“It was just a fantastic opportunity to come to the RailHawks,” Platter said. “I’m coming to a great organization with a very good coach, and it’s a good opportunity for me to get better as a goalkeeper. I want to win a championship, and I think this organization has shown it’s dedicated to doing that.”

Platter was with the Minnesota Thunder for 5 years. The first 2 years Platter served his time as a backup for Joe Warren, who he eventually took the job from in 2007.  Platter played 58 of the Thunder’s 60 games in 2008 and 2009 and had become one of the marquee goalkeepers in the league. During his five seasons with the Thunder, Platter appeared in 83 matches, with 18 shutouts and a 1.36 goals against average.

“Over the last couple seasons, I feel like Nic’s one of the better keepers in our league,” said Carolina coach Martin Rennie. “At times, he kept Minnesota in games. He’s been put under a lot of pressure, so he’s a guy who’s got a lot of experience in the league. He’s a good athlete, and someone we hopefully will help improve. He’s going to help us. Now we have another quality goalkeeper to push Eric Reed, and we feel like we’ve got two guys who are going to be competing really hard.”

IMS wishes Nic Platter the best of luck with the RailHawks. “There’s only one El Disco!”

The success of the team, on and off the field, may rest largely on who from the 2009 Minnesota Thunder roster is signed by the new team. Longtime fans will want to see many of these players on the field, and in the community, while the hardcore soccer fan also realizes that the talent pool is relatively thin and many quality players were part of the Thunder last season. Although the new team is close to announcing a working relationship with a Scandinavian professional team and a “top MLS club” in which players will be loaned to the new squad for season-long spells, there is a substantial need for players when the team takes the field in early April. A combine has already been scheduled for March and Manny Lagos, Director of Soccer Operations, and General Manager Kris Bjerkness attended the recent MLS Draft combine in South Florida.

With all of this being said, where are the players that comprised the 2009 Minnesota Thunder roster?

It should be noted that with the demise of the Minnesota Thunder in 2009 all players were released from their contracts effectively making them free agents for the coming season. Not surprisingly, some players have been signed by other teams and all are currently looking for places to play.

Signed By Other Teams:

Ricardo Sanchez: Signed a one year (plus option) contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Sanchez was the first player to depart from Minnesota and will sorely be missed. Sanchez, one of the best free kick takers in the league, led the team with 7 goals and 8 assists and was a member of the 2009 USL First Division Team of the Year.

Quavas Kirk: Signed a one year contract with the Portland Timbers. Kirk played in 15 games for the Thunder in 2009 and was a two-time USL First Division Team of the Week selection. Kirk came to the team as a midfielder with MLS experience and eventually transitioned to play right outside back.

Lawrence Olum: Signed a two year contract with the Austin Aztex. Olum, who was selected by the Dark Cloud supporters group as newcomer of the year, joined recently named, and former Minnesota Thunder, general manager Djorn Buchholz in Austin. Olum appeared in 28 games for the Thunder and had 5 goals and 3 assists.

Offered Tryouts By Other Teams:

Melvin Tarley: When the signing of Ricardo Sanchez was announced by the Vancouver Whitecaps in early November, there was an interesting tidbit of information included in the team press release, “…Whitecaps men’s team head coach Teitur Thordarson has offered trials to former Minnesota midfielder/striker Melvin Tarley and former Miami FC defender Zourab Tsiskaridze this week.” No word on how the trial went for the longtime Thunder player Tarley, but his possible absence could only hurt an already light front line for the new NSC team. Tarley appeared in 27 league games for the Thunder in 2009 and tallied 8 goals and 1 assist.

Currently Playing Indoor:

Marco Terminesi: Currently playing with the Milwaukee Wave in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Terminesi came to the Thunder halfway through the 2009 season and quickly became a fan favorite due to his never ending determination and energy on the field. He appeared in 17 games, but mostly as a substitute. Despite only getting 691 minutes the “M-Train” tallied 6 goals and 4 assists. This led to a point every 69 minutes which easily led the team in points per playing time. Terminesi, the 2008/09 indoor Rookie of the Year, is continuing his scoring form in the MISL where he has been named Player of the Week twice in 2009/10 and is leading the league in points scored with 39. Recently Marco expressed interest in returning to Minnesota if he can reach a deal with the team, but rumor has it that Montreal is currently courting the services of the Canadian-born forward.

