OG was active on the bench for Amiens' match today, and subbed in for 10 uneventful minutes. https://www.fotmob.com/matches/amiens-vs-annecy-fc/kxvdqft#4513605 Players are usually withheld from matchday roster when transfers are imminent, right? Maybe negotiations still have a ways to go.

The mls store added this year's anthem jacket. One of the pictures shows the jacket unzipped with a a new looking light blue jersey underneath. Matches the description footy headlines had last month.

Welcome to Free Talk Friday!

Are you new and have questions? Do you have non-MNUFC related stuff you want to discuss? This is the place to do it.

Keep it civil. Don’t be a dick.

https://imgur.com/a/WLu2zYL

Preface: I'm tired of fighting this battle but I want our members to have a fair and equal voice in our community. That first poll posted by the mod team pissed me off because it completely blew off all the users that took the time to respond to the question regarding what to do with Twitter posts. They claim no politics are involved with their decision, but ignoring the obvious outcry to ban Twitter says otherwise.

So I posted a poll the other day because when the mods initially asked us what we felt needed to be done about Twitter, a majority of people said we should ban Twitter.

One week later the mod team posted a poll asking us whether we should ban all social media or none, nothing about what the majority of people replied, which was to ban Twitter.

So I posted a poll and the majority of people that voted said that we should ban Twitter. This is not enough for the moderator team, as many of our community members use old reddit. I tried to get them to post an external poll so that we could properly gauge what should be done about it, but I was dismissed and deflected.

So I decided people should decide for themselves what social media they want to see on this subreddit. There will be another link to a surveymonkey survey polling to see which social media should be allowed in our community.

What do you think Reynoso's legacy with the club will be? I know there is frustration and anger about him not showing up, but when he was here, he was arguably one of the best players we've ever had.

Does he deserve praise and a spot in Minnesota soccer history or would you prefer to never hear of him again?

(On a similar note, how do you feel about Brent Kallman? Wasn't the best player, but lasted a long time. Ruffled feathers with his stance on BLM.)

News broken in the STM newsletter they just sent out

official link

Wow...Franco subbed on in the second half for his new squad and bags the 92 min equalizer vs. Boca Juniors!

https://www.tycsports.com/video/boca-juniors/fragapane-puso-el-1-1-de-union-ante-boca-en-santa-fe-id807208.html

It sounds like Rey wants out of Mexico and that Talleres (Argentina) is negotiating with Tijuana (and MNUFC?!) on the terms. Rey scored the winner last week in a league match vs. Queretaro, but he did not travel yesterday for the club's match against Tigres.

https://www.topmercato.com/arg/1890360-refuerzos-talleres-bebelo-reynoso-se-planto-en-mexico-e-ilusiona-al-mundo-albiazul/

I will try to post updates as the team or others post.

Sofascore list the game as a friendly.

Apparently the team is playing two 60 minute games 45+15 halfves

Here is the message from my ticket rep.

“I just got word back from our ticket operations team, you can expect single-game supporter tickets for Inter Miami to be around $270 with fees included. However, pricing can change as this is a very dynamic pricing match. I would highly recommend getting tickets as soon as pre-sale opens up to get the best pricing. Please let me know if you have any questions.”

I was going to buy a couple extra tickets for my nephews…maybe not. Wow, I guess I wasn’t expecting the team to start at such a high price.

I hope you’re all doing well! I’m a 16-year-old male and I’m passionate about soccer and social media. ​I’m looking for opportunities to get involved with Minnesota United FC or the MLS in Minnesota, specifically in social media roles or related positions.​

About Me:

• Passionate about soccer and the growth of the sport in Minnesota.
• Familiar with platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
• Great communicator and eager to learn more about social media strategies.

What I’m Looking For:

• Internship or volunteering opportunities with MN United FC or MLS.
• Any guidance on how to apply or network within the industry.
• I would really appreciate any advice, resources, or potential contacts that could help me get my foot in the door. Thank you for your time!

Best Regards

From the poll that was posted it has become increasingly clear that our moderator, u/GloveElephant, is not listening to a voice in the community asking for Twitter only links be banned. Here is the "discussion" with our moderator. If we cannot have a fair vote in which social media we want banned then this is not a community in which represents us.

​

I am willing to ban all or no social media, that is not the issue. If the majority wants either one of these I will be quiet. But the fact is we are not able to have a fair vote on what we want in this subreddit and that is a glaring issue because of the moderators.

View Poll

https://www.youtube.com/live/BVVrCzsmJqQ?t=1585s

Based on the discussion, Bogert assumes the issue is money related. Trade within MLS would be similar to Delgado going to LAFC (400-500k GAM + plus signing the big contract Dotson wants). Possible landing spots: San Jose, Orlando and other speculations.

