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Star Tribune: Transfer window, and Leagues Cup, return for MNUFC

The Secondary Transfer Window is open, and the Loons have needs. Plus, the Leagues Cup begins this week.

Someday, there may come a time when any coverage of the Leagues Cup, which Minnesota United begins on Wednesday night, doesn’t need to begin with an explanation of the tournament.

Given that this year’s edition is the fourth different format in six editions, though, we may not have yet reached that point.

Minnesota United enters the summer transfer window, which opened Thursday, still in the running for four trophies this season.

The Supporters’ Shield, given to the leaguewide regular-season winner, might be the tallest order, given that Minnesota sits in eighth place. But a defensively oriented team will always have a chance come tournament time, meaning the Loons — who are in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, start play in the Leagues Cup next week and are all but certain to make the MLS Cup playoffs at the end of the year — might be better positioned than most teams for trophy potential.

With forward Sang Bin Jeong’s trade to St. Louis City all but official last week, Minnesota United players said goodbye to their South Korean teammate before a training session Friday.

The Loons presented him with flowers, a pair of jerseys — one handed over by Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Jeong’s best buddy in Minnesota — and a whole lineup of team hugs.

Star Tribune: Minnesota United gives up lead, draws 1-1 with Portland

Jul 21, 2025

It’s not possible to say Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair is underrated, given that he was voted into next week’s All-Star Game by the fans. And it’s certainly not true, as a fan favorite, that St. Clair is underappreciated.

Maybe a better way of saying it is that, after so many matches in goal, St. Clair has been around for so long that it’s hard for everyone not to take him for granted. Another one-on-one save, another diving stop of a long-range blast: Fans have seen it all before from St. Clair.

GAME STORY: Loons miss another opportunity, allow stoppage-time goal in 1-1 tie at Portland

After his team gave up a stoppage-time equalizer to the Portland Timbers, Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay sounded like every Loons fan who had stayed up late to watch the game Saturday night.

“We have to be really annoyed at ourselves because over the course of the last two games, we’ve probably shown pretty much where we are, and why we are in the table, in the position that we find ourselves currently,” he said via video conference after the game at Providence Park in Portland, Ore. “We are a team that is very, very close to being one of the best, one of the most competitive on a really consistent basis, but we just can’t get over the line.”

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