Alternate History Sports / Minnesota Soccer Association

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 6/12/2021 11:30 pm

Beginnings
In 1984, Johnny Olson had the idea of uniting 12 of Minnesota's biggest soccer clubs in 1 league. The Minnesota Soccer Association was formed, and the league began play in 1985. These same 12 clubs still make up the league today.

Clubs
Lift Bridge SC (Stillwater)
Club Rondo (St Paul)
Pigs Eye Landing SC (St Paul)
Fairgrounds Club (St Paul)
The Cities FC (Bloomington)
Minneapolis City
Dinkytown SC (Minneapolis)
The Mills FC (Minneapolis)
Edina Athletic
Duluth 1857
Med City AC (Rochester)
Napoleon Athletique (St Cloud)

Uniform Template
[size=100]Team logos and uniforms coming soon[/size]

League Format
[size=100]Every team plays the 11 other teams 2 times each, once at home and once on the road, totalling 22 games. 3 points are earned for a win, 1 for a draw, and none for a loss. After the first 22 games are over, the league's top 4 enter the playoffs. The first round is a 2 leg series, the #1 seed plays the #4, and the #2 plays the #3. The finals are a best of 3.[/size]

So where are we starting?

I'm going to start this at the beginning of the 2021 season, and occasionally touch on the history of the league. Every season's results will be in a google doc linked below. Here we go...

20-21 Offseason
The 2020 season ended with a bang, as cinderella story Club Rondo jumped from the 7 to the 4 seed on the last 2 game days of the season. The team hadn't won a Olson Cup since 2008, so they had something to fight for in the playoffs. They drew their formidable cross town rivals Pigs Eye Landing SC in the first round, only the 3rd ever playoff I-94 Derby. Rondo won the series with an aggregate score of 3-1, advancing to their first finals since 2008. They would have to face the previous season's champions, Edina Athletic, in the final. The teams split the first 2 games of the series, bringing it back to Edina for the season finale. Club Rondo went up 3-0 in the first 45 minutes, but Edina quickly brought the game to 3-2 in just 20 minutes. Edina marched down the field in extra time, with 4 minutes being added to the 2nd half. Their star striker (and upcoming free agent) Cory Nelson put a screamer top corner barely beating Rondo's goalkeeper. The game was going to extra time. In the 113th minute, a shot deflected off a Rondo centerback landed right in front of Nelson's feet, and he scored the easy tap-in. Edina were champions, but tensions were brewing within their locker room. Cory Nelson was unhappy with the team, despite leading the league in goals and assists. He made it clear to management that he would not be returning to the club the next season. The bidding war began on January 10th, the start of free agency. The Mills FC, the league's richest club, made the first large offer for Nelson. However, he settled on St Paul as his landing spot, joining Pigs Eye for the following season. Meanwhile in Rochester, Med City were eager for the debut of their star youth academy winger, Braxton Smyth. At only 17 years old, Smyth was already one of the most skilled players on the team according to their manager. However, here were rumors of Napoleon Athletique preparing to offer to buy out Smyth's contract once he became eligible (In the MSA, players can only be bought once the player turns 18). In the cities, the struggling Dinkytown SC were looking to make a move. The club had not finished in the league's top 6 since 2014, and not made the playoffs since 2010. Their front office believes that they will field a talented team in 2021. Lift Bridge SC's Alejandro Luis, their big signing from the 2017 offseason, may be unhappy with the team. After signing out of Mexico's 2nd division, he was expected to be a key piece on a contending team. Luis played great football, but his club still wasn't able to put it all together, not finishing better than 3rd since he joined them.

2021 Projected Top 4
1. Edina Athletic
2. The Mills FC
3. Club Rondo
4. Pigs Eye Landing SC

First team design to drop will be The Mills FC, stay tuned.

oh also does anyone know how to stop the size and italic things from showing up at the start/end of paragraphs?

