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00:00:01
Going Over the 2026 Off-Season So Far
38 Plays1 month ago
In this inaugural episode of Loon Calling, we introduce ourselves before diving into our overall thoughts on the Ramsay tenure and the 2025 season as a whole. Then, we transition to overviewing this tumultuous off-season so far!
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Loon Calling' Podcast
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome to Loon Calling, a podcast dedicated to Minnesota United Football Club. And I am joined with my friends in Minnesota United fandom, Diakena and Zoe.
00:00:18
Speaker
And yeah, we are here to talk all things... about the off-season that we are currently going through right now. But before we get to that, let's go through some introductions. And Diakena, I'm going to throw it to you first. Could you introduce yourself to all of our lovely listeners out there?
Hosts' Backgrounds and Fandom
00:00:43
Speaker
Yeah, I'm Diakena IRL. I'm known as Stephen Dozman. If you listen to some of my other podcasts, you might find me and doing some of that. But I've been a Minnesota United fan for a couple years after 15-year playing career where I never really watched professional soccer because it just wasn't on in my house.
00:01:05
Speaker
Um, but now I've been getting into soccer lately as a fan. So, all righty. I'm going to throw it over to Zoe. Now, could you introduce yourself to our lovely listeners out there?
00:01:19
Speaker
Hello everyone, my name is Zoe. I also go by Nightfold on the internet. I am a Loons fan since back in the Thunder days when I was a child growing up in Blaine, Minnesota, basically living at the and NSC as a child playing soccer. I am a DJ. I am a occasional podcaster. I am a host in VRChat.
00:01:46
Speaker
I work for several conventions and um I feel like I'm missing something, but it's not. Aren't you a Liverpool supporter? And I am the most diehard Liverpool supporter in all of Minnesota United fandom.
00:02:04
Speaker
And I will die on that hill with my fucking scarf. See, i'm I'm about to drop a bomb at the beginning of our little podcast is that I don't really pay attention to European... You don't you don't watch the Prem.
00:02:22
Speaker
No, I don't really. I'm trying to get into it, but I just cannot get invested. So I am very entertained by the banter that happens in the Loons Discord. We're all in the Loons Discord, by the way. The best supporter group, even though we're not an official supporter. the best supporter. love that little group of a wide variety of different kinds of soccer nerds.
00:02:44
Speaker
And... yeah I enjoy the banter. i have no context for it. so I'm just like, ah the the the Man United, Liverpool you know supporters and Chelsea supporters are all at each other's throats and I don't know what the hell is going on. so it it yeah It's great and it's fun being Liverpool supporter because like when we're on and we're winning, it's amazing. and When we're playing terribly, everyone loves shitting on us.
00:03:15
Speaker
So got to know how to take your legs. I've definitely gotten that sense. um Well, I might as well introduce myself. My name is Ari. I have been a Minnesota United fan since the summer of 2022, the inaugural season of League's Cup, that prestigious continental tournament.
00:03:38
Speaker
um Yes, the Leagues Cup is what got me and into into Minnesota United and in into soccer in in in general, really. I went to a game at Allianz Field. I got hooked on the atmosphere and how exciting it was. And then I just fell down a rabbit hole.
00:03:56
Speaker
And then I started watching the team at the beginning of the 2023 season. And then, you know, I watched the entire last season of of Adrian Heath's tenure at the club.
00:04:07
Speaker
And then I got to see the club transition into the Eric Ramsey era, which that is something we're going to touch on later, the results of that. But I have slowly become more and more of and like an American soccer ah nerd. My entry point was Minnesota United, and then I started learning more about MLS.
00:04:29
Speaker
And now I'm getting more interested in the in USL and the other clubs.
European Soccer versus MLS
00:04:35
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm trying to get into European. I love cup competitions. So I love the Champions League. I like watching Champions League. I like watching FA Cup.
00:04:46
Speaker
I like like all that stuff. But European League play, like I'm trying to get into Bundesliga because my German teacher in high school was from Bremen. So she was a Werder Bremen supporter in the Bundesliga. I remember she had the big green flag with the W on it hanging up in her classroom. So I've been trying to follow Werder Bremen.
00:05:07
Speaker
And holy hell is the Bundesliga kind of a slog to watch. It's not very exciting. so Really? um i always i always thought it was very attack heavy, which makes it very fun, my opinion. Maybe just because Werder Bremen sucks? I don't know. They're not very good.
00:05:29
Speaker
I think it has to do with the fact that the Bundesliga is won by one of two teams It's Bayern Munich or it's Dortmund.
00:05:43
Speaker
Dortmund hasn't won in over a decade. Yeah, and Dortmund hasn't won since they beat, ah since they had Jurgen Klopp. Yeah, I mean, Bayern Munich has won every year for over a decade, say for one, where Leverkusen went the entire season undefeated. So that's the level of...
00:06:05
Speaker
competition there. It's still a fun league, but like is kind of what we have found. are Bundesliga correspondent. Yeah, well, I mean, I will say I've been enjoying, I'm considering a move to Germany at some point in the future. So I've been kind of watching into it. You could actually be a correspondent. This is a problem. And part of the reason I suspect people love the Premier League so much is it is more hard to predict who's going to win it. Whereas like France, you have PSG,
00:06:39
Speaker
Germany, you have Bayern Munich. Spain is just a two-way race between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Whereas the Premier League, at least it is like a little harder to... And it's even particularly a chaos season in in the Premier League this season. Like it seems like everyone is kind of bad or at least not elite. liing I think I wouldn't quite call it everyone's bad. it's ah We are at a point in the Premier League where there is a generation of players that are cycling out of the league.
00:07:15
Speaker
And the giants in the league are experiencing a high amount of roster turnover. I mean, Yes, Mo Salah is still playing for Liverpool, but Mo Salah is in his 30s now.
00:07:29
Speaker
like The golden generation of Liverpool is gone. and I feel sorry for Arna Slott because his first year as a coach, he won the league. He's not helping him himself even though like there's only one i think like two or maybe three players left of that golden Liverpool generation that are left on the squad. The rest of them have all moved on So i think it's a lot of squads are having that turnover roster turnover where, you know, the players they've been playing for the last six plus years are starting to filter out into either competitive teams or moving to other leagues or going to the Saudi pro league to make a giant boatload of cash.
00:08:21
Speaker
I'm looking at you, Ronaldo. Yeah.
Player Transfers and Team Dynamics
00:08:24
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. why Why couldn't you be like Messi and come to a legit league like MLS? Like, come on. To be fair to Liverpool, they did spend crazy money over the last year, and I will be more excited to see what they do next year once every once the dust has kind of settled.
00:08:43
Speaker
on some of those new transfers like i I think they've built the next legacy generation it's just taking time to come together but they're still competitive they're still solid I guess i guess we'll just have to see what happens we'll see if I decide on a club that I want to support you strike me as someone if I had to permit pick a premier league team for you am i being assigned am i being assigned right now I'm not assigning you officially, but I'm going purely on vibes. Okay. Purely on vibes, Ari. Okay.
00:09:23
Speaker
You kind of strike me as, like, a Villa or a West Ham kind of person. Okay. okay Just based on vibes.
00:09:35
Speaker
Okay. Okay. I don't think that you would go for any of the other London-based teams. Maybe a Fulham, because they're scrappy. i do I like the way Fulham plays.
00:09:48
Speaker
For sure. Whenever I do watch Fulham, I usually like what I watch. But, I mean, to speak to the quality of the Premier League, it it is the league I enjoy watching the most of what I've checked out. And I like La Liga, too.
00:10:02
Speaker
I've checked out since Tani got, which we're going to talk about this later in in the episode, since Tani got sold to Villarreal, I've watched some Villarreal. And fun to watch.
00:10:14
Speaker
Fun team to watch. Very dynamic attack. um I wish he was getting more minutes, but, you know, that's ah that's a whole other story. Why don't we get into the the team we're here to talk about? We are here in January, the very, very start of the preseason of the 2026 season. But before we talk about what is going to happen, we need to talk about what happened last year.
00:10:43
Speaker
um The 2025 season was a pretty good one by all accounts. It was the most successful season in club history, our very, very short club history. This is the 10th anniversary of the club, right? This is season number 10.
00:11:00
Speaker
Last year was nine. We're about to enter 10. Yes. Yeah. So in in the 10 years of the club, last year was the best season. The club set the points record, um which is a ah very good achievement. Yet the season kind of fizzled out toward the end, which I think left a lot of supporters with a sour taste in their mouth.
00:11:26
Speaker
um What do you, Diakena, I'll throw it to you. What are your impressions of the 2025 season? Or I guess, what were your impressions of the 2025 season? What stood out to you?
00:11:41
Speaker
Yeah, I think this was kind of a season where, especially with Eric Ramsey, we were kind of all ready to really see what he could do because he came in a few weeks late in 24 and it was kind of a roller coaster. He seemed solid at the beginning. Then he had this long period in the summer where we just could not stop losing. But we all kind of understood it's because his roster had been gutted by international call-ups.
