MINNEAPOLIS — It is the 85th minute. The score is tied 1-1. For players and coaches, the focus is entirely on the game’s dying moments.
For City fans, the author, and Crows staff not on the sporting side of operations, other thoughts are flitting about. Sueno FC is setting pace atop the Heartland Division standings, having taken a maximum 9 points from their first-three fixtures. Could aspirations for Minneapolis City SC’s season survive a draw in Stillwater?
One tells one’s self the season is young, with another 10 matches to be played. One tells one’s self the odd draw, away, happens to good teams. And, of course, one reminds one’s self when two local sides are squaring off, familiarity — not just between teams, but individuals — naturally raises determination from all parties, narrowing margins and making outcomes less predictable. Reasons and qualifications are collected, and kept close at hand, in case they are needed to swat at disappointment.
If the next few minutes produce frustration via stalemate, or tragedy through concession, then quickly use these tools to a clear a line of sight for the longview. However, if second-half substitute Alex Moreno steals the ball off wingback Perry Blay in St. Croix FC’s defensive third, then whip-pan your focus back to the present moment.
“I saw the opposition dribble, top of the box, and I was like, if I steal it from him, it’s a good opportunity to score,” Moreno noted.
There are two Legends parallel with Moreno. Two more bracketing forward Nathan Donovan ahead. They mark corners of a collapsing square. But that collapse is languid. And Moreno? He is not.
As his opponents stand still to lobby for a foul while the referee waives their collective complaint away, Moreno regains his balance from the tackle. He darts, just two quick touches, to the middle of that square. From that shrinking, empty space, during the beat it took St. Croix’s players to snap back to attention, something catches the 20 year-old’s eye.
“Before I shot, I saw the goalie kind-of cheat a little bit, trying to go to his left. So, decided to switch it on him,” said Moreno.
Moreno drops his head. Drops his left foot; his plant foot. Laces from his right boot meet the ball. Legends centerback Obaida Jarrah sticks his right leg out, but Moreno’s shot evades it, bounces once, twice, past the fingertips of goalkeeper Nolan Meyer, and into the far lower corner.
It is now the 86th minute. And for the first time on the evening, Minneapolis holds the lead. Now, time speeds up.
A fine display of man-marking and defensive organization by the Legends had frustrated a Crows attack that scored 11 goals in its first two outings this year. But now, circumstance dictates St. Croix open up and chase the game.
Shea Bechtel nearly wraps his foot fully-around the ball after it was headed on by Donovan, with resulting effort lashed wide. At the other end, a corner — which drew protestations from City keeper Daniel Sessler and his back line regarding which team touched the ball last — results in a Legends header sent wide, prompting exhalations. Then, defender Rayme Nyembwe steps in front a telegraphed pass, lofting a ball, long, for Donovan.
The former St. Croix man gets behind the Legends back line, holds off Jarrah, and chips the oncoming Meyer to score his second goal for City on the day, and ever. Dusting himself off, Donovan celebrates by kissing the City badge.
Then, to cap things off, the no. 9 assists Will Schmidt as the latter opens his account with the Crows.
After five minutes of added time, the final whistle sounds, inking a 4-1 win in the season’s ledger. A three-goal margin of victory has replaced cold sweat from 10 minutes prior.
With a head-tilt and a grace-note’s worth of a smile, Donovan says, postgame, “Yeah, this game meant a lot to me.
“Going against the former club that I was with for two years, they gave me so much. Gave me a great opportunity to get better. But, you know, this summer, I’m very excited for being here with City. We got something special, and it was very special to do it against the former club. Nothing but respect for those guys.”
We All Need a Little Patience
In an interview from the weekend, Minneapolis head coach Jon Forsythe noted that while the Legends had come out on the wrong side of a lopsided score-line in their season opener, there was individual quality on display. The Crows got a taste of that when Aidan Martinez banked the game’s opening goal off their crossbar in the 19th minute, and remained a looming danger until replaced by Ryder Tomlinson an hour later.