Jonathan Greenfield: Currently playing with the Baltimore Blast in the MISL. Greenfield was a solid member of the Thunder’s back line and over the years has proven to be one of the best centerbacks in the USL. Upon arriving to the Thunder a few games into the 2009 season (the Baltimore Blast won the 2009 NISL League Championship) Greenfield played in 26 games and helped steady a porous defense that needed some leadership. Greenfield has expressed a very strong desire to return to Minnesota and finish out his career in the North Star state.

Rod Dyachenko: Currently playing with the Baltimore Blast in the MISL. Dyachenko came to the Thunder as a highly touted off-season signing after playing in 2008 for D.C. United. Dyachenko was a key member to coach Don Gramenz’s midfield and appeared in 27 games and scored 2 goals and 4 assists in the 2009 campaign.

Whereabouts Known:

Nicolas Platter: The two-time team MVP as selected by the Dark Clouds supporters group is currently residing in Minnesota and attended the recent stakeholders summit at the NSC. Platter asked many pointed questions of the team leadership and his attendance is a sign of his desire to play for the new team. He is easily one of the best goalies in the league and in 2009 was called into D.C. United’s training camp. Many hope and expect that Platter will be standing between the posts when the new team takes the field in 2010. Platter has also been among the former Thunder players currently playing regularly at the NSC in order to stay fit for the 2010 season.

Jeremiah Bass: The undisputed leader of the team logged an impressive and team-leading 2,695 minutes in 2009 for the Minnesota Thunder. Bass, who resides and holds down a full-time job in Minneapolis, was also at the recent stakeholders summit at the NSC. His allegiance to the area and team are second to none and he will be expected to be standing on the pitch with the armband come this spring. Bass has also been among the former Thunder players currently playing regularly at the NSC in order to stay fit for the 2010 season.

Kevin Friedland: After a tough 2009 season that was filled with injuries, Friedland quickly proved his worth in the second half of the season, including a memorable goal for the former Kansas City Wizards player. Friedland is a fan favorite and his skill level, when healthy, is among the best in the league at his position. Friedland was also at the recent summit, and he has also been among the former Thunder players currently playing regularly at the NSC in order to stay fit for the 2010 season.

Andres Arango: The central defender is currently among the former Thunder players kicking the ball around at the NSC in the off season. He has also shown his desire to stay put here in the Twin Cities area with the recent announcement of his hiring as the Director of Soccer at the recently opened St. Paul Saints Sport Academy in Lakeville, Minnesota. Arango was an integral part to the Thunder defense as he partnered with Greenfield in 22 games for the 2009 season.

Other players:

Matt Van Oekel: The backup keeper has been rumored to be playing at the NSC. Easily the most fashionable player in the history of the Minnesota Thunder, should be considrered as a front runner for the same role in 2010 for the new team.

Andrei Gotsmanov: The highly touted Gotsmanov only appeared in one game in 2009 for the Thunder before getting injured. He is rehabbing with former Thunder players at the NSC and will definitely have a good shot at making the team in 2010. He was a 2008 Hermann Award finalist at Creighton University and has family ties to the Thunder as his older brother is a former player and his father, Sergey, also suited up for the Thunder in the late 90’s. It should also be noted that Andrei scored against the 2009 Thunder as a member of Nebraska 402 in the US Open Cup.

