Loons host Atlanta in 10 year in MLS anniversary match

Wednesday night in St. Paul is a special night for supporters of Minnesota United as well as some media and the club. It celebrates 10 seasons in MLS of "the team that nobody wanted" as the Dark Clouds chanted the day the club announced they were accepted into MLS. Back in 2017 the Loons home debut (Snowpener 1) was against Atlanta United in what ended up being a massive 6–1 drubbing of the Loons. But the match meant so much more than the scoreline for supporters, it meant stability.

For years there was a worry of if the club was going to exist the next season. Following the Minnesota Thunder folding after the 2009 season, NSC Minnesota was brought into existence the following season. However, due to various circumstances the NASL took over the Stars after 2010. In 2011 the Stars won the NASL Soccer Bowl title "at crappy old Lockhart" in Fort Lauderdale, FL and in 2012 the club fell just short of a second title. It appeared the club was dead in the water, but Dr. Bill McGuire purchased a club staring death in the face to turn it into the club we see today.

“No, look, look, it's certainly different. It's a celebration of 10 years in MLS. I think the players that are coming back into the building, what they've done in order to grow the club and put it in the position that it's in, needs to be respected in the way that we play it," said Cameron Knowles. "There's so many guys that'll be coming back to Allianz [Field] and back to Minnesota that have left the jersey in a better place than they found it, and that's the responsibility that we have, and that the players in our locker room, that the staff all have, to continue to push and continue to raise the level for the club. So I'm excited, I'm excited to see some of those old faces back in the building and excited for the guys to, you know, the last time we were on our home field, we had a good feeling at the end of the game. We have to recapture that.”

The Loons history is intrinsically linked with Atlanta. In 2013 the first away match under the MNUFC name was played in Atlanta against the Silverbacks. Later that same year the Loons opened the "fall season" in early August, also against the Silverbacks, debuting their iconic Loon Wing kit that night. That match also happened to be the first match I ever saw, one that I got to take in with my soccer loving younger brother and set me on a path to being a full time football writer.

“In one sense, the players that are in our locker room… most don’t have the experience of that [first MLS] game, but they do understand the importance of this one in terms of points on the table and performances at home," Knowles said. "I think we've put into Leagues Cup, our last two performances have been good performances at home. We've had a good win at home in the last one, and we need to continue to build on it. We need to get three points. We need to put in a performance that represents, like I said, the guys that are returning to the building and the supporters that are there for us every week.”

Atlanta United, who long has been the better of the pair of 2017 expansion clubs, has struggled in the 2026 season. The Five Stripes sit second to last in the overall MLS table with 15 points, having only managed four wins on the season. AUFC has scored the exact same amount of goals (21) in MLS play as the Loons, but allowed far more at 34 goals compared to just 26 allowed for MNUFC. Not only does Minnesota need a win to make sure they stay above the playoff line, but it would be a huge boost for supporters on an important night, especially for those who remember the fear that a team may not be here the next year.

News & Notes

Atlanta is 1-3-1 in their last five matches and come in off a 2–1 win over New York Red Bulls this past weekend. The Five Stripes have been outscored 11-6 in those five contests.

MNUFC is 2-0-4 (W-D-L) all time against Atlanta United, though MNUFC did win the last meeting between the clubs back in 2024.

Nectarios Triantis, Nicolás Romero, and Peter Stroud remain out due to injury. As reported in yesterdays Training Tidbits, Nico was training with the second team and could return shortly. AZ Jackson will be available for selection and per Knowles comments will be in the squad tonight.

TV time is set for 7:30pm this evening with kickoff happening at approximately 7:39pm on Apple TV.

Wednesday night Minnesota United hosts Atlanta United in their 10 year in MLS Celebration match. Plenty of former players will be in attendance for the match.