A significant culprit of loon deaths is lead poisoning. It only takes one lead sinker to poison a loon, resulting in strange behaviors such as crash landings, little appetite, trembling and gasping.
MNUFC went into Saturday鈥檚 match in California with an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win and some help. That assistance came with Real Salt Lake鈥檚 draw with L.A. Galaxy late Saturday night, but Minnesota didn鈥檛 do its part of the equation.
With Minnesota鈥檚 playoff positioning slipping in three straight scoreless losses, a goal and a point will be precious. But they lost points from a winning position at home.
Third-place Minnesota (13-9-5) travels to sixth-place Real Salt Lake (10-8-9) for an 8:30 p.m. CT kickoff Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
Matt Navratil, a 26-year-old from Burnsville, Minnesota, is a diehard Loons fan and a season-ticket holder who travels with his parents, Scott and Chris, to a few road games each season.
One of Dayne St. Clair鈥檚 first soccer memories is from roughly 20 years ago with him juggling a plastic balloon at his grandmother鈥檚 home in the Toronto area. The young Canadian wasn鈥檛 yet good enough with his feet to keep a heavier soccer ball aloft; he needed an inflatable orb that would hang in the air a bit longer.
Seven field players have played at least 90% of the minutes across the five MLS matches since June 25. Two more, for a total of nine, have been on the field at least 78% of the game action in that span.
