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MPR News Staff and Peter Cox
St. Paul

MN United begins Major League Soccer games in March

360 degree canopy over stadium
A 360-degree canopy over the bowl of the stadium is designed to protect fans and players from the elements, and to reduce light and noise from spilling into the Midway neighborhood.
Minnesota United FC

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More than a year after Minnesota won a Major League Soccer franchise, the actual entry date is official: Minnesota United FC will begin playing in the top league in March.

The Minnesota team's entry into MLS is contingent on a new stadium to be built just west of downtown St. Paul near the Green Line light rail line.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber made an announcement to several thousand loudly cheering supporters at St. Paul's CHS Field Friday night.

McGuire says the team will play the 2017 and at least part of the 2018 season at TCF Bank Stadium. He expects the new stadium in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul will be completed sometime in 2018.

The club will also keep its name, despite another "United" team in the league, from Washington, D.C. and another, Atlanta United, joining in 2017 as well.

Congrats @MNUnitedFC! Like you, we can't wait for 2017! https://t.co/8Ln9omh5KL

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) August 20, 2016

Minnesota United owner Bill McGuire said the numerous Uniteds was the subject of multiple conversations with Garber.

"It went back and forth, here are the reasons why, here are the reasons not," McGuire said. "In the end, I think it was the passion of the fans who were really pretty vocal about why this makes sense."

Earlier this week, the St. Paul City Council approved two measures to allow the stadium and surrounding re-development of a large parcel near Snelling and University Avenues to move forward. But also this week, Gov. Mark Dayton said he would not call a special session to fix a tax bill with an unrelated wording error. The bill contained tax breaks that are an important part of the financing of the stadium.