A 4-0 sweep over a powerful Phoenix Suns core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, a team that kicked their asses three times during the regular season, a nightmare matchup that everybody thought would at least test the heretofore untested, higher-seeded Wolves? I have no ideas as to how they flipped the script except for, well, coaching (Chris Finch should be Coach Of The Year) and a decision by the team to play Defense and play it very, very well. Standing up against the Suns' starting five -- led by the now transcendent Anthony Edwards, who I was very, very wrong about -- Phoenix instead crumbled, and I never thought that was going to happen based on what I had seen.
Oh, and Naz Reid won Sixth Man Of The Year. Fantastic.
Denver probably awaits. I, however, cannot. This Timberwolves team, this franchise, feels different.
#0: Twins (Last Week: -3). It's a testament to how well things are going locally that the local Nine could sweep the entire screening Week (7-0) containing two full sweeps and they would not be the top team in the WMNSS. Yes, it helps that they're beating up a potentially historically bad White Sox squad at home and at an Angels team that thought they could convince Shohei Ohtani to stay even though they haven't done shit during his tenure. Also, they're still in fourth place despite their fantastic run of form as of late, even though the deficit behind first-place Cleveland is now 4 1/2 Games. But suffice to say that with their offensive impotence and weak start, they needed a Week like this. And it could continue as they face the Pale Hose at Comiskey for three starting today/Monday. They then host Boston for a trio beginning Friday.
#-1: United FC (Last Week: 0). And hey, I'm starting to believe in Eric Ramsay, too! I have no personal animosity toward Adrian Heath. He got the organization up and running, and his decisions in personnel and tactics gave the franchise a level of respectable success. But I still go back to the Loons blowing 16 leads over 14 Matches in all competitions last Year, and even I was open to change.
Enter the 32-year-old Ramsay, who has not been afraid to mix things up. He did it again Saturday at home versus Sporting Kansas City, where he deployed a 5-3-2- with a pair of Strikers, Teemu Pukki and Tani Oluwaseyi, up top. Moreover, his prowess as a Set Piece Specialist splendidly came through when Joseph Rosales' Corner Kick eventually found the foot of Michael Boxall at the far end of SKC's Goal, giving MNUFC a lead in the second Minute. Playing from ahead? That's different! Oluwaseyi scored in the 25th on a Goal that looked offside to me, but VAR checked and said it was good. Alan Pulido finally made all of their runs down the left side work as he scored in the 37th. But another refreshing change to previous Loons campaigns is that they were able to hold the lead in a scoreless Second Half (even though Ramsay sounded none too pleased after the tilt), winning 2-1.
United FC are technically fourth but tied on Points with third-place Vancouver and only one Point behind Real Salt Lake and The Los Angeles Galaxy. They've also won their last two, with a visit to Atlanta United Saturday up next.
#-2: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -1). A 4-1 Week catches my attention. Feel sorry that the U. nine ard down this far in the survey. Got a midweek two-Game sweep at home over St. Thomas, even though the Tommies pushed the Gophers to 11 Innings before Minnesota won, 7-6. And hey, they won a series! On the road, in fact, over Penn St. in which they dropped the Friday contest.
They play the next two series at home in the last homestand for Head Coach John Anderson. First up: Three vs. Nebraska.
#-3: Gopher softball (Last Week: -2). Unfortunate that this club has often been at the bottom of this survey this season. They are this Week too, but losing a midweek Game at home against a smaller local school merits that; on Wednesday, they got shut out at Cowles Stadium by South Dakota St., 7-0. Oy. They then went to Iowa, but had their series with the Hawkeyes delayed because of inclement weather. They began their set Saturday with a 7-5 Win, but lost in nine Innings yesterday/Sunday afternoon, 6-2, and now they will finish their series this/Monday afternoon at 11.
Furthermore, their weekend series at home against Nebraska is the final series of the regular season. They've already clinched a spot in the Big Ten Tournament. They're now playing to get a bye past the First Round. Yep, despite their bottom-feeding in the WMNSS, they're in fourth place in the B1G. A sign that everyone in this week's Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey is living a charmed life!
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