00:12:10
Speaker
um and then he kind of pulled things together and managed to get us squeaking into the playoffs at the last second. So I think we were all generally pleased with Ramsey, but we kind of wanted to see, like, what would he do with, you know, a more complete roster that doesn't fall apart for a third of the season.
00:12:29
Speaker
um And what we saw was... a very grounded, pragmatic person who kind of looked at his roster and basically asked, how can I just grind out the best possible points season, the the best possible record I possibly can just get as high on the table as I can.
00:12:53
Speaker
um And to that effect, he leaned into some very strongly defensive principles. He had to convince his strikers and attacking midfielders to come back on defense. He had to talk to his two strikers and Kelvin and Tony and say, like, sometimes you'll be together. Sometimes one of you will start. Sometimes the other will start. It'll just depend on what we're trying to do that day.
00:13:17
Speaker
and he had to kind of get a lot of people to buy into this kind of very gritty version of soccer. And he also had to convince, i think, me and a lot of other fans to,
00:13:29
Speaker
of that idea that just because we're playing a defensively heavy style, just because we don't have high possession, This is kind of part of how we're trying to lean into our strengths, develop kind of these core principles to build around.
00:13:43
Speaker
So it wasn't always like the prettiest style to watch, but I felt like I learned a lot as a viewer. I think the players seem to really buy into what he was saying, um which kind of spoke to his quality as a leader. And if you ever like listen to his post-match conferences, he's super articulate.
00:14:04
Speaker
Like i I totally understand why players are buying into him kind of giving them a vision and putting 110% down for admittedly probably some not very fun soccer to play.
00:14:18
Speaker
So overall, I thought it was really good in that respect. There were also like a lot of players who I think took great steps forward. Joaquin Pereira kind of exploded. Carlos Harvey has been doing a lot of really great work.
00:14:32
Speaker
um
00:14:35
Speaker
Tani obviously developed a lot, and he has been for the last couple years, and that got him the call-up. Tani had a fantastic... Yeah, he was great. His play was absolutely incredible when he was with this team.
00:14:49
Speaker
and And it was not just that he was scoring goals, but he was doing great hold-up play. He was doing great passes and assists. I would also look at someone like Bongi, who has...
00:15:00
Speaker
turned into like a relatively consistent and solid defender. When we brought him in, he was kind of intended more as a striker, attacking winger. So he's, Ramsey did a really great job of getting the team together and kind of a cohesive vision.
00:15:15
Speaker
and also I think has shown that he's really good at player development. So those would be kind of the main positives. There were some like limitations and we did kind of run into a ceiling position especially late in the season, but there were a lot of good things that I enjoyed watching over the course of the year.
00:15:36
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I think recency bias is definitely a factor here because I was seeing some talk on Reddit of of people kind of looking back on the style of the season and kind of saying we were boring to watch all year when that just was not true.
00:15:55
Speaker
i think the style was very, very fun to watch. I just think back to the Miami game and how crucial Tani was in that game. ah And, well, everybody was firing on all all cylinders too.
00:16:08
Speaker
But just because we spent most of those matches defending, our possession percentages were under 30% a lot of the times.
00:16:19
Speaker
When we got the ball, it was usually really really, really exciting. And this team could do some really exciting, explosive things with the ball for a lot of the season. I also think about the performance against Club America.
00:16:33
Speaker
um as a standout performance of like playing to our style but also giving an extremely strong performance when we had the ball.
00:16:44
Speaker
And that kind of characterized the first half of the season for me, or I guess the first two-thirds of the season, because because then, once the the reporting was coming in that Taney was going to get sold to Villarreal, I think that just kind of took all the wind out of the sails of this team.
00:17:03
Speaker
And from that point on... And especially when we got to the us the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. I was at that game in Allianz. And we played really well that game.
00:17:17
Speaker
um And it was ah it was a very exciting performance, a very good performance. And then, one, Kelvin Yubova gets injured in that match. Goes off injured.
00:17:28
Speaker
Two, we concede a goal in like the last, what, minute of extra time? in that match. And that is like the moment you can look back on of just like, this team is like, I don't know if I can commit 100% to this But then...
00:17:45
Speaker
but then you get into the playoffs and you play the Seattle Sounders and then you have game three be one of the most exciting like games of soccer you will ever see anywhere. And then all of a sudden you start to rethink like, wait, maybe this group is like extremely bought into this style and is willing to claw back even from a man down in that match.
00:18:10
Speaker
it's it It makes you think about... it makes you think about the season in a different way. Cause like in the weeks leading up to the playoffs, I think I was very sick of the style. It was getting very boring to watch.
00:18:28
Speaker
I think the players were tired of of playing that way and weren't totally bought in. But then once the playoffs started, it kind of turned into a whole different thing. um So Zoe, I'm curious what your thoughts are about everything we've talked about so far.
00:18:46
Speaker
I think if we're we're strictly talking about the 2024 season, I do agree.
Minnesota United's Strategy and Season Reflections
00:18:53
Speaker
It's a banner year for the Loons. Most points in team history.
00:18:57
Speaker
Had an amazing run in the Open Cup. Good playoff run. i mean, we were seeing the articles about sicko soccer at PSFC.
00:19:13
Speaker
i While it is not necessarily the funnest soccer to watch, it was definitely entertaining for me to watch.
00:19:25
Speaker
Now I do agree that I don't believe that this was the way that Eric Ramsey wanted to play, but it was the best system to work with what he had with.
00:19:40
Speaker
Now, I could go on a giant rant about Minnesota sports teams' ownerships not spending money. mean, they should and care more about making a profit than winning championships, which in theory makes you more profit.
00:19:57
Speaker
Um...
00:20:01
Speaker
But that that goes without saying, um, I definitely believe and you alluded to it. When you were wrapping up, there was a bit of an emotional wind taken out of our sales when Tani got sold to be a real now.
00:20:20
Speaker
I'm very much a he showed out in the first half of the season was like, what top six goals in the league. It was top 10. No, he was, I think number two or three and expected goals.
00:20:36
Speaker
Yeah. In the league playing out of his mind. um Just outstanding play. He earned his European call up and I am happy for him, but I do believe that that did take a certain amount of momentum out of the team.
00:20:53
Speaker
Um, we did kind of collapse a little bit down stretch. We did turn it back up in the playoffs. I was happy to see us get over the hump with Seattle because they always seem to have our number. We beat them in a playoff series, even though it was close and it was way more PKs than I have ever wanted to experience in my life.
00:21:17
Speaker
um I would say overall, the season was a success, but the season was also um a sign of what's what was to come.
00:21:32
Speaker
And I believe that first domino was Tani signing and with Villarreal. We got a great package for him, but I think if I remember correctly, we got $8 million dollars for him.
00:21:45
Speaker
think it was $9 million. Nine? Tons of money. It's on a player we acquired for nothing. Yeah, on a player we acquired for nothing. Through the super draft.
00:21:58
Speaker
Huge profit move, which... And a player that we developed, too. Like, that is the first player coming out of... Our academy system or whatever. Yeah, of, like, getting drafted. academy player. He was a college player who got drafted, if I'm...
00:22:16
Speaker
And did he ever play on the Next Pro team? Yes. And he also, he played for MLS Next Pro for almost almost a full season. And then we also loaned him out to I believe it was San Antonio, who are in the USL championship.
00:22:34
Speaker
He tore it up there. So we... what a What I think is interesting about his career is you can look at every year and see him just taking it one step at a time. He is a great case for why players shouldn't mind getting loaned to a lower division team or maybe spending a year or two at MLS or in USL.
00:22:55
Speaker
Like, work on your game, develop, you know, grow. gives credibility to the way the soccer pyramid works in the States and it actually having success stories. right Khaled El-Ahmad has come out and said that Tani wanted the move.
00:23:14
Speaker
he He wanted to move on to Europe. Why would you not? Yeah. Like, you can't you blame the guy. And that that is also the main, you know... that's ah That's the thing I forgot to include in the rundown is that for much of this season, there was a lot of like ruminating around a lot of like rumors going around like, oh, they're going vote on a schedule change. They're going to they're going to vote on the calendar.
00:23:40
Speaker
And that is like the main argument for the calendar flip is that you won't have your best player getting sold in the primary transfer window for all of the other major leagues. So you lose them for the stretch run to the playoffs. For the playoffs, are the most important. Imagine if we had Tanny in the Seattle series. absolutely.
00:23:59
Speaker
Completely different scenario. I think we have some of those matches in regulation instead of drawing every single game and going to penalties. Yeah, i think i think it's also, i mean, it's tough to like have that side of the business end, but that is also kind of part of what made me really impressed with Ramsey is that he was still managing to wring out any last bit of value over the roster that he did have.
00:24:26
Speaker
even even as it's kind of getting moved around. I mean, I looked at ah the financial charts at the beginning of the season. We were spending as much on our wages as Montreal.
