As Minnesota United held its housewarming event on a snowy February afternoon, fans were reunited with the club’s now-familiar epicenter at Allianz Field. While there weren’t dishes being served at the Café Beignet or drinks poured at the MNi Bar, it was finally a chance to get back to the league’s newest soccer-specific venue. Many of the hallmarks were the same: the Brew Hall was packed with fans, Loons merchandise was the unanimous dress code and conversations centered on how the team would perform in the coming months.



One other thing that hasn’t changed from last year: tracking down club CEO Chris Wright — a man who operates in the overlapping Venn diagram circles labeled “ever-present” and “elusive.” If there’s an event at the state’s latest professional sports venue, it’s almost a certainty that Wright will be in attendance. Since joining the club in late 2017, opening Allianz Field was a...