Last edited by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_ (6/13/2021 9:04 am)

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 6/13/2021 9:23 am

The Mills FC
[size=75]Minneapolis Minnesota
"The Bees"

[size=125]Logo[/size]

Home Kit
The Bees home kit features their iconic yellow and black hoops, the design feature they got their nickname from. General Mills sponsors the team, using the Cheerios brand on the jersey. This is the uniform the team has worn for all 4 of their titles.

[size=125]Away
[size=75]Their away kit is a simple black jersey with yellow cuffs and black pants. The team changes between yellow and black socks depending on the opponent.[/size][/size]

Alternate[/size]

[size=75]The Mills alternate is possibly the most famous alternate in the league. The team's white and purple kit is sponsored by Paisley Park, which was the home and recording studio of Prince.

[size=125]Team History
[size=75]Founded in 1924, The Mills FC was first made up of a group of mill workers that played soccer on off days. In 1930, the club won their first Minnesota's Cup. This would mark the beginning of a storied history. The team moved into their stadium, Mills Ground, the next year. The Mills would win 6 Minnesota's Cups before the cup ended in 1980. In the 40's their rivalry against Fairgrounds Club started, which grew into the most heated rivalry in the state. The State Fair Derby is contested every year during the state fair, at the Fairgrounds Clubs' Gopher Field. This game is usually the biggest game of the MSA season, and was the biggest game in Minnesota soccer before the MSA came in 1985. In 1997, the State Fair Derby was contested in the MSA Olson Cup finals. The Mills swept Fairgounds Club in 2 games, winning their first Olson Cup. The team would repeat the next season. They would also win Olson Cups in 2005 and 2013. In the mid 2010's the Bees hit all time lows, finishing in the bottom 6 in '15, '16, and '17. In the last 2 seasons they have found their ways again, making the playoffs both seasons.[/size][/size][/size]

**Posted by ProsecutorMilesEdgeworth** 6/13/2021 9:30 am

We start out with a great look here! The Mills has that classic vibe, and the General Mills sponsor just makes sense. And those Prince alts look so good. There’s some extremely bright hope for this league mate! Good work!

**Posted by Section30** 6/13/2021 10:48 pm

Super excited to see another Minnesota thread!

I love the team names and can't wait to see how they all look. The Mills are class and that Prince third kit is gorgeous!

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 6/14/2021 11:35 am

The Cities FC
=14.625pxBloomington, Minnesota
The Twins

Logo
=14.625pxHome

[size=75]The Cities' Home uniforms are a classic for them, a light blue jersey with a white outlined sash. These uniforms are almost unchanged from their originals

[size=150]Away
[/size][/size]
The Cities' Away uniform has also remained almost unchanged since their beginning. The team has worn a racing stripe on the road since their founding, with the majority of these uniforms being all navy blue with white stripes.

[size=150]Alternate[/size]
The club's alternate uniform is their place to experiment. Their alternates change every 2 years, and rarely feature team colors, but this year is an exception to that rule.

Team History
The Cities FC were founded as a club to bridge the gap between St Paul and Minneapolis, and leave their rivalry behind to become one. They first started play in 1973, playing their games at Metropolitan Stadium. In the 1980's when the Twins and Vikings moved out of the met, The Cities stayed. They reduced the stadium's capacity, and renovated it heavily since then. The club has rarely seen much success, winning the last ever Minnesota's Cup in 1980, and 1 Olson Cup in 2003. In recent years they have stayed near the middle of the table, rarely going to the playoffs but never getting to the bottom 3.

**Posted by Section30** 6/14/2021 10:52 pm

I like the kits for The Cities, but I think that their logo is way too thin and would be almost impossible to see from any distance

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 6/17/2021 1:46 pm

Pigs Eye Landing SC
St Paul, Minnesota
Founded 1933
"The Hogs"

=21.9375pxLogo

Home

Away
Alternate
Inspired by the Minnesota Wild's Reverse Retro, Pigs Eye throws back to the Minnesota North Stars for their alternate. Heres the crest on the front, because I thought it was pretty cool.