00:24:39
Speaker
like Like, I know we're kind of in a frustrated feeling right now with, like, ownership, and that's, like, perfectly valid, but I think it also, like, speaks to kind of how much we're kind of squeezing out of our roster. Mm-hmm.
00:24:54
Speaker
so And by all accounts, that is aligning with ownership and aligning with the front office and how we want to be operating. By all accounts, they want us to be the Philadelphia Union of the Western Conference. Like, that is like...
00:25:10
Speaker
We want to buy players on the cheap using data analytics to identify talent in markets that are not expensive. We're moneyballing.
00:25:21
Speaker
We're moneyballing. Yes, exactly. But you have to hope that looking forward, you moneyball until you get your roster really good.
00:25:32
Speaker
And when you get the opportunity to make a splash on a Difference Maker player, please, for the love of God, open your wallet. and buy the game-changing player that will win you a championship.
00:25:44
Speaker
That's all you can hope for. If you follow hockey, it's, ah ah for the love of God, please grab Quinn Hughes. Yeah. You have an opportunity to get Quinn Hughes. Get Quinn Hughes.
00:25:56
Speaker
Respect. Respect to Billy Guerin for doing that. He's got balls. What? This is Minnesota. We don't do that. What are you talking about? We don't give up the bag for one of the best players in the league.
00:26:09
Speaker
um But, ah yeah. so we any Any other thoughts on the 2025 season before we move on? Before we move on to the devastation that was this slow the death march. The gut punch after gut punch.
00:26:26
Speaker
I feel it it felt like the offseason. i mean, the tanning move was we kind of knew all knew it was coming.
00:26:37
Speaker
But once the offseason hit, it felt like we were playing Mortal Kombat and we just got perfect rounded and then fatality'd.
00:26:50
Speaker
It was brutal. And I think the best way to start out the off season is MLS goaltender of the year 2025. We all thought that he wanted to go play for Europe.
00:27:07
Speaker
Play in Europe. ah No. DSC wants to go play with Messi. Yeah, so that is the that is the the first major thing that happens in the offseason is that we're we're all wondering what's going to happen with Dane St. Clair because he's being very wishy-washy about...
00:27:30
Speaker
You know, he knows his value and he, you know, wants as much leverage as possible. He got as much leverage as possible and he weighed his options and he decided that the option he wanted to go with was signing with Inter Miami.
00:27:46
Speaker
um instead of re-signing with this club where you have a guaranteed spot starting spot in an organization that knows you and is behind you. Maybe you can tell my feelings on that decision, but I'm going to try to be...
00:28:04
Speaker
not just a homer and actually look at it objectively. But I'm to pose this question to, we'll throw it to you, Zoe, first. Do you think this is a good career move for Dan St. Clair?
00:28:17
Speaker
I think that it could be a good move for Dane St. Clair, and whether or not it is is going to be completely determined on how well Inter Miami plays in 2026.
00:28:34
Speaker
um I believe that Dane is a good enough goaltender that he could have gotten a starting job in Europe. Which league and at what club, I don't know.
00:28:46
Speaker
But Dane is good enough to be a starting goaltender in the big European leagues. As we all know, he's basically the starting goaltender for the Canadian national team.
00:29:01
Speaker
And thinking about the World Cup, which Canada has qualified for. Whether that happens or not is beyond that beyond the conversation of this podcast. um
00:29:15
Speaker
You know, if I were him, i would be thinking, where can I get get solid competitive playing time to help my international team in the World Cup this summer? Instead, i feel like he's very much made a Not a selfish move, but I feel like instead of a step forward, he took a step sideways.
00:29:41
Speaker
um I think he could have gone for Europe right away. if he does well with Miami, the connections that Inter-Miami has between its ownership um and between Messi, gets more eyes on him thinking it is a lateral move before springboarding to Europe.
00:30:00
Speaker
um
00:30:03
Speaker
I feel like it was the time for him to go to Europe. And I think going to Miami left a big sour taste in the fan base's mouth that like...
00:30:21
Speaker
I mean, don't get me wrong. Messi is Messi. But like...
00:30:29
Speaker
It very much came across to the fan base of... Are you a serious football player? are you just a fanboy? And this came across as a fanboy move.
00:30:42
Speaker
Rather than, I want to develop and I want to play against the best. Not saying that playing against MLS is bad. The profile and the cachet and the level of play of MLS has gone up astronomically in the last 10 years.
00:30:57
Speaker
Even the last, since I started watching... Even the last 5 years. it's It's gone way up. But... I feel, especially around the the circus that happened with him kind of holding out about re-signing. it It reminded me of like a wide receiver holding out for a payday until someone throws a whole bunch of money in the NFL.
00:31:27
Speaker
And then he got signed by, you know, the New England Patriots during their dynasty years. That's kind of what this felt like. um Good for him.
00:31:39
Speaker
um Apparently, I think he signed at Miami for less than what Andy Grader said.
00:31:48
Speaker
quoted on us offering him. ye So clearly it was a visibility move for Dane, not a money thing. um
00:32:04
Speaker
He was our douchebag. but He was our douchebag. And I'm kind of upset that um he's playing for the Pink Phony Club. Daya Kenna, you have any thoughts?
00:32:17
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, going off what um Tom Bogert said, i think it was back in December, early January, he said that when this move happened, he was strongly convinced that it was more an issue on the club's part that we kind of were holding out on a big financial offer for him. Yeah.
00:32:43
Speaker
And according to Bogert, who i think is fairly trustworthy and pretty well connected, he yeah he said if we had made the offer that we eventually did a couple months earlier, he was convinced Dane would have stayed.
00:33:00
Speaker
So I think it was probably more a case of us kind of holding out. in a way that maybe made Dane kind of frustrated and understandably decide, like, if this club is going to penny pinch, I'm going to, you know, see if I can plant my seat elsewhere.
00:33:19
Speaker
i don't think it's a terrible move for his career development because, know, He gets to spend a couple years playing with this kind of dent dynasty legacy type team.
00:33:30
Speaker
He's going to be able to appear in like CONCACAF for a couple years. And then messy like he's almost 40. He's not going to be there for long.
00:33:43
Speaker
Dane is still only 28. He's still got a couple years, I think. He's just entered his goalkeeper prime. Yeah. I mean, depending on the player, it can be like late twenties, but even early thirties. So it's possible that he's still got a bit of developing to do.
00:34:00
Speaker
So he gets to go play some big games and maybe then when messy retires, that whole roster maybe is going to kind of come apart. but then he maybe gets to leverage that messy experience into a bigger offer.
00:34:15
Speaker
I would have loved to see him stay in Minnesota, and I think if we'd made like the right offer at the right time, he might have been open to it. He seemed to like being the guy here um and really just enjoy you know being, like you said, our douchebag, but I kind of don't blame him for, you know, getting frustrated and also maybe feeling like maybe Miami is, you know, a good place to spend a couple years before Messi retires. And then he can kind of reevaluate from there. Like I get why he's moving on. i more blame the club, I think, than the player there.
00:34:53
Speaker
Yeah, I think, I think those are some, I think those are some good points. um I think, I think it is ultimately a good move for him, both for exposure and just for the opportunity to play of the greatest with the greatest player of all time. like For some reason, this thing exists amongst MLS fans or just American soccer fans in general.
00:35:20
Speaker
It's just like, are we not acknowledging that Messi's the greatest player of all time? And how I think any... professional player would give a lot to just be able to play with a player as good as that like i think people underestimate the power of that and i think people hold it against players when i don't really hold it against them i think it's a a fair reason to to to go and play with someone now i'm not applying that to dane because
00:35:53
Speaker
The thing I don't think is good about it is that the thing about Inter Miami is if he's not performing well, he will be replaced and he will not be starting. If he's not playing well here, I think the chances of him getting replaced are lower.
00:36:09
Speaker
um So that's my only my only stipulation on that, is that if he is not at the top of his game, he might get replaced, and that might hurt his chances of being the starting goalkeeper come the World Cup. But...
00:36:27
Speaker
He said himself, he likes the pressure. He likes the spotlight. He wants to challenge himself. You kind of want a goalkeeper that wants to do that. That is taking the risk to be at your club to play in these big matches. Like, CONCACAF Champions Cup are the biggest, most competitive matches you can play on the continent.
00:36:49
Speaker
So... A pretty good move.
Offseason Challenges and Changes
00:36:52
Speaker
And Minnesota United are not even near like playing in that competition unless we take a giant step this year, which we're going to talk more about maybe the steps that we're taking this year. um I think it's probably a good ah good time to move on to the next big thing that happened in the offseason.
00:37:12
Speaker
um So, Dane St. Clair, he signs with Inter Miami. We are kind of scrambling for a keeper. And, hey, I'm not patting myself on the back, but I'm just saying, the day...
00:37:24
Speaker
It was reported that Dane was signing. I was just like, Drake Callender sitting on Charlotte's roster. Just the bizarre situation ah of Inter-Miami, like, letting him go off of the roster and Charlotte paying money to acquire him only to sell him to us.
