TCB: How did you become part of this? Was there a key individual or event that brought that about?īM: David Downs was commissioner of the North American Soccer League at the time and he was trying to find a buyer because they were going to shut the Stars down. But I disagree - in our cities there are kids kicking around soccer balls. Most sports now have a business around youth sports. Why?īM: I know where you’re coming from and that’s about the business of youth soccer. But in North America it’s more of a bourgeois pastime. TCB: It’s the world’s game and very much a blue-collar sport elsewhere. The great players grow up picking up a soccer ball at age 2. It has no barriers - sex, age, gender, ethnicity, beliefs. It’s a team sport, it’s not a game where one player will win it it gives you a much greater chance than a game with one or two superstars. You play for 45 minutes, take a 15-minute break, play another 45, and it’s over. There’s nobody telling you when to cheer and what to say, “Use this slogan now.” TCB: What is it about this game that’s different?īM: The team and the fans are almost integrated. … Soccer is the world’s game and represents something that should be present in this community. We’re part of the community and have been for a long time, and our children as well and I saw that continuing. Soccer I knew almost nothing about, but I knew a lot about sports - not just the entertainment component, but the things you learn by competing and sharing things with other people. Bill McGuire: It’s a derivative of an interest in sports and an interest in the community. Twin Cities Business: Tell me about the origins of your interest in soccer.ĭr. We spoke with McGuire from a broadcast booth overlooking the pitch, where we discussed the economics of soccer and his goals for its future. Soccer is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., and the privately financed stadium and team may one day be worth a lot more but for the time being, McGuire owns a relatively modest sports business in a league with bigger financial aspirations than short-term returns. Paul, is the latest entrant in the Twin Cities stadium wars and it will surely garner rave reviews for its innovative design and intimacy.
He walked with members of the Pohlad family, who are investors in the team, then took photos with season-ticket holders. Bill McGuire, who built UnitedHealth Group into the colossus it is, strolled his newly finished Allianz Field on a recent Friday in his role as majority owner and managing partner of the Minnesota United Football Club.