Jon Arnold

Maybe you just have to be from Minnesota to really get it. Plenty of soccer teams have a pregame ritual. A cherished old pop song here. A boom-boom clap there. Minnesota United, though, kick off with an eerie loon call.

The team is officially Minnesota United Football Club , but no one is confused when you call them The Loons. After all, there is a stylized version of the beloved bird on the badge, the loon call played before matches, nods throughout the stadium and a 32.5-foot-tall, 89-foot-wide sculpture.

The loon stands as more than just the state bird, but a unifying symbol for Minnesotans.

Naturally inspired

Dr. Bill McGuire remembers working on creating an identity for the club that was going to try to tie those elements together. “What’s important to Minnesota? Wha

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