00:37:43
Speaker
So Minnesota United signs Drake Callender, the former Inter-Miami goalkeeper, who by all accounts played extremely well and was a very key player and key component of their run to the Supporters' Shield in 2024, somehow lost favor amongst either the coaching staff or the front office or whoever, and then was replaced by a much older and by all accounts worse goalkeeper,
00:38:12
Speaker
um And then it's sold to Charlotte and then sold to us. So but what what do we what do we think of that? I'm going to throw it to Diakana first. I'm just ping-ponging between you two.
00:38:26
Speaker
um Yeah, I mean... It's funny, I guess, but i I'm fine with it. like Like you said, by all accounts, he did fine at Miami and then fell out of favor and has just kind of been stuck between clubs for a little bit.
00:38:42
Speaker
ah Maybe he's a bit out of practice, but he's in preseason right now. You know, I'm not worried about it. It's probably a step down from Dane, but it's not like the floor completely fell out from under us in the goalkeeping department, I don't think.
00:38:58
Speaker
He's got the right kind of experience. He knows the league. um You know, im I don't have a lot of thoughts on him other than I'm happy that we managed to get him.
00:39:10
Speaker
What about you, Zoe? I hope he likes it here, so... ah I agree. a I hope he likes it here. I think the best thing that came out of the disappointment of Dane leaving is the fact that while we did not get a goalkeeper as on the caliber of Dane, we got a goaltender that has the same initials.
00:39:36
Speaker
I find hilarious. It is kind of funny. It is kind of, fun especially since he's the former inter-Piami keeper as well. Yeah. So I think,
00:39:49
Speaker
It was the best case scenario. um We'll see how he fits in our system and our style of flight going forward, which is likely going to change.
00:40:01
Speaker
ah We'll get to that. Foreshadowing for later in the episode. Yeah, i don't even I need to add stuff to the rundown because we got more stuff to talk about. But sorry, finish your thought.
00:40:12
Speaker
I do think that... I think Drake will be a good fit here. Um, it's more of, can he replicate that form that he had in 24? Cause inter Miami, the way they run that organization is very similar to some of the top flight teams over in Europe, where if you are not performing and you're not performing consistently, you are on the bench.
00:40:47
Speaker
you're there's very little margin for error. And I think there will be some more margin for error here for him. Plus, I believe...
00:41:00
Speaker
um there's going to be some sort of goaltender competition. um I've been out of the news a little bit. i I went to MAGFest over the weekend, so I'm a little out of the news cycle.
00:41:12
Speaker
But I do think that of all of the people we could have gotten, I think this was one of the better choices. And it does... It doesn't heal the wound by day leaving, but, like, it's not pouring lemon juice into it.
00:41:31
Speaker
I also wouldn't read much into him falling out of favor in Miami because Miami has just been a revolving door. player mill. Like they're they're just trying to build around Messi. Like that is the project.
00:41:47
Speaker
And so some of it sometimes might even just come down to like Messi has a preferred player he wants to be with. You know, so like... I don't know that Calendar did like anything on the field to you know deserve getting tossed away. It might have just been like a it just didn't fit the project, which is keeping Messi happy. so Yeah. ah I think it's a good acquisition by us. I think it was probably the best move we could have made at the time.
00:42:19
Speaker
I'm glad he was available and that Charlotte were so willing to do business with us. And it sounds like it's a pretty... it it left us more... flat I think the structure of the deal was we paid $300,000.
00:42:33
Speaker
Was it in GAM or was it cash? I think it was GAM. um 300 000 in gam now and then i think 400 000 next season so it gives us more flexibility in terms of spending to acquire players this season which again was very generous of charlotte um to you know agree to to structure the deal that way so i think it's good business and i think calendar is going to do well with us and Again, we keep foreshadowing to this, but i don't think the team ah is intending on defending as much as we did last season.
00:43:10
Speaker
At least they wouldn't they would not like to. um But yeah, I think we're gonna move on to the next big thing that happened in the offseason. Let's talk some Hassani Dotson.
00:43:24
Speaker
um a very important player to this club, has been with the club for a long, long time. um he It's been a long ongoing process for him because at the beginning of the 2024 season,
00:43:40
Speaker
He was not happy. He announced that he was looking for a trade out of the club. I think 25. You mean 25? Yeah, I mean 25. It's 2026. Yeah, dates.
00:43:53
Speaker
um At the beginning of the 2025 season, he it didn't seem like he was very happy with the club. He announced his intention that he would like to be traded.
00:44:05
Speaker
And then shortly after, got injured. um And after he got injured, he stayed with the club through the whole rehabilitation process. By all accounts, the club was very, very amicable and supported him through the the rehab process. And he rehabbed his injury in, like, record time. Like, the estimate of his injury was, like, six to eight months. And he was back training, I think, within four months.
00:44:35
Speaker
um Which is an insane turnaround. The guy has an insane work rate, insane work ethic. He's a guy you probably want to have on your team, but he wanted out. He didn't want to be a part of the team. And you can't fight that hard to keep a guy that doesn't want to be on your team anymore. So he ends up departing the club because his he he was out of contract at the end of the season. The club did not pick up his—I don't think he even had a club option. He was going to have new contract altogether if they wanted to keep him.
00:45:09
Speaker
um Zoe, I am curious what you think about the Hassani-Dotson situation. Um—
00:45:20
Speaker
you're gonna have to fact check for me okay i mean we had dodson for quite a long time um a staple of the club you know he made it very known during the 24 season that he wanted to be traded this is kind of it's a long time coming um I will say it's stand up of the organization to stand by him during his rehab and get him some minutes off the bench, which would in turn potentially help him
00:45:55
Speaker
um look a little bit better out on the player market. I think that that's, was a standout thing that the organization did. um But I do also believe that it is a bit of a sign that is the front top relationship between the front office and the players and the coaches, all that great.
00:46:23
Speaker
um He is a very versatile player. um He can play a bunch of different roles, especially in the midfield. But um he effectively was replaced by someone like Triantis. I think it was the time has come.
00:46:44
Speaker
I do wish him well. um He did get picked up and signed by his hometown club in Seattle. So little extra rivalry rivalry there with the Sounders that we have.
00:46:59
Speaker
I think that this is the best match. the situation could have resolved itself. um Tough to see another club mainstay go.
00:47:09
Speaker
Definitely feels like we are in this, if not a full rebuild, a half rebuild.
00:47:19
Speaker
But no, no good on the club to stick with him through rehab. I feel like maybe we should have traded him before the season maybe got more value out of him.
00:47:33
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. He was versatile, really excellent player, but I, a you know, I'm happy for him that he gets to go. I'm happy whenever any player gets to kind of go spend some time playing in their hometown.
00:47:47
Speaker
So for him, that's Seattle. And i think he'll do really well there, partly just because of how he his versatility, I think, will work really well with the way Seattle likes to play. They're another team that, under Schmetzer's leadership, they're just very pragmatic, very grounded.
00:48:06
Speaker
i think put him next to someone like Christian Roldan. I think they're really just going to have this very calm control of the midfield and the middle third, and they're going to create a lot of really good... um patient but are methodical attacking pressure.
00:48:25
Speaker
um you know Seattle, I know we hate them, but you've got to have a begrudging respect for how they're just able to consistently grind and churn out good results year in, year They're a fantastic club and organization. have a lot of respect for them. Right. And it's not like you know they do spend some money on you know decently big names, but they're not like an LAFC or a Miami.
00:48:50
Speaker
Instead, they're really just grounded and kind of getting a cohesive formation together. um And I bring all that up just to say I think Dotson is... It's not just good for Dotson that he gets to go home, but I think he fits Seattle really well. I think Seattle is going to really see a lot of value in him. I think Schmetzer will...
00:49:14
Speaker
have some really interesting but really good questions to ask himself of how do i kind of fit Dotson next to like Roldan and Pedro de la Vega and behind Jordan Morris and kind of get all this to work together. I think it's going to be like, I think they're going to be a tough, tougher team to play because of Dotson. So.
00:49:33
Speaker
Yeah, and Schmetzer and the Sounders work really well with American players like Dotson of that kind of profile. You're right. ah Christian Roldan and Hassani Dotson fucking destroyer midfield, like absolutely locked down.
00:49:50
Speaker
I would not... Yeah. I mean, I don't want to ever play against the Sounders. Ever. um it's Especially not with those two in the midfield. So I think i think that's a good shout. But I will say, for Hassani, I respect the shit out of him for his work rate and his, like...
00:50:08
Speaker
seemingly infinite stamina on that like I have so many memories of him sprinting ah the full length of the field to break stuff on counters. Like the guy is like, I would love to still have him on the roster, but at the end of the day, if he doesn't want to be a part of the team anymore, i really don't like, I think some people, especially on Reddit, which I need to stop reading.