Chris Clements: Was in MN but returned to Dallas, TX (hometown) around the holidays.
Richard Constanzo: Back in hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Brian Cvilikas: Living in Minnesota and training at the NSC with other players.
Brian Kallman: Living in Minnesota and training at the NSC with other players.
Youssouf Kante: Has returned to France but is now playing in Slovakia in the 1st Division
Nathan Knox: Playing for Otago United in the New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC). (Knox is a New Zealand native.)
Geoffrey Myers: Living in the Twin Cities. Soccer status unknown.
Dan O’Brien: Living in Minnesota and training at the NSC with other players. Rumor is he may be trying out in New Zealand.
Andrew Peterson: Working for General Electric in Milwaukee, WI and has retired from pro soccer.
Leonel Saint-Preux: The Haitian international is playing for Hoa Phat in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Marcus Watson: Back living in his home town of Los Angeles, CA.
Dale Weiler: Living in South Dakota.

Updated 7:30 am – 1/26/10

Photo By Jeremy Olson - www.digitalgopher.net

Another former Minnesota Thunder player rostered in 2009, has moved on. Lawrence Olum, who came to Minnesota via the Portland Timbers, has signed a 2-year deal with the Austin Aztex. Former MN Thunder general manager Djorn Buchholz, who is now the CEO at Austin, has been working on signing Olum for several months. The deal was announced via the Aztex website on Friday.

“We are delighted to have signed Lawrence, especially considering the competition we had for his signature,” said Aztex head coach Adrian Heath.  “He will be a great addition to the squad.  After playing against him last season, we were very impressed with what he can do on the pitch to help his team.”

Olum started slowly for the Thunder last season but ended the season as one of the best midfielders in the league. He was named to the USL All-League Second Team squad. The central midfielder was not afraid to get his hands messy and do the dirty work of winning balls. But the former St. Louis Lions PDL player was also good at holding the ball and starting attacks.

The Nairobi, Kenya native logged in with the 3rd highest amount of minutes played for the team behind Jeremiah Bass and Nic Platter. He became an important part of the midfield almost from day one and ended the season with 5 goals and 3 assists for 13 pts. Olum was the fourth highest Thunder player for points in 2009, following closely behind veterans Ricardo Sanchez (22 pts), Melvin Tarley (17 pts) and rookie Marco Terminesi (16 pts).

It was previously announced that Minnesota has lost several other key players to their roster: Midfielder Ricard Sanchez signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps and defender/midfielder Quavas Kirk inked a contract with the Portland Timbers.

When Manny Lagos’ playing days were behind him, he decided to once again get involved with the Minnesota Thunder, the team he started his pro career with. However, he would never have been able to predict the topsy-turvy course life laid out for the retired pro soccer player. Lagos came back to the organization in 2006 and worked primarily with camp marketing. Eventually he became director of soccer operations in 2007 and when the team was struggling to keep its head above water, he found new owners for the team and helped with the transition. Lagos was kept on by new Thunder owner Dean Johnson and WingField Corporation. That first year started out hopeful with lots of promises from WingField, but a bad economy and an organization that did too much too quickly and spread itself too thin eventually caused it to shut its door in late November of 2009 after being unable to pay its bills. The Thunder left outstanding amounts of money to the National Sports Center (NSC) in excess of 100 thousand dollars.

Manny Lagos sits on the bench at a Thunder game in 2007 when Amos Magee was head coach

One might think that Lagos’ relationship with the NSC may be a bit sour after his exit from the Thunder. Lagos says that only a short period of time held some negatives while the majority of his life has been filled with positives with the organization. In fact he says he is proud of the fact that when he was with the Thunder, he was able to help transition the stadium at the NSC to a real soccer specific stadium, “One of the best division II stadiums in the country,” according to Lagos.

“There’s been a long-standing history between the National Sports Center and myself,” said Lagos. “I go back to being a kid and playing up there at the first ever USA Cup. I think we lost in the final of the U-12 to a team from Palo Alto, California. There are some serious memories there. We won some USA Cups and some state tournaments up there. Personally, I participated in and won a gold medal in the Olympic Festival in 1990. So I have a lot of memories up there as an amateur but I also have lots of memories of the NSC as a professional as the Thunder grew while at the NSC. So I have a lifelong relationship with the folks up there.”

