2026 became Minnesota United's search for their true identity
2026 was all about a changing of the club's identity, for Minnesota United. Where they go from here depends on how they view this season.
(Note: I decided to do the "2026 in review" post today, in order to avoid being swayed by whether the Loons make the playoffs, or even win in the playoffs.)
This was not how Minnesota United planned for the 2026 season to go.
The Loons ended 2025 with a loss in the Western Conference semifinals, and a looming sense that they'd reached the outer limits of their potential, at least with their current makeup. Chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad had shaped a payroll that had endless flexibility, and manager Eric Ramsay had reduced the team's gameplan to the basics - bunker, counter, and take analytical advantages wherever possible.
It was an identity, to be sure, the strongest identity that the Loons have ever had as a club. But as pleased as they might have been with the short-term results - fourth place in the west, a club record for goal difference, a U.S. Open Cup semifinal, a memorable three-game playoff series victory - it felt like achieving more would require major changes.
