A-League MVP John Swallen was reported to have called out "Will someone get this monkey off my back!" after winning the A-League Championship on October 16 , 1999 at the National Sports Center, north of the Twin Cities. Monkey is right, but it wasn't just on Swallen's back, it was on the back of every soccer fan who has watched professional soccer in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Kicks in 1976, with the best record in the Pacific Conference, fell to Toronto 0-3 in the Soccer Bowl. Ten years later, playing indoors, the Minnesota Strikers fell in a seven game series to the San Diego Soccers. The Minnesota Thunder tried to break the streak in 1994, with a perfect 18-0 record during the USISL regular season, but lost in a shootout to Greensboro. The following year was almost a complete repeat with a record of 19-1, and a loss in the championship to Long Island in the last minute of play. Finally, following a disappointing 18-17 season in 1997 sans playoffs, the Thunder storm back next year only to be felled once again, 3-1 by the Rochester Raging Rhinos.
Zero-for-five. Bridesmaids. Forget the monkey, itıs a bloody gorilla.
So, what's the best way to rub a little salt into the ringless fingers of the Thunder? Play the season opener at Rochester, following their own championship ring ceremony. It's not vengeance, but a 1-0 win set the season on the right foot.
1999 can probably best be summed up as pest control. While the Thunder have always been formidable for the ten years they've been on the field, losing three championship games tends to create a reputation of losing in the clutch. There was the feeling that the Thunder had to win it all in 1999 to be taken seriously by the rest of the league.
Several players had their own monkeys on their back: Michael Saunders, who performed so well two years prior with the Carolina Dynamo, played forty-minutes last year for the Thunder, sustaining a knee injury that ended his field time for the season. Saunders spent much of the first half looking to get in a rhythm with the rest of the Thunder offense, but found it in the second, registering seven goals and four assists. Amos Magee, always the offensive leader for the team, had to work though off-season surgery, and the loss of 1998's second leading scorer, Gabe Garcia, and midfield demon Kevin Anderson. Amos came though with ten goals and four assists, including Championship Game MVP.
And the fans stepped up as well. A new supporters group was created in the airport following the loss to Rochester. The Storm Chasers gave the fans the chance to let the players know that they had a dedicated base behind them, no matter the results. Banners started popping up around the Nation Sports Center, regular chants and cheers came out, and, although everyone doubted Minnesota could do it, almost 10,000 fans came out, filling the National Sports Center, on a chilly mid-30 degree evening.
I had the opportunity to see the stadium gradually fill up, from the opening of the gates, to kick-off, and the continual line of headlights of people trying to enter the stadium. It was an incredible moment, to see people watch the Thunder, because of the Thunder. No give-aways, no tournaments, just a hard-fought A-League game between the two best teams in the league. And they got their moneyıs worth.
I always cry at wedding... er, championships.