Lagos says his primary goal has always been to grow and preserve pro soccer in Minnesota. “I’m unbelievably proud of the last 19 years of the Thunder,” said Lagos. “The difficulty and disappointment of the situation that transpired the last two years with the Thunder, didn’t take away from the fact that I knew the best thing for the sport was for soccer to continue. So we can continue to develop high level players and high level coaches as well as a product for the fans that  Minnesota can be proud of. I’m just really happy that the NSC has decided to step up and preserve pro soccer in Minnesota.”

“Extremely difficult and disappointing” is how Lagos explains the last several years with the Thunder. He says when things would get a bit overwhelming he would often talk to his father, Thunder founder and head coach until 2006, Buzz Lagos. “Keep the focus on what’s good for Minnesota soccer and what’s good for the game,” was the elder Lagos’ advice to his son. “That has really held true in the last several months,” said Manny Lagos, as he tried to figure a way to navigate through the transition to the NSC. Lagos says that while his father has given his blessings to the new soccer organization he was not involved in any negotiations to keep a pro soccer team in Minnesota.

“It certainly hasn’t been easy and I know I haven’t been able to grow my skill set the last year and half the way I’d hoped to,” said Lagos as he explained the personal disappointment of the last several years. “I’m just hoping that those years, the positives and the negatives, I will learn from and become better at whatever I do in my involvement with the game.”

Kris Bjerkness, Chief Administrative Officer of the NSC, says that they didn’t come to Lagos nor did Lagos come to them in this transition. He said it was instead more an evolution in the process of conversations when it was becoming apparent to the NSC that Minnesota may not have pro soccer in 2010. “Its pretty much as simple as the fact that we felt we needed to see if there was anything we could do to step up and try to help,” said Bjerkness.

“He’s got a lot of experience in this marketplace,” said Bjerkness, who has assumed the general manger role of this new NSC professional soccer team. “If we want to get something up and going quickly I don’t really know who else we’d turn to.”

Bjerkness tried to explain how Lagos would fit into the NSC staff and what his roles will be. “Right now we’re trying to put together the soccer side of the business as well as the business side, the media side, administration of a team — all the components,” stated Bjerkness. “Mannys’ role will be strictly  on the soccer side of things although it could evolve over time. We have a very structured management system at the NSC. We are going to do things the NSC way and not the way of old (Thunder). I’m sure the culture is going to be very different.”

Lagos says he is very much enjoying the new culture and experienced management structure of the NSC. He said the organization’s non-profit status makes it much more transparent and he very much welcomes that openness and accountability that makes the NSC unique.

Lagos revealed to IMS that he has applied for the new coaching position with the NSC pro team and has had conversations with management in regard to the position. “Quite honestly, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Lagos. “I think with all my high-level experience I could be a very good coach.”

In other NSC news, Kris Bjerkness says the team is nearing having a budget complete and things will start to move forward more quickly after that. Some announcements could start coming as early as this week.

The National Sports Center also confirmed that they have hired Angie Blaker, former administrative assistant with the Minnesota Thunder, to perform the same job duties with the new NSC pro soccer team. Blaker’s first day was last Wednesday.

Andres Arango goes high to win a ball in the 2009 Thunder season. Central defender partner Jon Greenfield looks on. Photo By Jeremy Olson - www.digitalgopher.net

Andres Arango, a veteran central defender who has spent the last two seasons playing pro soccer in Minnesota and living here in the off-season, spoke to IMS by phone this week and said the events of the past off-season were concerning for many of the former Thunder players. “It’s been a pretty crazy time not knowing where our future stands and not knowing what was going to happen with the league and the team as well. It’s just good to see resolution for the sake of all the players.” Arango said during the ongoing league battle between the USL and NASL and with the added financial problems of the Thunder, it was tough getting information from anyone. “During the ordeal, all of us players were in the same situation. We just weren’t sure of what was going to happen. We’d get together and talk but we’d all have the same information that we had gotten from Inside Minnesota Soccer. That was the only place where we could seem to get any sort of news.” He stated  he’s glad that situation is now behind them and everyone is ready to move forward.