[size=150]Team History
Ever since Pig Eye Landing SC's founding, they have been trying to one up The Mills. Despite Fairgrounds Club and The Mills having the most heated rivalry in Minnesota, Pigs Eye and The Mills' Mississippi River Derby hasn't been to far behind. The Mississippi River Derby is the most played derby in Minnesota's history, with the teams meeting every year since Pigs Eye's founding (Not counting games cancelled because of WWII). The derby would be played in back to back Minnesota's cup finals, in 1973 and 1974, with both teams winning one. Pigs Eye remains one of the more successful teams in the league, having won 4 Olson Cups since the MSA's founding. For the 2021 playing of the Mississippi River Derby, both The Mills and Pigs Eye will throwback to the 1973 Minnesota's Cup Finals with their uniforms.

The Mills

Pigs Eye
[/size]

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 6/24/2021 10:45 pm

MSA 2021 WEEK 1

[size=75]The 2021 MSA season got underway with an exciting week of games, highlited by The Mills FC battling Pigs Eye Landing SC in the Mississippi River Derby on Sunday night. Every single team in the league played this week[/size]

=19.5pxFriday, May 14th, 2021
=14.625pxThe Cities @ Fairgrounds Club (1-1 Draw)

=19.5pxSaturday, May 15th, 2021
=14.625pxDinkytown FC @ Minneapolis City (City wins 1-0)
Med City AC @ Napoleon Athletique (Med City wins 3-2 in extra time)
=14.625pxLift Bridge SC @ Duluth 1857 (Duluth wins 2-0)

=19.5px=14.625px=21.9375pxSunday, May 16th, 2021
Edina Athletic @ Club Rondo (Rondo wins 2-0)
The Mills FC @ Pigs Eye Landing SC (Draw 1-1)

The big story of the week was the dramatic Mississippi River Derby on Sunday night. The Mills opened scoring with a goal in the 18th minute, and held that lead until the 81st. Perhaps getting too comfortable, they let Pigs Eye score on a counter attack, tying the game at its final score.

Last edited by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_ (6/24/2021 10:45 pm)

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 8/24/2021 2:50 pm

wow, its been a while

anyways, here's MSA Week 2.

Friday, May 21st, 2021
Med City AC @ Dinkytown FC (Med City wins 1-0)
Edina Athletic @ Fairgrounds Club (Edina wins 3-1)
The Mills @ Lift Bridge SC (The Mills win 4-0)

Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
Napoleon Athletique @ Minneapolis City (City wins 2-0)
Pigs Eye @ Club Rondo (I-94 Derby, 1-1 Draw)
Duluth 1857 @ The Cities (The Cities win 1-0)

League News: Lift Bridge SC's all star midfielder Enrique Rondon was injured early in their match on Friday night, he will be out for about a month. The I-94 Derby was relatively uneventful, with Club Rondo drawing 1-1 with Pigs Eye.

**Posted by _Kirill_97_Kaprizov_** 8/14/2022 1:58 pm

Dinkytown SC

Dinkytown SC was founded in 1927 by University of Minnesota alumni and students. The club competed in their first Minnesota's Cup tournament in 1940. They never won a Minnesota's Cup before the founding of the MSA, and have only one a single cup since. The club was exclusively for U of M alumi and students until 1980, when the club turned professional and was opened up to everyone. The club still has a relationship with the university, with the university's health department sponsoring their shirts. The arch in darker maroon on the crest is from Memorial Stadium, the Gophers original home, and the arches were added in 2010 to represent TCF (now Huntington) Bank Stadium. The club splits time between Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium (Home of Gophers womens soccer) and Huntington Bank Stadium.

Home Kit:

The home kit is traditonally maroon with gold collar and sleeve cuffs, with the pattern changing every season.

Away Kit:

The away kit is always designed by a U of M student whos design is chosen by the club via a contest. This is the club's 3rd pink kit in their history.

Third Kit:

The club's third kit is a Nike teamwear kit, used for 1 match against Pigs Eye and 1 match against Duluth. Both on the road.