#-1: Gopher football (NEW SEASON!). I'm sure that the gridiron Gophers' 13-10 Win over Nebraska at Huntington Bank Stadium on Thursday was a close Game without being all that good -- I didn't watch a second of it live because I was at the Duran Duran concert at the Minnesota State Fair -- but when I was watching my alma mater's football Game last/Saturday night I chatted with a fellow alum who I met for the first time who was at the Game and she said it was the worst ever. I don't know about that. It may not be great, but it was decided on the last play of the Game. How could it be that bad?
I remember the back-to-back castrations the Cornhuskers gave the Gophers in the early 80's, so I will never feel sorry for Nebraska when the U. beats them. But this Win is more of a relief than a sign of good things to come. The 'Huskers led at the beginning of the Fourth Quarter, 10-3, but that Quarter began with three Punts. The Game got strange, and turned, in the final five Minutes. Nebraska fumbled and the U. converted for their first Touchdown of the Game on a scintillating Daniel Jackson toe drag from 13 Yards out. Nebraska Quarterback Jeff Sims threw an Interception (his third of the night) at Midfield in the ensuing drive, and the U. trundled 22 Yards so that Gopher Kicker Dragan Kesich can kick a Game-winning 47-Yard Field Goal at the gun.
They host Eastern Michigan Saturday night. I understand the matchups are often dictated by TV, but wouldn't you want to ease into your season by playing the non-BcS squad first before playing a conference opponent? These two Games should be flipped. But, again, TV.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -3). To me, the team that should be on the top of the survey is clear, and the team that should be on the bottom of the survey is clear. But the four local teams in the middle ... well, I'm not so sure I'll change my mind before I get done writing this.
In the end, I am following the same rubric that puts the Gopher football team on top and, uh, the team at the foot of the WMNSS: Record. And while the two of the three pro squads I'm considering in this group of four could be lifted ahead of both U. clubs because their seasons are about to be extended for the postseason, they lost, and the two Twin Cities soccer sides did not. And among the two, the Loons had the benefit (or "benefit") of playing three Matches and going undefeated in all of them. Yeah, they tied Seattle 1-1 at Allianz to start the Week and tied the Earthquakes in San Jose to end it, but they're not Losses. (Also, the Sounders have tormented the Loons ever since the latter entered top-flight, so getting a Point anywhere is something I'll take, especially since one player, Seattle's Yeimar Gomez Andrade, scored for MNUFC after scoring against MNUFC.) They stuffed a 3-0 domination at home over Colorado, The Worst Team In Major League Soccer, on Wednesday to propel themselves into a playoff spot -- and technically seventh, above the Play-In Match (because of the Draw, San Jose technically is in tenth).
I'm not sure things are looking up, per se, although I like the fact that Teemu Pukki has scored in each of the last two Games. Can they keep the relative good vibes going against the New England Revolution, a pretty good outfit this Year, at home Saturday? (I won't be able to attend because of my alma mater's football Game.)
#-3: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -5). In the club's second Match in Milwaukee, the Gophers defeated Marquette Sunday, 2-0. They then flew down to Athens to play Georgia to a scoreless Draw Thursday. And ... yeah, that's all I got.
Tonight/Sunday night they host St. Thomas in a Game delayed from the afternoon because of the heat. Then on Friday they have a contest at Creighton.
#-4: Twins (Last Week: -2). A 4-2 screening Week -- not bad. They lost the series at home vs. Cleveland mid-Week, which isn't good, but on Sunday they won the rubber match of their series at home versus Texas to start the Week and have won the first two tilts of their three-Game series in Dallas to end it. They have a five-Game lead over the Guardians, but this is Labor Weekend, and if you will remember, the Twins lead the American League Central at last Labor Weekend and absolutely collapsed over the final Month of the 2022 season. Things look good, but nothing is guaranteed.
They finish with The Bastard Washington Senators v.2.0, then begin a crucial three-Game set in Cleveland starting tomorrow/Monday. They then come home to play the New York Mets for a trio beginning Friday.
#-5: Lynx (Last Week: -4). Currently the Lynx are below .500 at 18-19. But because this is a Year where there are two runaway fantastic teams (The Bastard Utah Starzzz/San Antonio Silver Stars and The New York Liberty), that record gets Minnesota into fifth place in the 12-team Women's National Basketball Association. This despite losing at similarly-middling Washington by 11 on Tuesday. Things weren't looking good in Friday's home date with Atlanta, either, but the Lynx rallied late to tie the Game at 74 at the end of regulation, then outscored The Dream 17-11 in Overtime for the Win. Napheesa Collier hauled in 17 Rebounds, the most she's ever collected in her WNBA career.
With that victory, the Lynx are one Win (or one Los Angeles Loss) away from sewing up a playoff spot. They probably will do that tonight/Sunday night, as they host already-eliminated Phoenix. That's the squad's final regular-season Game of the Year. They visit Chicago Friday.
#-6: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: -1). The idea that Golden Gopher volleyball is good but can never get over the hump was only reinforced Tuesday when defending champion and seventh-ranked Texas came into Maturi and beat the U. in four Sets. The Longhorns started their season with an upset Loss at Long Beach St. so they were keyed up for their first big Match of the Year, but this was an opportunity to prove to College Volleyball Nation that they can be a contender, and after the defeat it looks like they have enough weaknesses to not be regarded that seriously, and that's a refrain I've noted from this program for decades now.
The Loss to Texas began a four-Game stretch where they play teams ranked in the Top 10, and the other three come this Week. This/Sunday afternoon they are at eighth-ranked Florida. The ballclub then travels to Palo Alto, Calif. this weekend for what certainly will be The Very Final Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge; the Gophs play sixth-ranked Oregon Friday and second-ranked Stanford Saturday.
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