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Loons goalkeeper Tyler Miller finds connection with fans despite no home games

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Minnesota United FC goalkeeper Tyler Miller watches the ball against the New England Revolution during a match at Providence Park Feb. 16. Craig Mitchelldyer / USA TODAY Sports

ST. PAUL -- A pro team’s community relations department sometimes has to do a delicate dance to coax athletes to buy into their causes.

But for Minnesota United last month, new goalkeeper Tyler Miller took the initiative to volunteer his time and check in with season-ticket holders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Loons executive vice president Bryant Pfeiffer has been working in sports for 25 years and was impressed by Miller’s effort in two engaging Zoom calls with supporters, which lasted more than 20 minutes apiece.

“Not only talking but asking questions and almost facilitating the call, as if he were the host or a member of our staff,” Pfeiffer said of Miller. “It was fascinating to see how engaged he was and the questions he was asking.”

Loons teammates Mason Toye and Michael Boxall also were willing to chat with fans. One family asked Miller what they could do to help him out; a father-son pair whom Toye touched were so impressed with the striker that they called United back and donated to Toye’s preferred charity, ACES.

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“I think that shows the Minnesota culture and family and community that we have here,” Miller said in an interview. “To have them checking in on me and what I needed was a very remarkable thing. It was unexpected.”

With the MLS season suspended for more than two months, Miller has yet to play in front of his new fans at Allianz Field. The Loons won the first two games this season, both on the road, and not being able to play in front of new supporters yet was part of the reason he wanted to connect with them.

“For me, the relationship the players have with the supporters extends far beyond what happens on the field,” said Miller, who came over in an offseason trade with Los Angeles FC. “It extends to what you do in the community and how you give back to them, how you show you actually care about them and they show they care about you. It’s more than just the soccer aspect. I think that was heightened about these calls.”

The Millers, a St. Paul family of five, aren’t related to Tyler but found connections over a 20-minute call.

“It was a typical semi-awkward Zoom call,” father Michael said. “… But we got into a rhythm pretty quickly. He was very congenial and obviously a good ambassador for the team. He was able to ask the kids questions.”

The connection was especially meaningful to their middle child, Elliot, a 14-year-old goalkeeper who is looking for a growth spurt to maybe catch up to the 6-foot-4 Tyler.

“He was encouraging with Elliot to stick it out and be versatile, which was a good tip because Elliot was a field player,” Michael said.

After Tyler asked about their seats in the St. Paul stadium, why they liked to go to games and more, the Millers said they gave him an out. “We were like, ‘You probably have places to go. We don’t want to keep you,’ and he said, ‘No, I’m pretty open,’ ” Michael recalled.

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“That is the wrong answer,” he added with a laugh. So, they kept chatting.

“He was really relaxed, and it didn’t seem compulsory on his end,” Michael said. “This really felt like a guy kicking back on his couch, talking to us. It was very related and very approachable.

United seek flexibility

This week, Minnesota United suspended season-ticket payments for June and July with the games on hold. The league and its players are working on a deal to potentially host a World Cup-style tournament in Orlando, Fla., into July.

“We are just trying to be flexible with everything that is going on,” Pfeiffer said. “There are so many unknowns still on how the 2020 season will shake out. We think there are going to be games in some sort of form or fashion, and the league is trying to figure that out. There are a lot of models.”

With all 17 home games yet to be played in Allianz Field this season, Pfeiffer didn’t have an estimate on how many games could still happen in 2020. Some of this is contingent on the Orlando proposal.

“The league definitely believes there is a footprint of time with the schedule that games could happen,” Pfeiffer said. “… We are following the leagues direction on that one.”

Once a blueprint of a revised schedule is better known, United plans to have a thorough explanation on different options for season-ticket holders, including potential refunds.

“We are hopeful that we will have something by mid-June to roll out,” Pfeiffer said. It may be tied into a 2021 renewal process as well.”

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The Loons have 15,000 season-ticket holders for their 19,600-seat stadium and another 6,500 on its waiting list.

“That is one of the advantages we believe we have comparatively with some of the other markets or sports,” Pfeiffer said.

But continued social distancing guidelines could throw a wrench in how many fans could attend home games. A published estimate of 4,000 fans is only one possibility, and how many fans could be inside will depend on the amount public-health officials deem safe at that time.

“There is so much excitement to get into Year 2 at Allianz and there is an experience that over-delivers from a fan experience standpoint,” Pfeiffer said. “We are fully expecting when we play again that people will be fired up and ready to rock and roll.”

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