Arango says many of the former Thunder players who have stayed in the community “get together 3 to 4 times a week and just kick the ball around. We play games at least twice a week and some of us go there to practice shooting and just try to keep our fitness up,” says Arango. “It’s just good to have someplace to go and play. We don’t normally have that access anywhere else. We’re lucky we get to use that place at all.”

“That place,” that Arango is talking about is the National Sports Center indoor facility. The NSC has been allowing the former Thunder players to train there for free this winter. In fact, the NSC was allowing the players free access before they even decided to provide a team for Minnesota Soccer fans for the 2010 season. “Yeah,” exclaimed an appreciative Arango. “I haven’t had to pay a cent. Joe Warren (former Thunder goalkeeper who works for the NSC) usually sets us up the times with the NSC.”

Jeremiah Bass, Kevin Friedland, Brian Kallman, Dan O’Brien, Nic Platter and Mat Vanoekel use the facility regularly according to Arango. He said recently, Andrei Gotsmanov has also been joining the crew as he is starting to get healthy after recovering from double hernia surgery after last season. “Andrei’s been working hard and he looks good,” said Arango.

Arango says they have a few other former Thunder players that drop in occasionally. Ansu Toure, who played for the Vancouver Whitecaps last season shows up quite regularly. Toure makes his home in the Twin Cities. Arango says the Liberian midfielder likes to stay fit and joins their crew quite often. “We also had a little visit from Johnny (Menyongar),” said Arango. Menyonger, another Twin Cities resident, was ripping up the league (USL-1) for the Rochester Rhinos last year when he blew his ACL out late in the season. Arango says Menyongar is recovering well and is just starting to run. “He’s looking to get back into it as soon as he can,” explained Arango.

According to the 26-year-old Colombian-born Arango, who spent most of his teen years growing up in Toronto, Canada, he’s already had offers to play elsewhere but he would prefer to stay here in Minnesota. He stated a number of players really call Minnesota home now even though they may originally be from other parts of the country and the world. “I’ve grown to love Minnesota,” said Arango. “I consider it my home. I met my girlfriend here and I really like it here. Even in past meetings with the old team I told them I wanted to make Minnesota my home. Hopefully, with this new team, the situation will be right where I will be able to support myself and my family as well. I’m not trying to buy a lot of condos or fancy cars or anything like that,” said a laughing Arango. “I just want to play soccer and survive. If they can help me do that I would love it.”

Arango said he thinks the new team needs to build around a good core of players and then try to fill in the other positions. Most of the core of players who have been training together in the off-season are interested in playing in Minnesota. Jon Greenfield, who is playing indoor for the Baltimore Blast, has also expressed an interest in coming back to Minnesota to play.

Arango explained why it’s important to have a pro soccer team in a community. He said, often pro players settle in an area where they once played. That same player will then pass on the knowledge they have acquired as a pro to the youth players of that same community. “It’s good for the teams to work with the community,” said Arango. “It also allows us to sort of guide these players through the system that we’ve already experienced. When we say we are a Thunder player their eyes light up and they are like, wow, he wants to coach me and my team? Some of us weren’t so lucky to have been coached by professional players. Giving that opportunities to kids is very important and it will help the sport to grow.”

Arango is now heading up a new soccer program with the St. Paul Saints. The Saints Sports Academy recently opened and is a 32,000-square-foot instructional facility in Lakeville, MN, providing youth athletic training and development in multiple sports including baseball, softball and soccer.

“The Saints gave me the opportunity to start from scratch a new program,” says Arango. “I’m the head of the soccer program and the head trainer. Everyone sees the Saints name and thinks it’s baseball, but we have a lot of programs. I’m trying to start a program where we train both individually and as groups. We are doing a lot of skills work but will also work on some tactical areas.”

Arango said the program is focusing on the South Metro area for now: Burnsville, Lakeville, Savage and Prior Lake.  For more information, call 952-985-5949 or e-mail info@saintssportsacademy.com or visit saintssportsacademy.com.

