The late, great soccer reporter Grant Wahl used to compile power rankings based on MLS clubs’ desires to achieve more.

That ambition was measured in a few ways, but spending was a big component of it. When Minnesota United opened up Allianz Field — which took $250 million in private financing —  the club jumped from 15th to 10th in Wahl’s 2019 list in Sports Illustrated.

Spending on players was another main facet Wahl measured. Since joining MLS in 2017, the Loons have never been (nor likely will be) a club that writes big checks on incoming transfers. Its club-record transfer fee ($5 million for Emanuel Reynoso in 2020) was exceeded by five other clubs on one player apiece just this spring in the primary transfer window.

New Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad has taken a tightly measured approach since joining the club full time in late January. He and MNUFC’s technical staff brought in eight total players before the season started; none have moved the needle on the field.

Those eight players average only 126 minutes played this season; the Loons have logged 1,710 total this season. Those eight players’ average guaranteed compensation is $120,281, while the league average is $594,390.

El-Ahmad’s biggest moves thus far have been transferring out two players.

When malcontent Reynoso went AWOL again this spring, El-Ahmad showed star treatment is a thing of the past. He quickly offloaded the two-time MLS All-Star to Club Tijuana for upwards of $1 million, if performance metrics are met.

Then last week, El-Ahmad and the Loons were nearing a transfer of versatile midfielder/defender Kervin Arriaga to Serbian club Partizan for approximately $500,000, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press.

Set to become a free agent after the season, Arriaga was not signed to a contract extension through the first six months of the year. He told the Pioneer Press in May it was “a dream” to play in Europe, so his interest in remaining in Minnesota might not have been strong anyway.

Arriaga, now 26, has built himself into a quality player in Minnesota, first as a central midfielder in 2022. But a meniscus knee injury cut short his 2023 season and that nagging joint delayed the start of his 2024 campaign.

Arriaga received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his knee in March, and when he returned in April, head coach Eric Ramsay put Arriaga on a three-man back line. He thrived in that new role, and his upswing makes it more difficult for the Loons and their supporters to say goodbye now.

Arriaga was in a swan song on Saturday in St. Paul. He brought out his newborn baby boy for pregame introductions and was teary-eyed postgame when showing thanks to supporters after the Loons’ 1-0 loss to Austin FC.

Arriaga was not a ballyhooed or high-priced signing — MNUFC acquired his discovery rights from Austin for $100,000 in 2022. His 2024 salary is a relative bargain at $259,667, according to the MLS Players Association.

It shows key players can be brought in from countless places (in Arriaga’s case: CD Marathon in Honduras), and they can develop and thrive in MLS. Creativity is a part of ambition, and El-Ahmad will need to unearth those kinds of players as he builds out a full roster going forward.

But one problem in the short term is the most likely next man up at center back is Victor Eriksson, a Swede whom El-Ahmad brought in during the offseason. He is the highest paid of the eight additions at $264,375, per MLSPA.

Eriksson’s rough start to his MLS career continued Wednesday when his bad clearance attempt led to a goal in the 5-3 loss to Dallas. Eriksson has even been linked to a return to Sweden this week.

The summer transfer window opens July 18 and the Loons are in need of difference-makers across the roster. Their current three-game losing streak has exposed depth issues with injuries and international duties.

MNUFC has made one addition for the summer, attacking midfielder Samuel Shashoua. He comes with an injury history and on another team-friendly deal.

If Wahl, who passed away while covering the 2022 World Cup, were still doing his ambition rankings, he would not be bumping up the Loons’ standing based on El-Ahmad’s additions so far.

Gov. Tim Walz said the state has seen “unprecedented” flooding in recent weeks as parts of Minnesota have seen upwards of 18 inches of rain in recent days with more precipitation on the way.

“This event is still ongoing,” Walz said, emphasizing people to not enter the likely contaminated water and to obey traffic barriers.

Charleigh Talbot, left, and Braelynn Kean run through flood water at the Pine Island High School Baseball Field on Saturday, June 22, 2024 in Pine Island, Minn. (Lily Dozier / Post Bulletin)

Walz said thus far there haven’t been any serious or deaths as a result of this “very widespread event.”

Over the last few weeks, about 40 Minnesota counties — or nearly half the state — have been impacted by flooding. Seven counties have applied for emergency assistance, Walz said.

In areas that don’t receive federal disaster declaration funding, Walz said the state currently has $26.64 million for emergency relief. When a county applies, Walz said they assess the issue and provide funding to the county in need. This funding will replenish to $50 million in September.