00:50:32
Speaker
um yes please really the love of your sanity yeah um reading reddit really like pushing the narrative that this front office is somehow cold and like isn't doing i don't know is like somehow operating not in the way that every other organization operates like i think the front office has a very good relationship with the players that they signed to be a part of the project. And if you come apart in the project, like Hassani was drafted in 2019, has been with the club since then,
00:51:11
Speaker
The club has changed a lot. Adrian Heath is no longer with the club. And now the entire structure of the club is different. Like, Adrian Heath was a manager. He was the head coach, and he was and he famously had no club infrastructure whatsoever around player acquisition, data data analytics, all of this stuff. And then all of a sudden, Sherry Ballard comes in, and she changes the entire structure of the club. And now...
00:51:40
Speaker
Khaled El-Amand gets hired and he further builds out the infrastructure of the club. Now we operate like a modern club. The entire culture is different. I don't blame players for not feeling like they're connected to the project anymore.
00:51:54
Speaker
Also, I think Kasani just want wants to go home. wants to to play for his hometown club. Also, it's a fucking great club to play for. Like, the in my opinion, the model American club yeah is the Seattle Sounders. I don't have the hate in my heart for the Sounders that a lot of, you know, Minnesota soccer fans have for them from the NASL days. And, you know, because I'm young, I just turned 27.
00:52:20
Speaker
Like, I'm just not. And I wasn't into soccer until 2022, y'all. so I just felt several grams of rust fall off my joints.
00:52:33
Speaker
I respect that organization a lot, and I think it's a good landing spot for him. But also, I don't think Hassani had... He's not a game changer, in my opinion. Yes, he scores bangers sometimes.
00:52:47
Speaker
But in my time watching him, he is a great player that you want in your starting 11. But he's not going to be a huge difference maker and doesn't have a lot of upside in terms of...
00:53:03
Speaker
offensive production, a lot of ops upside in terms of ball distribution. Like, Diakena, you brought up, tree or was it Zoe that brought up, like, Triantis's, I think it was maybe Zoe that brought up Triantis's, like,
00:53:19
Speaker
Triantis is an upgrade in many parts of his game over Dotson now. He's also making a lot more money than Dotson, but i would rather the club bring in a midfielder like Triantis and be more ambitious in terms of potential offensive upside.
00:53:36
Speaker
um i'm I think it's okay that we moved, you know that we parted that we parted ways from Hassani Dotson. I wish him the the best, seriously. um i want him to succeed at Seattle, especially if Seattle get to beat Inter-Miami in a cup competition again. Oh, yes, I will be cheering for Seattle all the way, 10 times out of 10. It's the only situation i will be rooting for Seattle.
00:54:05
Speaker
I respect it. I respect it. So from Hassani, from one club legend to another, the actual club legend, a player that perhaps maybe would would get some honors from the club besides a certain other player that's on our roster. The big other story from the offseason is that Robin Ludd signs a two-year guaranteed contract with the Chicago Fire. We were in... ah contract negotiations for with Robin for a while. And I think he was truly open to staying here. At the end of the day, I think this is another example of the club being, I don't want to say stingy, but being, in terms of Robin's age,
00:54:55
Speaker
realistic in what is appropriate to offer a player like Robin. Robin is a club legend. He is the all-time leading scorer, all-time leader in assists in this club.
00:55:08
Speaker
He is a fantastic player and is a game-changer player. But he has passed his prime. His production is ah um probably only going to go down for him here, especially for how this club, I think, wants to play in terms of the pace they want to play, the fitness they want from the players that they want to bring in.
00:55:31
Speaker
um Robin is aging out of that level of fitness. Now, would I have loved to keep him around to be a super stub to like change games? Yes, but you could see this past season, in the 2025 season, he was getting gassed a lot, especially when we were playing against very athletic teams where we were trying to counterpress a lot and had to do a bunch of defensive work.
00:55:58
Speaker
Robin was getting gassed. And he, i the club ends up offering him a one plus one deal, a one year guarantee plus one club option. He ends up taking the two years guaranteed from Chicago, a project that is very up and coming. You have Greg Berhalter, a very good, respected coach.
00:56:17
Speaker
um And I don't blame the man for taking the guaranteed money. He's got a family that's here. like he's He wants to secure his family's future. He wants to get that bag. he's probably I don't know for sure if he's if they offered him more money on a salary basis. I would assume they offered him more money as well for two guaranteed years.
00:56:37
Speaker
Don't blame him for taking that at all. But ah but i kind of I'm curious your thoughts about Robin Ludd, club legend, leaving the club for Chicago.
00:56:50
Speaker
Yeah, I'm going to miss him. He was brilliant, but in a very kind of quiet, humble way, which is classic. A very Finnish way. Classic Scandinavian. most Finnish.
00:57:06
Speaker
I do kind of wonder to what degree like him being let go. i get that we needed to look into reduced salary because he was getting like $1.6 million.
00:57:18
Speaker
He was the highest paid player on our roster last year, and that was understandably too much. um The reason I think he might still be worth maybe – I would need to see what we offered him. I don't know, and I don't know yet what Chicago is going to pay him. But the reason I think he was – really valuable and sometimes more valuable than like a quick look at his, like his goal production might tell you is his pragmatism and versatility. He just gives coaches um a lot of flexibility because he can, there isn't any one role that he was cut out perfectly to play.
00:58:00
Speaker
um There's always someone, you know, better who can do most positions, but he can do so many different things so that whenever a coach is trying to think, how do I want to set up, you can kind of put Robin in so many different places and get...
00:58:15
Speaker
you know, something like very, like exceedingly competent. um He just read read the field really well, read the game really well and gave us a kind of stability and depth. And I kind of wonder if that led to him just getting moved around a little too much and possibly suffering a bit as a result. Again, kind of being a victim of his own success in a way. Yeah.
00:58:42
Speaker
So i get why we might have felt, ah I think you can make an argument for letting him go, but I also think there's a good argument for keeping him around. um You know, and maybe depending on who we bring in, we don't we haven't really seen much, but, you know, maybe they're just getting ready for a new season.
00:59:06
Speaker
and decided that he wasn't going to be part of those plans. But in the meantime, you know, I'm going to miss him. I hope he does well in Chicago. I i think Berhalter was really smart to find him because he's still kind of reorganizing his own squad. Robin's a great person to be part of a rebuild.
00:59:22
Speaker
um I think for all those reasons I mentioned. Definitely agree that there will become a time where Robin should be honored by the club for his contributions. Yeah.
00:59:35
Speaker
Led by example, he was, you can plug him in just about anywhere and he was decently successful. um I feel like maybe the club should have held on to him if, even though his production would go down, um I feel like he would have been very valuable as a steadying force for the locker room and for the culture.
01:00:02
Speaker
I think that that's, That's not something that you can usually buy in a player. He's probably going to be called up less internationally. So it would be nice to have that really experienced utility player when some of our younger stars are playing internationally. um I think it was the perfect time for him to go.
01:00:33
Speaker
um You could say that maybe the front office was being a little bit too pragmatic. um
01:00:41
Speaker
If there was a person not named Boxall on this team, Robin would be the name on the back of the kit that I owned.
01:00:53
Speaker
I love Robin. Like you said, very much that Scandinavian quiet, humble, leads by example. um I'm going to miss him of all of the off season things that happened, except for the one, what we are about to talk about for me from like, uh, like a team, like legacy perspective. And just like, you know, you had those players that like, you could hang your hat on, like this guy's here. He wants to be here.
01:01:29
Speaker
That was Robin to a tee. Um,
01:01:34
Speaker
And i'm i'm I'm sad that he's going. I'm really sad that he's going. um Good on him for getting a fully guaranteed contract for two years. That's nothing to scoff at. um If I remember correctly, with the schedule change, there chicago does Chicago end up joining our... It's not confirmed.
01:02:05
Speaker
It has been reported that the suggestion is they would be in our... Division? Yeah. the The rumor is Chicago would be in our division, which would be great to be able to see Robin play again. And honestly, if you think about just sports city rivalries, it's like nice that we actually have a rivalry with a team that's moderately close to us.
01:02:35
Speaker
And it'll be nice to have a friendly face on the other side. Or maybe not so great to have our friendly face on the other side. Yeah. We don't play Chicago this year. We don't play Chicago. Okay.
01:02:47
Speaker
So 20, uh, I guess we could meet them in a cup competition. Um, but yeah. Um, Robin, respect to you. You're a club legend. Thank you for your service to our club. Like, seriously.
01:03:04
Speaker
um Yeah, big salutes to Robin. um We're going to miss him. Like, he he was the one where... You know, it was kind of a slap in the face that Dane left. But when rob when it was announced that Robin was signing with Chicago, I was just kind of it was just kind of sad. it was kind of like a melancholy, like, Dane, Robin's leaving too?
01:03:27
Speaker
Like, it's like, Dane. Um, I'm not exactly sure how to describe it better than that, but, uh, that's all I got.