Andres Arango came to the Thunder in 2008 and played two season with the team making 59 apperances. He is a strong central defender who paired well with South African Jonathan Greenfield in the center of the back line for the former team. Arango signed with the Montreal Impact of the USL First Division before being traded to the Toronto Lynx. He played in 69 games for Toronto from 2004-06. In 2005 and 2006 he was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year.

On January 4, 2010, Pederson will start his new job as Director of Camps for the Aztex. Pederson had a similar position as director of the Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA) North. MTA is not only losing Brian Pederson but also Stephanie Pederson. Stephanie has been the bookeeper for MTA.

“I’m really excited about joining the Aztex organization,” stated Brian Pederson. “They are very professional and a class organization.”

Pederson explained that Austin will be starting a camp clinic program with a new business plan which he is very excited about.

Pederson spent two years on the Minnesota Thunder roster. Last summer he played with the Rochester Thunder PDL team where he wore the captain’s armband and was once named to the USL PDL Team of the Week. Pederson filled the role of North Director while playing for both Thunder teams over the last 3 years.

MTA has announced Pederson’s replacement as Ben Gaddis. Gaddis has twenty years of soccer coaching experience in the Twin Cities area, including five with Bangu-Tsunami/MN Thunder Academy. Ben holds his US Soccer ‘B’ License and US Soccer National ‘Y’ License, and has won several states cups as a player and coach. In addition to his new role as North Director, Ben will continue coaching several teams in the MN Thunder Academy and as the assistant coach at UW-River Falls.

Ben will officially begin his tenure on January 1, 2010.

Former Minnesota Thunder player Marco Terminesi was named the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) player of the week after his nine-point performance this past Saturday evening. Terminesi scored 3 goals (including one 3-pointer) and had two assists in the Milwaukee Wave’s 27-6 thrashing of the Philadelphia KiXX. Terminesi had a slow start to the season with only one goal in his first three games before the floodgates opened this past weekend. Expectations are high for Terminesi who tallied 52 points during the 2008 indoor campaign, in which he earned rookie of the year honors for the now defunct Xtreme Soccer League (XSL).

Affectionately known as the “M-Train” to supporters of the Minnesota Thunder, Terminesi burst onto the outdoor scene mid-way through the 2009 season in which he tallied 6 goals and 4 assists in only 17 games. Terminesi joins three other former Thunder players in the MISL. Johnathon Greenfield and Rod Dyanchenko currently play for the defending champions, Baltimore Blast. Greenfield anchors the back line for the Blast and has one 3point goal to his credit off of one shot. Dyanchenko continues to look for form, after a disappointing 2009 with the Thunder. Dyanchenko has failed to find the back of the net in the Blast’s first three games of the season. The other Thunder player is Leo Gibson who was lined up on the opposite side of the field as Terminesi on Saturday evening. Gibson showed well for the Philadelphia KiXX scoring in the fourth quarter. That brings Gibson to 5 goals for the season. Gibson spent his summer playing for the Cleveland City Stars who like the Thunder have now folded.

All four players are currently out of contract for the 2010 outdoor season as the Minnesota Thunder released their players from their contracts earlier this fall; Cleveland released their players before Thanksgiving. Many local fans hope that Terminesi, Greenfield and Gibson are near the top of the list for player acquisitions for the new team rumored to be announced in the coming weeks by the National Sports Center.

IMS readers seemed to be confused on the status of the Thunder and not aware that there are plans in place to launch a new soccer franchise. This is somewhat understandable with the conflicting buzz of information and at other times not enough information. Let’s review the status of both the Thunder and the new organization, the National Sports Center (NSC) and their desire to field a pro soccer team in 2010.

The Thunder front office sat empty on December 4th with no signs of tire tracks after a light snowfall.

