Call it summer football.
Over the next five weeks, the ball will bounce from the National Sports Center in Blaine to Allianz Stadium in St. Paul.
The USA Youth Cup, featuring players and referees from 20 countries, kicks off on Friday morning and the Minnesota United game is one of six games in July. Then there’s the MLS All-Star Game in the Twin Cities downtown next month.
And don’t forget Minnesota Aurora’s successful season leading to new USL W playoffs next week and the visit of old friend Everton from the Premier League.
“Well, there’s a lot of options if you want to watch some really good football,” Lons coach Adrian Heath said.
Minnesota United in a tumultuous July
The Loons’ game in Vancouver on Friday will be the second in this busy month. Four of those six games in July will be at home for a team that hasn’t played a domestic league game in five weeks from the end of May until Sunday’s home game against Real Salt Lake.
The Loons have won their last two games – LA Galaxy to end a three-game wild ride and at home to RSL – after winning one of their previous eight MLS games and missing the playoffs.
“We have a lot of games at home,” Heath said. “At the end of July, we’ll have a really good idea of where we’re at.”
The US Cup brings them back
The annual youth tournament welcomed the world to Blaine’s football pitches from Friday to July 16 with international teams returning for the first time since 2019.
This time, over 950 teams will play more than 2,300 matches over the course of eight days. Opening ceremony at the NSC Stadium on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Two teams from Ukraine will compete – U-16 and U-14 girls. The FC Minaj Boys Academy team is traveling from Latvia, where they sought refuge from the war at home.
Todd Johnson, executive director of the National Security Council, said the presence of Ukrainian teams “will bring hope to all teams participating in this life-changing event.” To learn more or to donate to the team’s travel and living expenses, visit usacup.org/ukraine.
Minnesota Aurora shines
Minnesota’s entry into the new USL W brought a huge home crowd and the Heathland title with an undefeated season (9-0-1) heading into the final two games of the regular season in Green Bay.
He sold out three of his six home games and led the league with an average of more than 4,500 in attendance in a season coach Nikol Lukic described as “unbelievable.”
Aurora hosts a quarterfinal game Wednesday night at TCO Stadium in Eagan.
Friendly among Everton friends
A proper Premier League side arrive at the Allianz Stadium for a friendly on July 20 against Lons and Heath, Everton players through and through. He scored 93 goals in eight seasons there.
A memorable extra-time goal was included in the 1984 FA Cup goalless semi-final that saw Everton win their first title in 18 years.
“Everybody knows how I feel about them,” Heath said. “I’m really looking forward to it and being the biggest fan. It changed my life going there a long time ago.”
2022 MLS All-Star Game
Stars will be released on August 10.
Minnesota United’s $250 million prize money to build the magnificent Allianz Stadium brings the league’s best and most famous players to St. Paul to play the same from the top of LIGA MX in Mexico.
There’s Khaleda’s concert in downtown Minneapolis on Monday, the Allianz Skill Challenge on Tuesday night, Wednesday night’s game and other festivities like the recently announced MLS Next Pro game for the Blaine Stars, also on Aug. 10.
As hometown and team coach, Heath has 12 players to select from the MLS roster, and has indicated he believes Emmanuel Reynoso, Dane St Clair and Robin Lawd all deserve it.
“The three who might have a chance – and they will have a better chance because I have the right to vote. So we’ll see.”
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