Minnesota Stars FC

NSC Minnesota played its first official game on April 11, 2010, a 2–0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps.  They ended up finishing the season with a respectable 11-13-8 record and were the only expansion team to make the playoffs.

In early 2011, ownership of NSC Minnesota changed and will be owned by the NASL for the short-to-mid-term as the league looks for an appropriate ownership group which meets the new heightened standards for D2 professional soccer in North America.

“The Twin Cities is a first-class soccer market with a rich history of supporting the professional game,” said Aaron Davidson, Chief Executive Officer of the NASL. “Minnesota’s remarkable support for the original NASL and the professional game since 1990 is virtually unmatched in this country. It’s also important strategically to be in a market that boasts the headquarters of the third-most Fortune 500 companies in the country. Continuing on 21 consecutive seasons of professional soccer in Minnesota allows us to help fulfill our vision and ambition for the NASL and our member teams.”

The NSC Minnesota Stars won the first North American Soccer League title against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on a 3-1 aggregate following a 0-0 draw Saturday, October 29th, 2011 at Lockhart Stadium.

Being the lowest ranked seed in theplayoffs, to win the championship the NSC Minnesota Stars went through the third-seeded FC Tampa Bay, the regular season champion Carolina RailHawks, and finally, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

In January 2012, the team re-branded themselves Minnesota Stars FC and redesigned their logo to better reflect the team.