Those who like to read between the lines can find some very interesting fodder from a Twin Cities soccer event that took place Monday.
Last night, members of the Dark Clouds — a die-hard fan supporter group for the local Minnesota United soccer club — held their "Supporters Summit" at the new Surly complex in Minneapolis. Interestingly, both the owner of United (Dr. Bill McGuire) and the team president (Nick Rogers) were also in attendance. And most interesting of all is what McGuire and Rogers were wearing as well as what McGuire reportedly said.
The backdrop for this, in case you did not know, is that United and the Vikings have been vying for an MLS franchise in Minnesota. The Vikings would have the team play in their new stadium; the United group would build a new soccer-specific stadium. Minneapolis is considered a frontrunner, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke very highly recently of United.
But United folks have been very quiet about their pursuit of a franchise, so a report from last night's event is quite interesting.
Dr. Bill McGuire and team president Nick Rogers were each wearing two scarves that night – one for their team Minnesota United, and a second scarf from last year's MLS Cup. At the end of the evening Dr. McGuire addressed the room full of Dark Clouds by sharing his vision for soccer in Minnesota:
"What we're trying to do, and as you know we are pretty quiet about this, is fairly straightforward. We're trying to do something that will bring soccer to the community at an increasingly higher professional level and make your bus trips from the Nomad (a soccer bar located just East of Downtown Minneapolis) shorter."
It's a bit cryptic, to be sure, and it's not a victory speech indicating United — which currently plays in the second-tier North American Soccer League — has won the right to have the franchise. But even if McGuire didn't specifically say MLS, he's clearly alluding to the league, while the reference to a shorter bus trip is a clear reference to a new stadium in Minneapolis as opposed to United's current home in suburban Blaine.
Saying even that much could be an indication that we are getting closer to an announcement that MLS is, indeed, coming to Minneapolis and that the United group will be the one bringing in the team. That would be consistent with rumblings we've heard in recent weeks.