St. Croix forward and Vermont Catamount Gavin Stevenson forced a fine parry out of Sessler in the 34th minute from a counter. Had that shot gotten past the City keeper, it would almost-surely have proven a crucial hinge point.
The game did swing back in Minneapolis’ direction just before the half. A Jake Swallen free kick was headed out to the edge of the hosts’ penalty area, where Crows wingback Caleb Capone pounced, snapping a shot on target. When Meyer couldn’t keep hold, Donovan pounced on an equalizer.
From there, the Crows went on a long search for the winning score that would elude them for another 40 minutes of play.
“Decision making,” came Moreno’s answer, when asked how a team maintains composure. “You don’t want to just be putting the ball everywhere, and you know, kind-of lose control of the game. I think if you have the ball, you have control of the game.”
Jeloni Murray-Powell had started in midfield alongside Swallen, and put in yeoman’s work progressing the ball and winning tackles in a chippy, physical contest. When Forsythe opted to push Swallen back to hold and swap in Moreno at the break, it was an attacking shift that served as clear signal the Crows intent was to secure all 3 points.
Other, similarly-minded substitutions rolled in as Phil Caputo, Shea Bechtel and Morgan Olson joined the hunt.
“I’ll say it probably after every game. Casey [Holm], Matt [VanBenschoten], Mark [Yueill], all these guys did so well, so well to bring the quality of players that we have,” said Forsythe. “So, that you have the ability to bring on Shae, to bring on Morgan, to bring on Alex into the game is unbelievable, not only the depth, but again, the character of the players. The work ethic of the players, to be able to make a difference. The humility of the players to come from the bench and accept the role that they have for that particular game. So, yeah, again, we have a wealth of riches as far as the talent we have in the team. And yeah, was was happy that came through in the win tonight.”
That victory was achieved from a trailing position for the first time on the young season was held up as a positive.
“It’s big going into the rest of the season, knowing that we’re capable of doing that. That we’re capable of coming back, even though everything’s not clicking right from the start,” Donovan said. “That we’re able to regroup, learn from our mistakes, and put the ball in the back of the net. And get results. Get 3 points.”
“I told the guys after, if you’re going to win stuff as a team, you have to be able to win in many ways,” Forsythe added. “We got a few good, early goals against Dutch Lions. We unlocked the game pretty early. Here was very different. We had to fight and struggle 90 minutes, and these kind of wins are the ones that you think about when you look back on the season, and hopefully you look back on a successful season.
“Maybe a team that have guys with less character, less fight, less maturity, they don’t make the breakthrough at the end. And, so, our guys are extremely mature, extremely hard working, and you can see the desire that they have to win and hopefully bring something home for the club, here.”
Sprint for the Heartland!
A pair of divisional matches kicked off simultaneously to Minneapolis-St.Croix. RKC Third Coast played to a scoreless draw away to River Light FC in Aurora, Ill. And former Crows player and Futures coach, Scott Heinen, who is now at the helm, led his Chicago Dutch Lions to a 3-1 road win over Rockford Raptors FC built on a three-goal first half.
Last season, the Dutch Lions notched but a single win, and that came via a forfeit. RKC won on the field, but did not provide an athletic trainer as the home team, in violation of league rules. But now! Under Heinen’s guidance, the Dutch Lions have tasted victory, by means other than technicality, for the first time in League Two.
Sueno FC and the mighty Crows are the only teams still on maximum points, while the Seagulls are still unbeaten. The Dreamers go again, tonight, as they travel to face Edgewater Castle FC in a Chicagoland matchup (although the Rooks are the only League Two side that play in a stadium within city limits).
This weekend, the Gas Lamps travel to face the Legends, the Dutch Lions host the Rooks, and the Seagulls host the Raptors, all on Sunday. Prior to all that, Minneapolis City will play its 150th competitive match in club history when Rochester FC visits Edor Nelson Field.
The Crows are on a five-game winning streak against the other Loons, dating back to May of 2024. In seven previous meetings, City has never scored more than two goals in any match against Rochester, nor ever been held scoreless.