01:03:38
Speaker
So let's, uh, what like actually felt like a gut, gut punch. Like I was already having a bad day when it was announced, um, that it was happening.
01:03:52
Speaker
Um, I think we were all having a pretty bad day to be honest. Um, and then it's just reported you know, that ah Eric Ramsey is leaving the club, taking a head coach job at what is this West Bromwich.
01:04:10
Speaker
Wes Bromwich Albion. I think my reaction when I read it on my phone was something along the lines of like, fuck me or something like that. Like it was like, I wanted to throw on my phone. I think I was walking a dog at the time. That's what I do for work.
01:04:26
Speaker
If you didn't know, I walk dogs for a living. um I wanted to throw my phone on the sidewalk because I was just like, we date was it announced? Not like officially announced, but like the rumor started happening.
01:04:41
Speaker
Wasn't it like last Wednesday? Yeah. It's like a week ago. Something like that. Yeah. It was like a week ago. and I'm like, I'm all geared up and happy. I'm playing this this gig on the East Coast. I'm excited.
01:04:56
Speaker
um And then as as I was packing, i get this. Oh, by the way. Eric Ramsey's going to West Brom. And I'm like, of course he's going to West Brom. yeah What i mean more reader could happen to this club?
01:05:16
Speaker
that That was the reaction. I was just like, wow. i addds that I thought it couldn't get any worse. I really, truly thought Ramsey was going to stay another year. But... I mean, we we can get into it. We can we can unpack it. um But ah I thought he would be staying longer. Like, I thought he was... He took this job to learn as much as possible. But I think... I don't know. I guess I'll share my thoughts first.
01:05:45
Speaker
ah I think this has to do with a lot of factors. Like, I think people are...
01:05:54
Speaker
I think people are kind of overblowing that, like, he he expressed public frustration that they couldn't get players in the summer transfer window. And the signings came really late in the window.
01:06:07
Speaker
Which... is a potential issue and I guess a potential rift between him and the front office. But also that's just kind of the story of a head coach with every front office is that they get frustrated that they don't get in the players that they want.
01:06:24
Speaker
That seems to be just kind of a thing that happens all the time. So I'm not putting as much stock into that as a combination of current events and And the fact that he gets linked with every job in England and is expected to be the next great manager in in England. Like, I know he's Welsh.
01:06:50
Speaker
um But it really seems like the the the football media in England, in the UK, are really like pushing him to be like, this this guy's the next big up-and-coming manager. Yeah.
01:07:08
Speaker
We knew he was going to leave at some point. um And I think from a combination of of of current events and, I don't know, maybe the relationship to the front office, I just think kind of accelerated things for him, where it's just like, if I get an offer from a comparable level club in the championship, I'm He probably was like, I think I've probably proved enough that I can, to myself and the footballing world, that I can leave a mark on a club and to get the most out of a roster.
01:07:47
Speaker
It's going to be very interesting to see what the style of play is when he takes over at West Brom. But Zoe, I'm curious to hear to hear your thoughts about it.
01:08:00
Speaker
We found something special in Eric Ramsey. Um, he was honest and forward, um, with not only the media, but the supporters.
01:08:14
Speaker
He took time to meet the supporters, which is not something that's very common here in the States. Um,
01:08:27
Speaker
I love the way the guy thought his ideas were great. He brought he brought sicko soccer to the masses. It's not every day that an American football manager, not an American football manager, but a football manager in the Americas ends up in the Guardian about tactics.
01:08:50
Speaker
Mm hmm. I liked the guy. um He brought in some great players, you know, helmed the best season um in Loon's history.
01:09:06
Speaker
um Really elevated us, and it kind of hurts to see him go so soon. i knew we would lose him eventually, like you said.
01:09:18
Speaker
the english media has made him out to be the next great european manager british manager yeah the british is the word i was looking for the next great british manager and will undoubtedly sometime in the next five to six years probably have a decent shot at a premier league coaching position um
01:09:49
Speaker
I'm happy for him. I know that he liked it here, but we won't go too much into it. But um life in Minnie right now is kind of terrifying.
01:10:04
Speaker
um Life in America is terrifying. Life in America is pretty terrifying. And even though they were at a high profile um person, um yeah, I wouldn't want to hang out in this country if I was a foreign national.
01:10:23
Speaker
I've gone on record saying that I hope that the FIFA World Cup 2026 is an abject commercial failure. because we deserve it. But we're not going to get too much into that topic. um I feel like there was maybe some tension with the front office. I believe he was probably frustrated that he wasn't able to seal the deal with some of the players he wanted to bring in, especially with that giant hunk of money we got for Tani.
01:10:56
Speaker
Um... in recent events was probably the last straw. If you see where he landed, West Brom is 18th out of 24 in the table in the championship.
01:11:10
Speaker
So, I mean, he's got his work cut out for him.
01:11:15
Speaker
I think he's going to do well. I think he's going to do well. Does this turn me into a bandwagon West Brom fan? no. no But I do want to see him succeed.
01:11:31
Speaker
And maybe one day he'll be coaching my Liverpool football club and we can turn him into a club legend. And I can say I watched him first. Diakena, have any thoughts?
01:11:44
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, on a personal note, I started watching the Loons mid-23, so just a little before Heath was let go.
01:11:57
Speaker
So most of my Loon experience has really been the Eric Ramsey era. I kind of joined right as, you know, the old guard was kind of heading out and the new guard was coming in. So for me, like...
01:12:11
Speaker
Minnesota United is Eric Ramsey. those So this is like big a big turning point for me personally in my kind of watching the Loons, but I agree with everything Zoe said. Like Eric was, like we've already said, super pragmatic tactically. He was able to squeeze out some really good results from a roster that was good, but definitely like not...
01:12:40
Speaker
you know where We don't make headlines in the way a lot of teams in MLS are doing now with the kind of money they're spending and the players they're bringing in. He's able to kind of do some really impressive things just by kind of getting everyone to put their nose to the grindstone, buy into an admittedly not pretty but very pragmatic vision of what they're going to do and how they're going to kind of squeeze out whatever results they can over the next year.
01:13:08
Speaker
um And you listen to him in press conferences and you get why players buy into it. He's just really articulate, really level headed. He can really kind of get you to see what he's trying to accomplish. Can literally speak their language too. Yeah, yeah. Speak several languages.
01:13:27
Speaker
you know He was apparently, when he came over, halfway through a PhD, which like doesn't surprise me at all. Just super smart guy, um really grounded. Also, I would add, he really seemed to enjoy the player development aspect. So like I brought up like a lot of guys under his watch really have taken big steps forward in their play. like We already talked about Tani.
01:13:53
Speaker
But, like, Carlos Harvey, Bong-Yi Longwane all, like, took huge steps forward, I think, under his management. Like, he really kind of helped round them out and put them – Joe Rosales had a great 24. Yeah, too.
01:14:08
Speaker
Yeah, so he really seems to enjoy and lean into like developing guys, seeing their potential and trying to bring it out, um which like is really you know tough. to you know A lot of managers just want completed products. He really seemed to be excited also by the development aspect as well.
01:14:29
Speaker
So just all around seemed like a great character. um you know, I agree. I think there's a lot of different factors that come together that make him eventually decide to leave.
01:14:41
Speaker
I'll be curiously watching West Brom just to kind of see how they do. They're kind of close to relegation right now, but I think they're far enough away. And I think...
01:14:53
Speaker
Eric, we if we learned anything over the last couple years, he knows how to raise a floor and kind of steady a ship and kind of hold a project together. He can grind results. Yeah, he is very good at just kind of asking what do i need to do just to get out the best possible result, not worry about like a trophy that's not happening this year.
01:15:19
Speaker
What do I need to do right in the here and now to kind of get this project steadied? And then in the, you know, this summer, maybe they'll kind of start working around. Which is curious because in his open letter to the fans,
01:15:34
Speaker
um he talked about the goal being a trophy. Yeah. So, i am I'm just curious what his expectation was.
01:15:44
Speaker
When did he decide that he wasn't going to stay with the club? is what i'm like Why would he release an open letter to the fans talking about the future of the club and wanting to strive for a trophy and then...
01:15:57
Speaker
what, like a week, a week and a half later, accepts a catch coaching job somewhere else, and he's just like, ah, psych, just kidding. There's no future with this club. I'm going somewhere else. Like, I'm very curious to know what the turning point was, like where it it exactly was, because reading that letter communicated to me as like, you know, this guy's invested in another year of the club. Like, he wants to, to you know, stay with the club.
01:16:25
Speaker
And that turned out not to be true. So, I don't really know what to make of that. I'm i'm curious what what ah what y'all... I do suspect, like Zoe hinted at it, that the political climate maybe finally kind of was a tipping point. You have to remember, he has a wife and very two very young kids, you know, and they're leaving, like... They left the day before, like, ICE went to a school and, you know, all the schools in the city had to be shut down. Like, I really...