The Thunder were one of the original parties lined up with the TOA, but after IMS broke the news on their continuing financial trouble and that they had released their players from their contracts, the TOA seemed to distance themselves from the organization. Yet some of the TOA/NASL press releases mentioned the Thunder name specifically which was confusing to IMS as well. At one point Selby Wellman from the Carolina RailHawks, who was also part of the original 3 to go on record as being part of a breakaway league, was paraphrased in an article that the Thunder’s financial problems were cleared up. However, this was never true, although for a brief period of time the Thunder were looking for investors in the club to keep the Thunder name alive. The investors were never found and today you will find the Minnesota Thunder web site is shut down. It was also reported several weeks ago that the Thunder front office had little to no activity.

Last week, an email went out to those who had made a deposit on a MN Thunder training session that those same sessions would no longer be offered and refunds would be made. The letter blamed an “unexpected situation”.

It has now been reported to IMS that Thunder President Manny Lagos sent an email to the players of the Thunder this past week that he is no longer with the organization. IMS was in contact with Lagos several times last week but he never mentioned that he had left. IMS hopes to clarify the situation with Lagos this week. Dean Johnson, owner of the Thunder, has also been contacted for a statement concerning the status of the Thunder. The organization boasted a 20-year history and was started by legendary Buzz Lagos now seems to be part of Minnesota sports history.

New Soccer Team in Minnesota
Even though IMS reported back in mid-November that the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN, who own the stadium the Thunder played at, are planing on fielding a NEW Minnesota soccer team for the 2010 season, many people still seem to be unaware of this fact. Because of the confusion, I will refer back to 3 articles IMS posted in explaining the situation. First, the original article stating that a new franchise could replace the Thunder. Second, an interview with Paul Erickson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, who explained the plans NSC have to start a new pro soccer team. The last article explained how this new Minnesota team was becoming a hub in the TOA/NASL v USL debate, as both organizations were contacting the NSC to become part of their league.

IMS learned on Friday from a source who requested to remain anonymous, that there have been ongoing communications between the MN Thunder and the NSC in regard to their contractual obligations. According to that source, there has been no resolution as of yet but some progress has been made for “the good of Minnesota Soccer”.

This ongoing communications could mean the door has been opened for the NSC to move forward without fear of retribution from the Thunder. To recap the Minnesota situation, the Thunder owed the NSC over 100-thousand dollars in unpaid lease fees for the stadium. Even though the NSC had continually notified the Thunder of those late payments going back to the spring of 2009, legally the NSC has to give the Thunder a 30 day notice of termination before they could move forward with an official announcement of fielding a pro soccer team. Those 30 days are up as of this Wednesday, December 16th. IMS believes that Minnesota soccer fans could be hearing from the NSC as early as the end of the week concerning the NSC’s ongoing and often frenetic work to field a new soccer team for Minnesota.

The big question that everyone wants to know is which group, the NASL or the USL, will this new team be associated with. The NSC is holding that trump card and they are currently poker faced as to their direction.

“Quavas has all of the attributes we are looking for in a player,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Timbers general manager and head coach. “While he is still learning the trade as a defender, we are excited to work with him and feel he has the necessary tools to help us compete at the highest levels. As a young player, he is extremely versatile and has tremendous experience.”

Kirk, 21, played in 15 matches with the Minnesota Thunder in 2009, and was a two-time USL First Division Team of the Week selection. Prior to joining Minnesota, Kirk spent four seasons in Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy (2005-07) and D.C. United (2008).

Kirk started as a wide midfielder for Minnesota but as the season progressed, coach Donny Gramez moved Kirk to right back, a position the Chicago native had spent some time playing in earlier years. Kirk was starting to establish himself in the league as an outstanding right back when he was injured and missed a good portion of the later part of the season.

“Kirk is getting better with each start and performance as an outside back,” said Gramenz during the Thunder season. “I really believe Quavas will develop into one of the best outside defenders in this league and possibly beyond.”

With the Timbers moving up to MLS in 2011, Kirk’s move to Portland could be a good way for the versatile player to work his way back into the league where he started.

For more information on Kirk, please see this article written in early August of this year.