Eric Ramsay quote: "We're obviously not going to sign five, six, or seven players, but fingers crossed, we end up with a couple of guys that are going to come in and really push the guys that we have already,” Coach Ramsay said. “I think we've got a good base. But of course, we need more depth, and we need players that are going to threaten to challenge what was the starting set of players last year. So fingers crossed, in the coming days and weeks, we see a bit of movement, and I think then we'd be happy with how the group works.”

Based on this, it sounds like Keller, Romero, Ho-Yeon and Gene will be our signings this winter plus whoever makes it from the draft.

Also no indications for the RSL game would be broadcast online or anywhere else.

https://www.mnufc.com/news/preparations-continue-in-santa-barbara-sun

hi, I’m a Polish Loons and representative of AmerykańskaPiłka, a Polish portal dedicated to USMNT and MLS. Every year, we publish a MLS guide, and this year it will be printed again. We've added a new theme to this year’s guide because our plan is to interview passionate fans from each team about topics like matchday traditions, away days, tips on how to enjoy a match to the fullest, and include this in the guide. If we gather enough content, it will also be featured on the guide and our website. Here are the questions we’re asking:

1. What does matchday mean to you, which match are you most excited for, and what’s your best memory from away games?
2. what do the team colors mean to you, your experiences, traditions, how long you've been a fan, and when did you join the supporters' club?
3. Practical tips for European fans—what’s a typical matchday like, how to get to the stadium, where to stay, when to arrive, how to find the supporters' section, where to eat and drink, any specific spots where fans gather, is there a pub/bar, and what are the must-see places in the area around the stadium?
4. Is there any other sports team in the city worth checking out when we come for an MLS game?
5. Do you have a dedicated fan shop—does it exist at the stadium? Is it possible to tour the stadium? Is there a club museum?
6. Are there different supporters’ groups? If so, can you share a little bit about what makes each one unique?
7. Any special tips for newcomers? Which opponents should we go see, and which ones might not be as exciting? What are the prices for different matches?
8. Is there a chance to see how the supporters' groups prepare their tifo or banners?
9. If you have any other ideas, I'd love to learn something new

Any chance you think they will send a camera man out there for us? Audio broadcast mayhaps? What do you think will be the starting lineup?

So if we get gene, romero, and ho-yeon I will be very impressed with this window. The team is filling much needed spots at cb,8,6 and getting young players to do it. Love that.

BUT,

Does anyone else think we still have a glaring hole at Right back? I just don't think dj or kmet are MLS starting quality. Dj did improve as the year went on but even at his peak I feel like we need someone at rb/rwb with a much higher ceiling.

These are also posted on my Ko-Fi and Buymeacoffee pages. They are free to view and are formatted a bit better including graphs visible right in the post.

https://ko-fi.com/post/Owen-Gene-Thoughts-and-Analysis-W7W219KCMD

https://buymeacoffee.com/tyler735/owen-gene-thoughts-analysis

Overview of Owen Gene

It looks like we are close to bringing in Owen Gene, a young talented Defensive Midfielder. Which has been something many Minnesota United fans have been hoping to see over the past few years. Owen Gene plays for Amiens in Ligue 2 (France). While he's only 21 years old, he already has over 100 appearances for Amiens. He isn't a household name yet, so I'd imagine many Minnesota United fans are currently wondering "who is Owen Gene", and what does he bring to the table.

As mentioned, Owen has already been playing with Amiens for quite some time despite his younger age. He initially played as a Right Back/Right Wingback type player for Amiens. He showed some flashes, but never really grabbed ahold of that position. During the 23/24 season for Amiens, he switched to more of a Defensive Midfielder position. He also made an appearance for the u20 French National team in 2023 as a Midfielder. 

His switch to more of a Midfield role has been nothing short of a revelation for him. He grabbed ahold of that spot during the 23/24 season for Amiens and has become a key player for them. During his first season in that role, he won player of the month for Amiens 3 times (Nov 23, Jan 24, Feb 24). He came into the 24/25 season with very high expectations at Amiens. There was even talk this past summer of a potential move to Ligue 1 (France) with Strasbourg and Angers both showing some interest in Owen Gene, but a deal never came to fruition. Amiens was rumored to be asking for around $2-$3 million for him.

The 24/25 season has been a bit more up and down for Gene. He has still had several quality performances as a Defensive Midfielder for Amiens, but there has also been some inconsistency at times as well. Some reports mentioned he's been caught out of position at times, which has put his team in some tough spots. In the grand scheme of things, this sort of thing is to be expected (to an extent). It's important to remember he is still only 21 years old and developing as a player. Playing as a Defensive Midfielder is a tough position as errors at that spot often times stick out more than at other positions. 

