With Minnesota Blizzard winning the qualifier on Friday, the line-up for the 2026 edition of the Minnesota Super Cup is complete.
While the tournament doesn't yet have a prize pool, we have confirmed that the winner could be considered to represent Minnesota at the USASA Tournament of Champions.
Group A features the Minnesota United FC Academy side, defending champions Minneapolis City SC (who are also defending division champions in USL2) and Blizzard.
Minnesota United's roster will obviously be very young, but the constitution is probably something they don't want to share ahead of time.
Minneapolis City, on the other hand, is an open book.
There is the usual focus on Twin Cities metro talent, although this perennial challenger also has Iowans, Wisconsinites, and a couple of international recruits, indicating a slow shift away from their well-practiced model of hyper-local recruitment.
The Blizzard are pretty much playing year round now, although the availability of college students early in their outdoor season put a predictable pressure on the club. Having forfeited a rescheduled Amateur Cup game, the team returns to its outdoor base of Lakeville, having won against Vlora FC before scheduling forced a forfeit.
Even if they hadn't had to win an extra game, this group looks like a tough ask for the qualifiers and is most likely to go the way of either MNUFC or the Crows.
Group A's first fixture is on 22nd May, with Minneapolis City playing the young Loons.
10 June sees MNUFC hosting Blizzard, and a week later, the Crows host the team from the South Metro.
Group B features Rochester FC of USL League Two, 18x26 Academy of UPSL Premier and St. Paul Blackhawks of UPSL.
RFC is a balanced and diverse squad, with three kids who went through high school in the city and yet six different nationalities other than American.
Group play starts on the 29th of May, with RFC hosting 18x26.
Action returns on the 10th of June when the Blackhawks play 18x26.
Finally, RFC hosts the Blackhawks on the 21st of June.
An offensive force, the St Paul Blackhawks' locally-focused squad lists 11 forwards and 12 midfielders.
Also out of the Twin Cities, the 18x26 Academy squad has a defensive focus but the Academy has shown its potential to cause trouble, knocking out the Crows on the way to the 2024 Minnesota Super Cup trophy.
The two group winners will meet at Augsburg University's Edor Nelson Field for the tournament title.
