The Loons traded Christian Ramirez to LAFC in 2018, and he has not played in Minnesota since then.
Two seasons spent with Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership made a homecoming in that span impossible, but in parts of five other MLS seasons, bad timing, imbalanced schedules and a brutal pandemic kept him away from the place his career blossomed and where he earned the “Superman” nickname.
Ramirez will finally return to Minnesota on Saturday afternoon as a member of reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. It’s Minnesota United’s home opener at Allianz Field, but Ramirez is bound to receive a warm reception.
When the Loons traded the beloved forward in August 2018, LAFC already had played at TCF Bank Stadium that July. When he was traded to Houston in August 2019, the Dynamo previously had visited St. Paul that May. But he did score against MNUFC in Texas that September.
In October 2020, he was set to travel to Minnesota for a match, but a false positive COVID-19 test put him briefly in quarantine. “I wasn’t too mad about that one because I wanted my first time to be with all the supporters up there,” Ramirez said in an interview with the Pioneer Press this week.
Then he spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons in Scotland before joining Columbus last year, and the Eastern Conference club didn’t play in Minnesota. But he did score against the Loons in the Leagues Cup in Ohio last August.
Ramirez, now 32, wonders if Saturday’s game in Minnesota could be a one-off. “I was talking to one of my teammates here,” he shared. “I’m in the Eastern Conference, and if you look at it, could this potentially be the one and only time I go back?”
Ramirez, who scored 74 goals for Minnesota across all competitions from 2014-18, remains fond of Minnesota. In a 12-minute interview, he reflected on his time with MNUFC, how it abruptly ended and what might have been.
Over your career, how was it last year to be able to raise a trophy and being instrumental in achieving it?
I think it was the pinnacle of it, just everything lining up. All the hard work finally paying off. Just to be able to be such an influential piece, not only in the playoff run (two goals in Eastern Conference playoffs), but throughout the year (eight goals in the regular season). It meant a lot to just sort of find my role throughout last year, and to be welcomed and wanted has felt really good.
When Columbus won the cup, a lot of people in Minnesota sent congratulations to you. Did you feel that love from Minnesota at that time?
I got a lot of messages and a lot of mentions from people back in Minnesota for both myself and for Kevin (Molino), being that Kevin has been through so much to get to that point. And I think that was special for myself as well to be able to win it with Kevin, somebody who I came into Minnesota with and build such a good relationship with, and so to see him finally get that trophy was awesome as well.
How do you look back on your time in Minnesota?
Even though it wasn’t technically my start (his pro career began in USL with Charlotte in 2013), I think it’s what gave me the opportunity afterwards to be able to showcase myself and and essentially put myself in a situation to be able to do this for a long term. Minnesota has meant everything to me ever since I stepped foot there, and ever since I left it’s still been a place that I call home and a place where everybody who has known me, affiliates me with Minnesota. So that’s been awesome to still be in regards.
What were your favorite memories of your time in Minnesota?
There was a few for sure. There was the bicycle kick obviously (in 2014). The North Carolina hat trick up in Blaine (in 2016). (Scoring two goals) in the win against LAFC at TCF (Bank Stadium in 2018) and the first (MLS) win against Salt Lake (in 2017). All those memories.
Minnesota players Christian Ramirez, left, and Miguel Ibarra thank the fans at the end of the game after Minnesota United FC beat Sporting Kansas FC 2-0 at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, May 7, 2017. (Scott Takushi / Pioneer Press)
I think being able to be there when ‘Wonderwall’ first started at TCF. I wasn’t there when it initially started with (former coach Carl Craig in 2011) and in the Stars days. But I built such a good relationship with Carl that he sort of passed along those stories. And so I saw it get built to where it’s at now. So those memories after wins whether it was on the road or at home are special.
How did you feel about the trade in 2018 to LAFC at the at the time, and how do you feel about it now?
At the time, it was obviously a mix of emotions because you are going back home (to California) and going to a club that was trying to be so ambitious. It was exciting, but a bit of mixed emotions.
I look back at it now, and it was a great opportunity for myself, and I guess everything that has come full circle to it was that Minnesota needed the salary cap finances to go out and get other pieces.
(Former manager Adrian Heath said the $800,000 MNUFC received from LAFC helped the Loons bring in free-agent defensive star Ozzie Alonso, which helped United make the first of four MLS Cup Playoff appearances in 2019.)
I feel like I’ve been on the end of that a couple of times in my career. for good or not. It’s been mixed emotions, because you see other guys in the league have been with one club for 10-12 years. You always wonder what if. I always have wanted to play at Allianz and see it. And so hopefully this week, after what is it six years now? Finally get to step foot at that place. Because the last time I was there we were wearing the (hard hats) and walking through (a construction zone) with nothing there.
What sort of emotion do you think you’ll have on Saturday in Minnesota?
I’m just trying to prepare myself for anything and everything, essentially. But I just want to enjoy this moment. I feel like that club has grown so much since those days that we are playing in front of 2,000 fans in Blaine, and to see where it’s at now, I feel really tied to it. I’m excited to be in that atmosphere again, to be in that city and see how how it’s come along, and just see all the old faces that I haven’t seen in a long time. Hopefully it’s a warm reception.
The one thing that I don’t want to have is ‘Wonderwall’ to play at the end of the game. I’d rather listen to ‘Wonderwall’ in my headphones in the locker room afterwards. But, yeah, I’m excited, and hopefully I can make an impact.
That’ll be the one place. I’ve scored against Minnesota a few times, I believe. And I’ve sort of celebrated, but that’s the one place, in Minnesota, I wouldn’t. It holds too much of a special place to celebrate a goal against Minnesota.
Heard a few times that there were efforts to try to bring you back to Minnesota after 2018. How close did that come to be?
There’s been conversations numerous times. For one reason or another, it hasn’t fully developed to where it was close. But I feel like there’s always conversations every window that I was out there. And during my time in Houston, when I wasn’t playing.
So there was always those conversations, but they, for whatever reason, didn’t take that next step. That’s always a revolving door, I guess. I guess it’s a good thing that that club sees me in that aspect. I’m just enjoying my time right now with the Crew, and excited for this week and to back.
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