Minnesota United hoping for better second half in Blaine

The second half of Minnesota United's soccer season begins Saturday evening in Blaine but attempts at a turnaround from a disappointing first act are already in motion.

Defender Brian Kallman called a mid-July exhibition victory in Blaine against FC Edmonton "the best game we've played in a long time. I think the fans enjoyed it and they are going to be coming back."

The team also has traded two players and added four more, including a former Henry Sibley standout, in seeking to bolster a squad that lost its final three games before the break and stumbled to a fifth-place tie in a seven-team North American Soccer League (NASL).

After playing all but one game in the spring season at the Metrodome, the team has moved back to the National Sports Center in Blaine for all seven home games of its fall season. United opens there at 7 p.m. Saturday against spring-season champion Atlanta.

A key question is whether United can sustain a spring-season attendance bump, achieved in the centrally located but cavernous Metrodome, at a more soccer-minded venue 20 minutes north of downtown.

Despite United's spring-season woes on the field, an average of more than 5,000 fans attended each of its five games in the Metrodome. United ranked second in the NASL in home attendance (5,338).

Minnesota closed the spring season with a July 4 game in Blaine and announced an attendance of 6,507. By comparison, a crowd of 4,642 watched the first leg of the NASL finals in Blaine last October.

United owner Bill McGuire spoke several times during the spring season about how big a space the Metrodome is to fill and how even 5,000 spirited fans are swallowed up by a sea of empty blue chairs.

The same number of fans in the smaller Blaine venue, where seats are closer to the field, creates a more intimate experience.

Like his team, which stumbled to three consecutive losses to end the spring season, Rogers said he is looking forward to greater off-field success.

"Our goals are not only to continue selling tickets but to prove our significance to the business community," Rogers said. "Doing well on the field makes the off-field challenges easier."

The team must renew the jelling process after several roster moves. Captain Kyle Altman retired and enrolled in medical school. Midfielder Bryan Arguez and former NASL MVP forward Etienne Barbara — two players coach Manny Lagos struggled to fit into the team — were traded in the past two weeks. Replacing Barbara is former NASL Best XI team selection Mike Ambersley. Arguez was sent to Carolina in exchange for midfielder Floyd Franks.

"The level of training has definitely risen," Kallman said. "The guys here before want to get minutes, the new guys want to get minutes and the starters don't want to lose their spots."

A rash of injuries during the spring season made finding continuity difficult. But players shouldered their share of the blame for allowing the second-highest amount of goals (23) and falling from title contention.

"Across the board, we weren't good enough," defender Connor Tobin said. "Attacking-wise, defending-wise, work rate — we can improve on all of them."

Veteran players such as Kallman, Tobin and forward Simone Bracalello said the team made the most of the month-long break, using it to get healthy and hungry. The team, previously known as Minnesota Stars FC, reached the league championship match in 2012 and won the title in 2011.

"It's always difficult when you have a successful group like we had the past couple years and then you change so much," Bracalello said. "But now we're together, we know each other and there are no excuses. We've got to win."

Said Kallman: "I think this season it's going to be a lot tougher to come into our place and walk out of here with a result."