#0: United FC (Last Week: 0). The Loons played in California three times over eleven Days ... and won all three Matches. I honestly didn't believe they'd win any of them. But after beating The Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson, Calif., on the 4th, they went down to San Diego and beat the IX that eliminated MNUFC last season by a 2-1 scoreline. And they did it after giving up the FC Goal seven Minutes in. But Kyle Duncan (who?) tied it up in the 15th, and then Nectarios Triantis danced along the endline and was able to hike the ball to Kelvin Yeboah (thank goodness he's producing, thus alleviating the team's preseason Striker problem) to give United FC the lead in the 40th they would not relinquish. It helped even further that, one Minute into the Second Half, SDFC's Christopher McVey collected his second Yellow Card of the Match and was sent off.
U. S. Open Cup play also started for the Loons, and they had to play at The Sacramento Republic in The Round of 32. Neither side scored, and Penalty Kicks went to twelve Rounds, but MNUFC outlasted the Republic, 9-8. So, three Wins over two competitions? They sit ninth in the West, so it's not as if they're flying high, but I think I can get them over negative numbers for this Week.
We begin two-a-weeks this Week: They host Portland Saturday night (it'll be cold), then they'll visit Dallas Wednesday evening.
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1). The screening Week ended with a 9-5 Loss to Boston at Target Field that prevented a Twins sweep. That after Minnesota won a weekend series at Toronto, which happened after the Twins beat the Tigers at home on Thursday to complete a four-Game sweep of Detroit. That's three consecutive series victories and a 5-2 record for the Week. And somehow, someway, they lead The American League Central Division. It's very early, of course. But these players have shocked the shit out of me, and because of that, I need to give them their flowers by placing them here.
The run of Pitchers they've beaten has been particularly impressive -- Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Max Scherzer (even though the Hall Of Famer-to-be's best days are behind him, beating him is still a hell of a feat) and Garrett Crochet, who, on Monday, suffered his worst and shortest outing of his career, getting chased out of the Game after just 1 2/3 Inning and getting shaken down for eleven Runs (one of them Unearned). The Lineup is raking. And the starting rotation, with the possible exception of Simeon Woods Richardson, who was the one who got lit up yesterday/Wednesday, has been solid. A great start so far for this young team ... which may be a smack in the face for Pohlad haters because, once again, the club is playing well after ownership refused to pay money for star players.
They have today/Thursday off, host Cincinnati for a three-Game series beginning tomorrow/Friday night, have Monday off, then have a three-Game series in Queens vs. The New York Mets starting on Tuesday.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). Sure, they completed their regular season by beating the Rockets in Houston and The Bastard Charlotte Hornets at Target Center. But they were already locked into the 6-Seed, so playing out the string without getting any players injured was the only goal. I got a ticket to Sunday night's regular season finale versus New Orleans, and only Donte Divincenzo, Terrance Shannon, Jr., and maybe Joan Beringer and Joe Ingles will see playing time in the playoffs.
And they still only won by six. Man, I want to think that the squad was just mailing it in during the regular season and now they'll turn it on. And they've always played Denver, the team they're facing in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, well, especially in the postseason. But my eyes saw a frustrating, sometimes lackadaisical group of people whose play with and without the ball have fallen off. And now we need to see how hurt Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are without them being honest with us. I hate to say it, but the Wolves are getting eliminated by the Nuggets. And then where will this organization be?
#-3: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -2). I wish the athletic department would announce when they adjust baseball schedules. For example, I know, for a fact, that their weekend series at Siebert versus Washington was a weekend trio to be played Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And yet they swapped out the Sunday Game for a Doubleheader that began Friday afternoon. Don't get why; there was no inclement weather on Sunday. In fact, it was sunny and hot -- perfect baseball weather.
Anyhoo, they split the Doubleheader, but the Gophers nipped the Huskies in the Saturday getaway Game, 5-4. Then they put a hurtin' on St. Thomas at their park on Tuesday, mercy ruling the Tommies in seven Innings by a score of, wow, 24-2. I doubt they're getting into the NCAA Tournament, but at 22-14 overall (yeah, they're 5-10 in-conference) with the ability to hit, I've seen worse from this program.
And now they face the tallest task: At the #1 team in the country, UCLA, this weekend. They then come back home to play North Dakota St. in a one-off Tuesday.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: Positive Numbers). Wound up their regular season 1-3 this Week, which started off with a 5-4 Loss at The Bastard North Stars in which they blew leads not once but twice. That's bad enough (as a principle I always weigh Wins and Losses against The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.2.0 heavier than other Games the Wild and all other local teams play), but it portends poorly for the postseason since the Wild will play The Bastard North Stars in the First Round. (Aside: I've heard a lot of bitching about the first two Rounds of The Stanley Cup Playoffs being intra-Division because two powerful teams like Minnesota and The Team That Was Stolen From Us v.2.0 will meet sooner than maybe they should. I don't give a fuck. This is how the NHL postseason was for me growing up, and I don't mind it at all. Just fucking win, Wild.)
With this matchup set in stone since Valentine's Day, Minnesota has had time to set up their roster. But one roiling question as they begin the series over the weekend is who to start in net. Filip Gustavsson was the Goaltender in Monday's 6-3 shellacking in St. Louis, and a couple of the Goals, if reports are correct, should have been stopped, and easily. Jesper Wallstedt was the Goalie in Tuesday's season finale at the Gica vs. Anaheim, and he allowed only two Goals and, by all accounts, played great. And yet there are rumors, of fears, that Gus Bus will handle the goaltending duties for the series instead of The Wall Of St. Paul. We'll see, won't we?
Aw, fuck it; I'll predict they'll get swept. I don't care about the law -- the Wild refusing to embrace the legacy of The Minnesota North Stars will damn them to yet another early exit, and deservedly so.
#-5: Gopher softball (Last Week: -3). We might need to start talking about how moribund the U. softball program is these days. They were facing a ranked Washington club in Seattle, but they got swept anyway. The softballers now sit at 6-9 in B1G play, but 14-27 overall. They're going to miss the tournament for the third Year in a row. And I get the feeling things aren't getting better.
Maybe some home cookin' will do them some good. They start a seven-Game homestand with a weekend series against Nebraska, then host North Dakota for a one-off at Cowles Tuesday.
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