01:16:58
Speaker
I don't think that's the only factor, but I think you know if he was maybe on the fence or weighing his options. Straw that broke the camel's. Yeah, absolutely. And i I don't blame him or, frankly, any you know anyone for deciding, like, hey, i I have a chance to get me and my family somewhere safer. like I'm going to take it. That's totally understandable. But I think there was...
01:17:22
Speaker
you know, maybe some frustration with, you know, how management was reconstructing the roster. He had to know, like, you know, he he's already lost his keeper. he's lost one of his key central midfielders. You know, he's spoken highly of Robbins.
01:17:39
Speaker
uh versatility that we were talking about um you know then you throw in dots and i don't think he and dotson had any hostility i think that was an office problem so i think he maybe feels like you're you know you're kind of gutting my team and you know maybe they'll start rebuilding around whatever cam and khaled want to do but you know Maybe there was kind of a long series of just frustrations and he decided, you know what, I've learned everything I can here.
01:18:15
Speaker
Because he came to MLS specifically because he said like and MLS managers tend to be given a bit of a longer leash. So I want to be able to kind of learn what it means to be a manager, but maybe he just kind of hit a point where he was like,
01:18:30
Speaker
i've I've spent two you know almost two full seasons here. I think I've learned what I can, um you know and it's time to take the next step. so Pour one out for Eric Ramsey.
01:18:45
Speaker
feel like the dude's kind of earned it. I respect the shit out of that dude. Like whenever I heard him speak and everyone is the same way, like all, the all of the reporters and the pundits that talk to him are all impressed with him. Like very, very, very impressed.
01:19:03
Speaker
And I was always impressed with him. um I am now very curious about where this team is going to to go. and Yesterday, it was yesterday, got right, was the official announcement. Yeah, yesterday we got our answer. Yeah, we got our answer that Cam Knowles, Cameron Knowles, who has been a part of this club for, i think, seven years, ah quite a long time, um is now the head coach of Minnesota United.
01:19:33
Speaker
A decision that I am actually quite excited about, but Zoe, I'm curious to hear your thoughts first.
01:19:43
Speaker
When I ah heard that Eric Ramsey was leaving, the club had two decisions. Either they go out and try to get another home run and find the quote unquote next Eric Ramsey, or they promote a proven coach who knows the organization knows a lot if not all the players in the organization and has proven themselves even in a small capacity able to win games in MLS um yes Cameron Knowles only coached three games um during the season before Eric Ramsey came but
01:20:32
Speaker
I was impressed by what I saw. um It does seem like this guy is very loyal to the club. And I appreciate when management is loyal to the club.
01:20:45
Speaker
I feel that also helps inspire players to want to stick around a little bit longer, which... When you are a mid mid to upper table club in MLS, there's going to be player turnover.
01:21:02
Speaker
um And I feel like this could potentially help us. um He seems like he's a great guy. um We don't really have to deal with the whole, yes, there's going to be a bit of a switch over. Yeah.
01:21:20
Speaker
I know that Cameron Knowles likes to play a very high pressing style of play. um Expecting a decently high level of fitness from his players on.
01:21:40
Speaker
Don't get me wrong.
01:21:43
Speaker
I love sicko soccer. And the fact that we were able to put our head, our our hat on that is, Hey, we're the team that's going to murder you to death. The set pieces from anywhere on the field. It was great.
01:21:58
Speaker
It was great fun to watch. Um, it is going to be a little bit different seeing this different style of play, but we have shown with a blot of the players that we have that we can play that style.
01:22:12
Speaker
Um, I think it will do um potential wonders for a defensive line.
Coaching Changes and New Appointments
01:22:22
Speaker
um Boxy's not young anymore. Let's be real. Boxy's going retire alone. a Legend.
01:22:33
Speaker
A legend. Like the first club legend. Yeah. um Damn it. If they don't make a fucking statue, going pissed because he deserves it.
01:22:44
Speaker
I need to get, i need, a it's it's time I get his name on the back of my, of my, ah of my black Minnesota United kit. My next kit will be a boxy kit.
01:22:59
Speaker
um i think that the high pressing style will benefit our defensive line not having to sit back and absorb and absorb and absorb um i definitely feel like cam null system very much falls on the shoulders of our midfield um and whether it's successful or not um
01:23:26
Speaker
I won't go deep into the tactics of it and the players we have, but yeah we can save that for our, our 2026 preview. Yeah. We'll save that for the 2026 season preview episode.
01:23:40
Speaker
But if I had to sum it all up, they had two options and they went with the safer option. And I think with how tumultuous this off season has been,
01:23:55
Speaker
I think that going with the safe option and a proven option in Cam Knowles was the right decision. Yeah, I think it'll be good, um especially with...
01:24:09
Speaker
you I think there's a lot of things up in the air at the moment. And I think keeping Cam on board will provide some level of continuity, which will probably help the players.
01:24:22
Speaker
um And I went back and watched like the highlight clips from the games where he coached and it You're right. it was It was fun to watch. like It was kind of chaotic, but like the high-press stuff was really fun.
01:24:37
Speaker
I don't know if that'll be exactly what he does. i think it'll depend, again, on kind of how the roster gets reorganized, but I'm looking forward to us maybe being a little more offensively focused. I think it'll... I'm kind of hoping...
01:24:52
Speaker
that it'll bring out more from players. you know We're bringing in Shonkali. Dominic Fitz was kind of quiet. We didn't see much of him, but I think you know that will benefit his style.
01:25:05
Speaker
um you know Maybe Julian Gressel gets more chances to provide service. Bongi Longwani gets to come up forward instead of having to play as like kind of a defensive player. backline person, i think Calvin Yeboah is going to have a lot more fun and we're probably going to get more out of him this year. You know, Nectario Triantis, obviously we know he's down to press and push people around.
01:25:30
Speaker
So I think it'll bring out more in some of the players we've brought in and hopefully also give our defensive line a little bit more of a break here and there, hopefully give Calendar a bit more space to breathe and hopefully just be something new, which I think we were going to get no matter what. But um yeah, i'm and I'm excited for Cam because he's kind of really slowly worked his way up through the ranks, first managing our next Bro Academy, then coming up.
01:26:01
Speaker
and getting the team kind of arranged for Ramsey's arrival. um You know, he's really been there for a while, and I think he deserves the shot to really kind of try and make his own project out of it.
01:26:15
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. It was 100% the right move. I think that's a consensus across across the punditry and amongst fans.
01:26:27
Speaker
um He deserves a shot. He's been ah a part of the organization for so long. um I do agree that I think the style of play was going to evolve regardless, even if Ramsey stayed on.
01:26:40
Speaker
Khaled referred to an evolution in the style of play, I think in the last time he was on the Sound of the Loons podcast. um He's really been pushing it, and the players are now saying it too. Boxall, I don't know if you listened to the latest episode of SoccerWise, but David Gosser interviewed him, and Boxall was referring heavy to using the ball more, having more possession, having like dominating the game in that sort of, and he was also referring to playing in a back four a lot.
01:27:14
Speaker
And that was my kind of inkling, not to get too much into the tactics, but I really do think this team is going to transition into a back four and in either 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 or something similar that.
01:27:27
Speaker
um and just play a more exciting brand of soccer that I think is going to be more exciting to watch at Allianz. I think you need to provide a product that is going to be appealing for fans to watch.
01:27:43
Speaker
um You know, winning is great. I love winning. And... it was really fun to see this club win a lot of games last season. But i think everybody agreed toward the end of the season. It was pretty grating to watch.
01:27:58
Speaker
um So I do think Cam Knowles is... poised to bring a more exciting brand of soccer and also think that's what the roster is built for. I think, Dayakena, you were referring to in in the Discord that when Khaled first was hired, the thing he was saying in interviews was...
01:28:20
Speaker
We want to play like a high-energy, high-pressing style of soccer, which is it's very modern, but it's also very popular in MLS for a reason. It's because you can get a lot of inexpensive players that are very fit, very athletic, to play a very high-energy style of soccer.
01:28:40
Speaker
That is maybe not as technical, but... is very, very effective, which I think is smart. It's also exciting to watch. It's also extremely versatile.
01:28:50
Speaker
And I think Cameron is genuinely is a coach that likes playing that way and has found a lot of success coaching that way as well and is obviously garnered a lot of respect and support from the players. Like even the reaction of like watching the team announcements of the reaction the team had and his, he seems very close with the players. Like he knows a lot of these guys extremely well.
01:29:17
Speaker
He's been here as long as Boxall's been here. Basically. think Boxall's been here a season or two longer, but we got two Kiwis in the organization that are,
01:29:28
Speaker
That are committed to the organization. And I think with everything that's happening with the occupation of the Twin Cities right now and all of the shit that is going on, having a guy that is dedicated to the community and dedicated to the club is the right move.
01:29:48
Speaker
And a figure that the players can rally around. And I think the club has an opportunity to really, really lean into community and lean into community support and be that beacon of togetherness for especially the especially the St. Paul, the Midway community is really fucking hurting right now.
