Written By Nicolas Hallett
About one month since the season ended dramatically, Minnesota United is already preparing for the next North American Soccer League (NASL) campaign.
The Loons dominated the regular season and finished atop the standings, but were bounced in the playoffs by the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in a controversial semi-final that ended in penalty kicks.
The Loons announced on Thursday that they had made a flurry of roster moves. The moves were of the contractual nature, either extending them or cutting them. The ink was flowing in Blaine as United extended the contracts of 13 different players. Most notable among them were Justin Davis, Tiago Calvano, Pablo Campos and Christian Ramirez.
Davis and Calvano are members of the Loons defense and were both chosen as part of the NASL Team of the Season. With them under contract, United returns all of its defensive starters from last season. Forwards Campos and Ramirez have combined to score 34 goals for United over the past two seasons. Campos was the main man in 2012-13 but barely featured this past year due to a major knee injury.
With the Brazilian out, Ramirez grabbed the starting role by the scruff of the neck and played spectacularly, scoring 20 goals. In his first season in the league, the 23-year-old won the NASL Golden Boot (top scorer), Goal of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Ramirez would be Minnesota’s best soccer player if it weren’t for his teammate (and roommate) Miguel Ibarra.
United revealed that Ibarra, who has become a full member of the United States Men’s National Team in recent months, was among the few not re-signed as he was already under a multi-year deal. Featuring for the national side and being named NASL MVP had many questioning if Ibarra would stick around. Other teams have made the call, but it appears United is holding strong.
This, of course, could be contingent on whether or not United (and the Minneapolis market) are selected to be the latest Major League Soccer franchise. Ibarra’s skill is at that level, so if Minnesota makes the jump, they’ll need him.
The biggest takeaway from all this is the important re-signings made by the Loons — they’ve kept the core of a great team in place. It also hints at the next thing to look out for: additions. United chopped three players — Omar Daley, Pedro Mendes and Michael Reed — leaving plenty of space on the roster.
The Loons are known to be among the most aggressive in the transfer market among NASL teams so the additions they make in the coming months will be intriguing, but they will also hint at the future of the organization. If, for example, United believed it was joining the MLS soon, then a few marquee transactions may be in order. We’ll see.
Until then, NASL’s best team during the season locked all its major pieces in place.
| Nicolas Hallett is a staff writer for 105 The Ticket. He recently graduated from the University of Minnesota and has written for the Murphy News Service, the Minnesota Daily and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Follow him on Twitter @NicolasHallett. |