways. And in their two biggest tests of the season, both coming this past week, the Crows made one-goal leads hold up for final half-hours.

“I think we could have even had like one or two more goals at the end there, but credit to them,” Ramos said. “This is probably the best opponent we played so far. I do think we’re still the better team today in a lot of moments, offensively, defensively, but that’s just the flow of the game, you know. When they’re down, they’re going to have the possession and they’re going to come at us, and you see that in any level of football. But, like I said, credit to the guys for grinding it out and getting the result on the day.”

Reserve Cavalry

As Minneapolis began to flag on a hot day around the hour-mark, Forsythe replaced Shea Bechtel with Morgan Olson at wingback. Ten minutes later, Rayme Nyembwe, Jeloni Murray-Powell and Phil Caputo were turned lose on the game.

“It’s crazy, because I feel like we have two starting XIs, and we could really just inter-swap most games,” Swallen said. “But, just try to give those guys motivation and confidence, like when they get in, bring energy. Bring your level that we know you have, and we’ve seen in practice. And so, a lot of the guys have helped us throughout those late game moments.”

Caputo skinned a pair of Dreamers defenders on the dribble, giving the visitors an unsubtle reminder they were not the only side dangerous in transition. Murray-Powell threw himself into tackles, and nearly chipped Gorecki from 40-yards out, striking crossbar. Nyembwe and Olson bore down along the flanks.

“I think the changes change the game,” Forsythe said. “Guys like Phil coming on, how many times he progresses the ball with the runs. You have guys coming on in the wing back positions, Rayme, Morgan, these guys competing, bringing the technical quality to the game to be able to get back on top with the legs. And then, of course, you guys will be seeing a lot of Asher Ozuzu.”

A recent signing, the former St. Croix Legend was added to leverage his athleticism to provide an attacking spark off the bench in coming weeks.

“He got two huge chances right at the end, just with the timing of the runs and the quality, and we know a few more days in training, he’s going to be burying those,” said Forsythe, of Ozuzu.

“We knew this week was going to be a killer week. RKC, really good team playing them away, getting back at 4:00 a.m. and then having to rest, reset, and go against the other top team. Here, we knew it would be a big challenge in both games, and again, neither game was simple. But I think the experience and the quality of the players, it really pays off. And wow, what a feeling to win these two games and go 5-0-0, top of the table.”

Sprint for the Heartland!

River Light FC followed its upset of Sueno FC with a 4-1 victory at Rockford Raptors FC. That two-win week lifted the Lamplighters’ record to a respectable 2-2-1 on the season. In Chicago, fellow 501(c)3 Edgewater Castle FC completed a two-goal comeback, scoring twice just before halftime at Rochester FC, to set up Hans Haenicke’s 76th-minute breakaway goal as the eventual match-winner.

On Sunday, RKC Third Coast carried a fourth-minute goal from Nicholas Pendleton for the remaining 80-plus minutes to defeat St. Croix 1-0 at home.

Saturday’s win over the Dreamers is almost worth 4 points in the Crows’ pursuit of a second Heartland Division title, given Sueno remains in second place, and the league uses head-to-head record as its first tiebreaker. City also holds a game in hand.

“I don’t think it really changes how we approach every game,” Swallen said. “I think every game is a new opportunity to prove ourselves, and any given team can win any given day. So I think we’ve just got to focus on the next one, we can’t really worry too much about standings, national rankings, whatnot. I think we’ve just got to focus on the next game, ahead.”

On Wednesday, a midweek road trip to face last-placed Rochester awaits, where the Crows are presented with the chance to equal a club record with a sixth-straight League Two victory.