“You never know what you’re going to get with Minnesota weather,” Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan said during the Monday conference, adding that last year the state was dealing with drought and wildfires.

Flooding has been particularly severe in southern Minnesota since the end of last week.

On Saturday, Walz declared a peacetime emergency, authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to be available to provide support for emergency flood operations.

Floodwaters from the Little Fork River obscure a portion of a street sign Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Cook, Minn. (Clint Austin / Duluth Media Group)

“Across the state, intense rain has had catastrophic effects. Flooding has left entire communities under feet of water, causing severe damage to property and numerous road closures. As flooding continues, the National Guard is ready to step up to help our neighbors,” Walz said in the declaration announcement.“Their response will provide invaluable support that will be critical in ensuring the safety of Minnesotans during this difficult time.”

In Le Sueur County, the city of Waterville and the surrounding area received around 14-18 inches of water, causing evacuations and “significant damage,” the announcement said.

Minnesota National Guard Maj. General Shawn Manke said as of Monday the National Guard will have 46 soldiers supporting Waterville and “provide critical support manning pump stations to alleviate the flooded waters in the region.”

“We are ready to work hand in hand with local incident commanders in the state of Minnesota to try and improve the situation,” he said, adding the Guard will continue to monitor the situation.

On Friday, Walz traveled to northeast Minnesota to survey damage caused by severe flooding in Cook and Biwabik.

The governor’s office said floodwaters measured in “several feet, impacting residences and businesses” in downtown Cook. Dozens of roads were closed throughout the county. The Duluth News Tribune reported on Sunday that water had receded in Cook by Sunday afternoon.

According to the DNT, St. Louis County officials recorded more than 1,000 damage incidents since June 18.

“This is the second-largest natural disaster that St. Louis County has seen in three decades,” the governor’s office said in the news release.

Daniel Hawblitzel, the meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen, said during Monday’s press conference that the state has seen record flood levels that may get worse.

Workers with the Minnesota Department of Transportation move barricades into place as they close the Stillwater Lift Bridge as the rain-swollen St. Croix River slowly overflows its banks in downtown Stillwater, Friday, June 21, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Many rivers are expected to crest later this week — and that’s without more rainfall, Hawblitzel said. According to Hawblitzel, there are storms predicted to hit some areas across the state on Monday.

“The ground is saturated,” Hawblitzel said. “(The rain) has nowhere to go. So whatever falls, as little as it may be, will only make things worse.”

As a result of the heat dome over the East Coast, Hawblitzel said there are signs this weather pattern may continue over the next few weeks.

In the event of a flash flood, Kristi Rollwagen, director of Homeland Security Emergency Management, encourages Minnesotans to abide by traffic barriers.

“We want you to turn around,” she said. “We don’t want you to drown, and we don’t want you to become part of an unfortunate event.”

As water levels rise over the next few days, Walz said resources will continue to be deployed. Sandbagging will be used as a preventative measure for certain southern regions.

“As we see these chaotic climate events due to climate change increase, we need to think about how we’re building back more resiliently,” Walz said.

Rapidan Dam

On Monday, the Rapidan Dam on the Blue Earth River in southern Minnesota  — about seven miles south of Mankato — was described as in “imminent failure condition,” according to the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office.

This comes after debris was spotted accumulating at the dam on Sunday, officials said.

“Anyone that is in immediate danger in regards to the Rapidan Dam have (sic) been notified,” the sheriff’s office reported in an update posted to social media late Monday morning. “The Dam is currently intact and there is not an evacuation order in place for Blue Earth County residents. The situation is being monitored closely by BEC Public Works, Emeergency Managment, and the Sheriff’s Office.”

However, a short time later, WCCO News reported that the dam had failed and nearby residents were urged to evacuate.

A flash flood warning that includes Blue Earth County is in effect until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, according to the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service.

There is a threat for severe weather, including damaging winds, on Monday evening across central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, and into western Wisconsin.

The Pioneer Press contributed to this report.

Related Articles

Minnesota falls to 19th in education in state ranking

Midwest flooding collapses Iowa rail bridge, forces evacuations and kills at least 1

Minnesota National Guard mobilized to assist with flooding in south-central region

Literary picks for week of June 23: Native American words and music are on display this week

Did you know the bald eagle is not the country’s official bird? A Minnesota effort aims to change that

 

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the coming days, the Supreme Court will confront a perfect storm mostly of its own making: a trio of decisions stemming directly from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Within days of each other, if not hours, the justices are expected to rule on whether Donald Trump has immunity from criminal charges over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat and whether Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol can be prosecuted for obstructing an official proceeding.