What does this all mean for MNUFC?    

Assuming everything gets finalized as planned over the next couple weeks, what should Minnesota United fans expect with Owen Gene and how will he fit into the squad? As mentioned before, he's 21 years old playing a very difficult position as a Defensive Midfielder. I think he comes into a very good situation here with Minnesota United. We recently resigned Wil Trapp, who has been our primary Defensive Midfielder over the past few seasons. 

I think this is a very beneficial thing for Owen Gene. Trapp is a player that has divided Minnesota United fans a bit during his time here, but few would question some of Trapp's best qualities that he brings to the table are his leadership and professionalism. I have no doubt that Trapp will take Owen Gene under his wing this year. While Trapp may not be the long term answer for us at Defensive Midfielder at 32 years old, he can definitely help take some pressure off Owen Gene if he's not quite ready to start for us as the 2025 season gets closer. 

It will remain to be seen if Owen Gene will come in and immediately grab hold of the starting spot as our Defensive Midfielder, but the bigger point here, is that we are set up in a way that he doesn't have to be that guy (right away this season). I do believe Owen Gene brings a ton of talent and think he will be our starting Defensive Midfielder (Likely at some point in 2025).

Strengths/Weaknesses

Between reading all sorts of reports on him, and watching every bit of game footage and highlights I could come across, here's what I know about his style of play.

Strengths-

• Athleticism- He possesses a ton of range for a Defensive Midfielder. His long strides can look deceptive at times, but he covers a ton of ground in a hurry. This will be one of the most noticeable differences between him and Wil Trapp who has never been known for being the most "fleet of foot".
• Defensive Abilities- He has shown with Amiens that his ability win tackles, duals, intercept the ball, and block shots is very good.
• Versatility- He has played in roles as a Right Back/Right Wingback along with playing in the Midfield. 
• Passing- He has shown he can be a factor in the buildup with a solid range of passing. He also at times shown some nice passes in the final third leading to scoring chances for Amiens. 

Weaknesses-

• Positioning- As mentioned above, he's been caught out of position at times this season, which has led to some inconsistencies in his performances.
• Ball Control- He has been dispossessed a little more than you'd like to see from a Defensive Midfielder. In looking at his advanced metrics, it appears to be an area that could definitely improve, but isn't a huge "liability" either. 
• Shooting- He has scored 1 goal in his 100+ appearances with Amiens. He looks to have a "powerful" shot, but doesn't really make an impact as a goal scoring threat from range. 

Advanced Metrics vs Wil Trapp over the past 2 seasons

[These graphs can be seen on the links for my Ko-Fi and Buymeacoffee pages on here since I can't attach them to Reddit posts]

It's never a perfect comparison as these players are playing in different leagues and in different systems, but a few things do jump out in these graphs. 

From 2023 to 2024, Wil Trapp's "Errors" improved quite a bit. I do think a big factor in this was Ramsay's system change, which likely is a bit more friendly for Defensive Midfielder's using a 3 CB formation vs Heath's preferred (4-2-3-1) formation. For a young Defensive Midfielder like Owen Gene, I think this should help ease that transition a bit in Ramsay's system where he likely won't have as much pressure on him and should have more "outlets" when needed.  

Another thing that immediately jumps out is the difference in "Defensive Contributions". In looking at both seasons, Owen Gene has a significant edge in Tackles, Interceptions, Shots Blocked, Clearances. Passing is another area the seems to stand out as an advantage for Owen Gene. 

Clips and Highlights of Owen Gene

https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxiakPAWBv-HCoRmfEBUfOfPSNgzYcHJZb

Thought this was a great example of the defensive reliability that Owen Gene can bring. He's isolated as the last defender on a counterattack in a 1v1 situation. He maintains good position throughout and when the attacking player attempts to cut in and shoot, he is able to quickly change directions and block the shot eliminating what was a very good attacking chance. 

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxsjIYQ0EFCdVgjtihBDjaSXQ_Nxjrteao?si=cKYveKnF1bKXLNIV

Another excellent bit of 1v1 defending from Owen Gene. Such a clean takeaway followed by a pass to get his teammate in position to take a shot.

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx9G-bLHZ50E745J8aHWjlXsFN0v4U3WVR?si=E34NRh3F7t6IzgDt

Shows off his athleticism a bit with this run forward. Nearly connects with his Striker on the ball he puts in. With his athleticism and background playing as Rightback/Right Wingback, I think the could provide another element to his game that we don't really see from Trapp with these runs forward. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0b6k2Xrkpg

Seems like a major sponsor no longer aligns with the club’s mission around inclusivity. My jersey will look a little different this year.