There were lots of reasons Minnesota United missed the playoffs in 2023, but one major one not only helped torpedo the team's season but also took some joy away from the fans.
After all, if the team doesn't win at home, the fans don't get to sing "Wonderwall" after the final whistle.
The Loons won just four home games in MLS last season, tied for ninth-fewest in league history (in 17-game home slates). This year, they've already equaled that four-win mark, along with three draws and just one loss.
"I know when I first came in here, it was one of the big, big talking points: will we able to turn [Allianz Field] into the positive that it should be?" said manager Eric Ramsay.
Minnesota takes on FC Dallas this weekend with a chance to already surpass last season's home win total — on paper an easy task, given that Dallas has failed to win a single match on the road this year and statistically has been one of the league's worst teams in 2024.
That said, Minnesota is missing nine players because of international call-ups. Dallas, meanwhile, had only two players called up who have played a combined 102 minutes in MLS this year.
That number for Minnesota? 5,965.
Throw in an injured player or two, plus defender Miguel Tapias being away all week to get his green card, and the Loons will need every bit of help they can get. For Ramsay, one potential resource is the crowd at Allianz Field.
Now, let's be honest: you won't find a player or a coach anywhere who doesn't automatically sing the praises of his or her home fans. It's automatic, it's ingrained. Fans have heard the same things said about full houses at Allianz Field they once heard Minnesota players and coaches say about 2,000 fans at the National Sports Center.
When you remember where Ramsay came to Minnesota from, though, the words do mean a little bit more. If there's anyone out there who's qualified to compare Allianz Field with Manchester United's legendary stadium, Old Trafford, without getting laughed out of the building, it's someone who's been a coach at both clubs.
"I think there's a lot of similarities to how it feels at [Old Trafford] and how it feels at the Allianz when the crowd gets behind the team, and you almost feel like you can't lose games," said Ramsay. "And obviously Man United are really well known for late comebacks and scoring goals late on in games, to flip the tide of games that 10 minutes ago seemed well out of reach."
If Manchester United was dominant in "Fergie Time," named for legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, then a few more Minnesota comebacks might see fans start searching for their own Ramsay-based nickname for the closing stages at Allianz Field.
The Loons have been losing at the 79-minute mark four times this year at home, but late goals have turned three potential losses into draws and one draw into a win.
Had they pulled out five extra points last season, Minnesota would have comfortably clinched a playoff spot.
Ramsay noted that other than the size of the stadiums, one of the biggest differences between English soccer and American soccer is the almost total lack of traveling fans for the away team. "[The crowd] is so skewed to being in your favor that you have to do everything to make the most of that," he said.
The manager said he will make substitutions that are in part designed to get the crowd back into the game — including by making several changes at once, to give both team and fans a lift.
"You almost feel like you're then entering into a different game," he said. "And the players know that as well. It really softens the blow to a player that finds themselves on the bench, to know that they can have those moments [about 60 minutes in] where they can come on, and either change the crowd, or feed the crowd."
The biggest challenge yet for the Loons and their fans, given the roster situation, will come Saturday night — but Ramsay is, against everything, still confident in Allianz Field. "I do feel like we are now getting to the point where it does feel like a fortress," he said.