The court also will decide whether former Trump adviser Steve Bannon can stay out of prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack.

These cases are among the dozen or so major disputes dealing with abortion, homelessness, the power of federal regulators, the opioid epidemic and social media platforms that the justices have left to decide as the traditional end of their term’s work nears.

Taken together, the three cases connected to the former president could feed narratives about the court and its conservative supermajority, which includes three justices appointed by Trump and two other justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who have rejected calls to step away from the Jan. 6 cases because of questions about their impartiality.

Related Articles

Biden announces hundreds of debate watch parties while Trump hits the trail

In one affluent Atlanta suburb, Biden and Trump work to win over wary Georgia voters

Candidates seen ‘out of touch’ by young voters

Trump defense, prosecutors enter Round 2 in fight over legitimacy of Special Counsel Jack Smith

GOP targets a Biden executive order on voter registration ahead of the fall election

From the perspective of Trump and his allies, the outcomes could provide more fodder for their claims that the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly. The riots resulted in more than 1,400 criminal cases in which 200 people have been convicted and more than 850 pleaded guilty to crimes.

That has not deterred Trump and his allies from claiming the Justice Department has treated the Capitol riot defendants unfairly. The outcomes of the cases could give them more reasons to decry the prosecutions.

The court’s handling of the immunity issue already has provoked criticism, both that the justices took up the issue at all — particularly given a unanimous federal appeals court ruling that rejected Trump’s claim — and more recently that they haven’t yet decided it.

Even if the court limits Trump’s immunity, or rejects his claims altogether, allowing his trial on election interference to go forward in Washington means “it is unlikely a verdict will be delivered before the election,” University of Michigan law professor Leah Litman wrote in The New York Times.

While the court has moved more quickly than usual in taking up the immunity case, it has acted far more speedily in other epic cases involving presidential power, including in the Watergate tapes case. Nearly 50 years ago, the court ruled 8-0 a mere 16 days after hearing arguments that Richard Nixon had to turn over recordings of Oval Office conversations, rejecting his claim of executive privilege.

In March, it took the justices less than a month after arguments to rule unanimously that the Constitution’s post-Civil War “insurrection clause” couldn’t be used by states to kick Trump off the presidential ballot.

The three cases related to Trump’s effort to undo his election loss in 2020 highlight how often he has appeared in the court’s work this year, though now he is doing so as the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president. Trump also was a factor in two social media cases and even a trademark dispute over the phrase “ Trump too small.”

The court almost always finishes its work by the end of June, but it’s not certain that will happen this year.

The court will next issue decisions on Wednesday. Among the other cases left to decide:

— Can doctors provide abortions in medical emergencies in states that banned abortion after the court overturned Roe v. Wade? In a case out of Idaho, the Biden administration says abortions must be allowed in emergencies where a woman’s health is at serious risk, while the state argues it is enough that its strict abortion ban contains an exception to save a woman’s life.

— The most significant Supreme Court case in decades on homelessness centers on whether people can be banned from sleeping outdoors when shelter space is lacking. A San Francisco-based appeals court ruled such bans amount to cruel and unusual punishment. Leaders from California and across the West say the ruling makes it harder for them to regulate homeless encampments encroaching on sidewalks and other public places.

— The justices could overturn a 40-year-old decision that has been cited thousands of times in federal court cases and used to uphold regulations on the environment, public health, workplace safety and consumer protections. The decision colloquially known as Chevron calls on judges to defer to federal regulators when the words of a statute are not crystal clear. The decision has long been targeted by conservative and business interests who say Chevron robs judges of their authority and gives too much power to regulators.

— Three cases remain unresolved at the intersection of social media and government. Two cases involve social media laws in Texas and Florida that would limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users. In the third case, Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to counter controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.

— The Supreme Court controls the fate of a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would allocate billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic, but also provide a legal shield for members of the Sackler family who own the company. The settlement has been on hold since last summer after the Supreme Court agreed to weigh in.

— Republican-led, energy-producing states and the steel industry want the court to put the Environmental Protection Agency’s air pollution-fighting “good neighbor” plan on hold while legal challenges continue. The plan aims to protect downwind states that receive unwanted air pollution from other states.

— Another important regulatory case could strip the Securities and Exchange Commission of a major tool in fighting securities fraud and have far-reaching effects on other regulatory agencies. The court is being asked to rule that people facing civil fraud complaints have the right to a jury trial in federal court.

Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.