In case you missed it, the Star Tribune's David La Vaque wrote about head coach Manny Lagos, and the challenge of reinvigorating soccer in Minnesota, for the print edition this morning, and I demand that you go read that first before reading any further in this post.

Speaking of print coverage, I've had a few people ask about the plan for covering United matches this year. Nothing's set in stone, but I'm told that the plan is to have coverage in the print edition for at least all the home matches. (Be sure your subscriptions are up to date, in other words.)

I've got a preview coming tomorrow, but here's a few things to clear out of the notebook today:

Getting to the game: If you have taken Metro Transit to a game before, the procedure is slightly different for this year for the United games at the Metrodome. Rather than just flash your ticket, you'll need to download a free pass from the Metro Transit website. The team website has all of the information.

Deciding the future: Midfielder Miguel Ibarra and defender Justin Davis signed contract extensions this week. Ibarra's deal now runs through 2014, and Davis is signed through 2015. They join keeper Matt Van Oekel (2014) and defender Brian Kallman (2015) in signing extended contracts this spring.

Now hear this: Local soccer experts Bruce McGuire and Wes Burdine interviewed Lagos for a very special episode of their du Nord Futbol Show podcast. I encourage you to listen in.

One of us, on the national stage: Minneapolis native Mukwelle Akale is in the USA squad for the U-17 CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers that begin this week in Panama. Brian Quarstad of Inside MN Soccer wrote this profile of him, sixteen months ago; I encourage you to read it, if for no other reason than "Mukwelle Akale" is the single best soccer name there has ever been.