01:30:12
Speaker
um as well as communities ah across minneapolis um and it's one thing i noticed that the it seems like the team has been very quiet about that and i feel like that's gonna start to change and they addressed it directly in the press conference today andy greeter asked the question hell yeah haled responded to it directly and saying you know you know They didn't take a ah strong stance one way or the other, but they it was clearly like what is happening is horrible, and we want to support each other, and we are in conversation of of how we can support.
01:30:48
Speaker
I want the club to lean more into it for sure. I think the club can do more. um And I hope they do. And i ah there's really a big opportunity for these players to rally around that sort of sentiment of like focusing on this is the club, this is the project.
01:31:06
Speaker
Cam is the guy. He's been a part of this kind of of this organization for so long. He's got a shot. It's now these players that have been in the organization that know him, proving to him that they're going to go out and fight for this guy. They're going to run through a fucking brick wall for this guy.
01:31:25
Speaker
And I really hope we see that. Really hope we see this team work really hard for Cam. I think he's easy to work hard for. And I hope he proves me right.
01:31:38
Speaker
Alrighty. I think that about does it for... Looking at the offseason, oh my god, has it been a long and tumultuous offseason and very emotionally taxing. um We are not going to go into what is upcoming for the 2026 season in this episode. Be on the lookout for that episode. i don't know how in-depth our previews are going to be. It's probably going to be more like big picture stuff. I do want to dive into the tactics. I do want to make predictions on how this team is going to play and how these different...
01:32:13
Speaker
um you know, players that are already in the roster are going to fit into it. And also potentially if we could add more to the roster. um But um we have just one more thing here. This is the section that I want to do at the end of the podcast where we just bring whatever's on our mind,
01:32:31
Speaker
onto the podcast if you're watching other soccer, if you're watching other sports, if you're playing video games, if you're watching movies, if you're listening to music, like what is your one more thing that you've been obsessed with that isn't Minnesota United that you want to bring to the table?
01:32:45
Speaker
I will go first as ah as a sort of example, but also, you know, I just have a talking point ready. i am trying to get into basketball. I'm trying to get into the NBA.
01:32:58
Speaker
I'm really trying. It's very nice that we have the Timberwolves, a very good, competent basketball team in the city now that I can really like, you know, ah really, um I'm kind of a Homer sports fan. If we're being honest, like you can be a wolves guy and being a wolves guy is cool in 2026. Yeah, exactly. It's nice when you have a player like Anthony Edwards on a, on your basketball team, that's pretty easy to like and pretty is pretty good. Like maybe one of the best in the league. Um,
01:33:27
Speaker
So yeah, I'm trying to do the work. I'm trying to seek out content so I can learn more about the tactics of the game and trying to... For me, the more I know about the like the building blocks of a sport, the more I tend to respect it and understand it.
01:33:43
Speaker
But boy, there are still some things about how the and NBA operates and... Like, playing music during play is very weird to me. I'm still trying to get used to them just playing music in the background.
Exploring Other Sports and Teams
01:33:57
Speaker
But also... yeah Yeah, I'm really trying to get into it. And I'm i'm starting to get into it. like I'm i'm like watching entire games and like starting to get a sense of how the game ebbs and flows and the different characters in the league and how the Minnesota roster is constructed and what their tactics are. um It's also really easy to root for Anthony Edwards. I think he's an extremely likable person.
01:34:23
Speaker
um which is nice. It's nice to have a ah likable franchise person. And who knows, maybe the Loons will sign someone similar to that. um The global football landscape is not really conducive to signing a really good superstar for a long period of time in MLS. Not unless they decide, like, you know, like Sonny from Spurs to go to LAFC. Yeah.
01:34:50
Speaker
It might be likely that Sonny just like finishes career his career in l LA if he likes it enough. like It seems like he's pretty invested in the project, so who knows? But that's my one more thing. Trying to get into the and NBA. Trying to get into basketball.
01:35:03
Speaker
Who wants to go next?
01:35:07
Speaker
Throw my hat in. i' um I'm going to have two. cheat on ah would like ah i would like to eulogize the death of Sicko Soccer in Minnesota. fun Rest in peace to Ramsey Ball.
01:35:25
Speaker
Rest in peace to Ramsey Ball. i loved Ramsey Ball. as I did it too. It was good. My one more thing i loved angry people on the internet calling it like terrorism soccer. just love it. I ate that shit up. I was like, yum, yum, yum, yummy. Keep going. Feed me with your tears.
01:35:48
Speaker
um Outside of obviously doing what I can to support our community in need right now.
01:35:59
Speaker
um My one more thing is...
01:36:04
Speaker
I've grown up in Minnesota my whole life. It's a hockey state for a reason. I've always been a wild fan, but God damn am I on this bandwagon. like yeah They're fun to watch play, and they actually score goals in lots of them now. And that's not something we used to have.
01:36:28
Speaker
And we have arguably probably the best top two defensive lines in the entire league.
01:36:40
Speaker
um know pretty now it's pretty fun it's fun to be a wild fan right now i think i think quinn hughes is still learning how he can best slot in and make everybody around him better i think the team's still finding out how to play with each other but i agree even in the process they're spanking good teams by like four goals It is it is sad that we did lose the Hughes Bowl. Yeah, we did not lose the Devils at all. But like, and they kind of have our number anyway. So like, eh.
01:37:16
Speaker
They're underperforming good team. At least that's what I've heard. I don't know jack shit about the East.
01:37:26
Speaker
They can be better. Yeah. And they can be better with who they have. And Billy G has said, hey, I have no problem going out there and making a slash. We've got cap space.
01:37:43
Speaker
this is This is the two to three year window. And the front office is 100% about going all in. and it's it's It's nice when your franchise goes for it. It's nice. It's exciting.
01:37:56
Speaker
It's nice. It's exciting. And for the love of God, before I die, could I please, please live in a Stanley Cup winning city?
01:38:09
Speaker
It's absolutely ridiculous that the state of hockey does not have a Stanley Cup. and It's a crime against sport. Mm-hmm. So yeah, my one last thing, 200% on
Closing Updates and Future Plans
01:38:23
Speaker
the wild bandwagon. Can let's go let's bring it home
01:38:29
Speaker
i cannot um Yeah, I've got other teams. I'm in Madison, Wisconsin, so I'm also watching mad i'm watching forward Madison kind of rebuild their roster. They just brought in in addition to their coach and ah team manager, to kind of help with roster building.
01:38:50
Speaker
We're putting together a women's team. It'll be the semi-pro league, but they are hoping – they They need to make some renovations to the stadium to get up to certain specifications, but they are hoping to get into the Super League, the professional women's league within the next couple years. So that's all fun.
01:39:09
Speaker
My other team I've been watching a lot is Bayern Munich, who are not even halfway through their season, and they're at a plus 51 goal differential. they're They're fun to watch. like I know we complain about like the lack of competitiveness of some European leagues, but they are fun to watch, and they are just burying teams. the On Sunday, they beat Wolfsburg 8-1, and they were scoring even in injury times. they they don't they They don't stop. They don't really care how high up they are. They just keep going.
01:39:45
Speaker
um they've they've just been a lot of fun to watch um they're not wait to watch them in champions league they're they're good there they're good watch them um they managed to grind out a win against uh psg i think the only team they've lost against this year's zovar is arsenal if i'm remembering correctly which tells you kind of what level they're on But they've been a lot of fun.
01:40:10
Speaker
And other than that, yeah, I'm doing a lot of studying because I have my big nursing board exam coming up. So good luck. You got this.
01:40:23
Speaker
Very nice. Well, I think that's about that about does it for our inaugural episode of Loon Calling. that this is This is it. the No more practice. We've done so many practice recordings. Funnily enough, Daikena has not made it to any of the practice recordings and then is just like showing up and killing it in the actual recording.
01:40:45
Speaker
It's almost like you do other podcasts or something like that. um Yeah, this was really fun. Looking forward to doing it again very soon. I thank you um everybody for listening. I hope you enjoyed us talk shop about Minnesota United. It's going to be exactly like this. It's probably going to be long. It's probably going to be a lot of people sharing their long-winded thoughts.
01:41:08
Speaker
But I hope it is obvious that we all very cared. We care very deeply about this club and think about this club a lot because we have a lot of things to say about it. So if you're in or may not be planning a Minnesota United tattoo at some point. Yeah, but that's the level. That's the level.
01:41:27
Speaker
um So if you're in for that ride, I hope you will subscribe. uh leave a like leave a review i don't know what platforms this is going to come out on so whatever the appropriate thing is if it's on apple podcasts leave a rating please that is really really helpful if it's on youtube leave a comment leave a like on spotify you can also review now too i think and leave comments on spotify podcasts um it would be amazing if you did so Yeah, I know. I know. A lot of people still use it, though.
01:42:00
Speaker
um Okay. Thank you very much, and we hope to ah catch you in the next episode of Loom Calling. Okay? Bye-bye.