Minny (9th in the West) host San Jose Earthquakes (14th/last).
A nice favour from Minnesota would be Boxy already on the plane to France.
Otherwise he will be a very late fatigued arrival (3 MLS games in 7 days) prior NZ's crunch Guinea game. Need to beat Guinea you feel to have any hope of getting out of the group like at Tokyo.
From Flying Kiwis. Boxy missed Minny's game on the weekend as was suspended. Handy rest before the Olympics but sounds like he didn't fly out any earlier than the initial plan.
Boxall’s sixth yellow card of the season and thus he was suspended for their match against San Jose. Didn’t have to do three games in seven days before the Olympics after all. Not that he took an early flight or anything – Boxy was there in the stands watching as the Loons won 2-0... finally ending the rut.
Michael Boxall, DJ Taylor, Wil Trapp, and Clint Irwin at Allianz Field tonight! pic.twitter.com/N7O6DPJ5Ow
With 119 clearances this season, Michael Boxall leads the entirety of Major League Soccer. He turned 36 years old a fortnight ago but he’s not slowing down, stringing together another extremely accomplished season of defensive football. After a 2-1 win against San Jose Earthquakes, his Minnesota United team are right there in the playoff hunt with seven matches remaining. They had some wobbles earlier in the year, most notably that six-game losing streak in June-July... but they’re back on the horse now.
Wow! It's so interesting because he has made some poor mistakes this season. He definitely needs more help in that defensive unit. They concede nearly every game. They should be higher up the table but for the defensive error. We'll done Boxie
Edit - Boxall snr, full game in a 1-2 loss. Minny 9th (a playoff for the playoffs) in the West with 5 regular season games left. 5 pts ahead of Dallas in 10th.
Remains on track to crack 250 MLS appearances with this extension, and all going well, perhaps the swan-song year of his playing career will see him play at the World Cup in 2026.
Very popular figure at Minnesota. Fans love his kids coming on at the end of home games kicking the ball around. Basically their first club legend I guess, for a team only formed in 2015. Easily has their most apperances record with 233 games (next best currently 157)
His annual routine of coming back in an Auckland summer for a few months, and Coach Sunz's brutal boot camps (also the AWs fitness trainer) getting him into top physical shape seems to work well. Rarely injured, but yeah he will be 38 in August 2026. Struggled a bit against Mexico, not his best game.
However if the AWs have a veteran CB at the 2026 WC, you'd currently back him over Tommy Smith. Bindon, Surman & Pijnaker look early lockins. Boxall's biggest threat could be someone like Issac Hughes, LKH etc progressing fast over the next 2 years.
Hopefully he is still up to it in 2026, one of the genuinely good guys of NZ football.
On $USD728K/year ($NZD1.15M) at Minny. So I guess he'll never play for his new hometown club Auckland FC, if him & Minnesota take up the 2026 MLS season option. https://mlsplayers.org/resources/salary-guide
As we celebrate his new contract, take a look back at this Emmy-nominated piece from the archives. Go inside the Boxall home with Michael, Libby, and their children for a look at a very different Michael Boxall than the one you've seen on the pitch.#MNUFC | @AllianzLifepic.twitter.com/Tzs1betdKi
Via Niche Cache, after their win at Sporting KC. Apparently Minnesota's first ever win in Kansas.
According to @fbref, Boxall had 12 clearances last night.
For context, there've been only 13 players who've had 12+ clearances in a game in MLS this season, and only seven in MNUFC history. Boxall was one off the team record of 13, held by Ike Opara and Brent Kallman. https://t.co/hwdHRlhmZU
Minnesota (9th in the West) travel to Colorado Rapids (3rd). Boxy might have marked up against Calvin Harris at a few Nix trainings back in the day? Likely reunion if he did.
Minny (8th in the West) travel to Real Salt Lake (3rd). I think Boxy is suspended. He's had 8 yellow cards in 30 games. He's consistent. 9 cards in both the 2022 & 2023 MLS seasons, both 32 matches.
Still managed to make six clearances as he continues to challenge for the MLS season lead in that stat category, although he did pick up a yellow card in stoppage time – his eighth of the campaign. That would ordinarily leave him with a suspension but they have this good behaviour bond thing in MLS where your yellow card tally reduces by one each time you go five consecutive games without a booking (Boxy’s done that once so he’s still on the brink).
Lachlan Brook (ex WSW) on the bench for Real Salt Lake.
Boxy full game in a 0-0 draw. Brook came on for RSL at 84 mins.
Minnesota stay 8th, a point behind Vancouver (7th) and 1 point ahead of Portland (9th).
The latter two teams are currently in action as we speak and both are a goal down. Minny need to finish 7th or higher to make the Playoffs proper, ie avoid the 8th v 9th playoff. 2 regular season games left.
Boxy full game in a 0-0 draw. Brook came on for RSL at 84 mins.
Minnesota stay 8th, a point behind Vancouver (7th) and 1 point ahead of Portland (9th).
The latter two teams are currently in action as we speak and both are a goal down. Minny need to finish 7th or higher to make the Playoffs proper, ie avoid the 8th v 9th playoff. 2 regular season games left.
Yeah but they still want to avoid finishing 8th or 9th, as those 2 teams have to play midweek ("Play In Playoff Game" it's called) before playoffs proper start. Winner then travelling to a higher ranked playoff team. So after a long season you have to play a midweek game, which if you win you need to travel to a rested proper playoff opponent.
The 8th/9th game just seemed like a classic token extra game to sell more 'product' to the broadcasters
Handy suspension for the AWs. Minny with the importnant 1-0 win, to go 7th in the tussle to avoid the 8th/9th Play In Playoff game. But Vancouver & Portland below them with game(s) in hand.
Niche Cache. Racial taunt from a Qatari, and then this. Seems he causes some opponents to lose their toys!
A playoff spot has been secured for Minnesota United, although it came at a cost to Michael Boxall’s personal hygiene. It was late in the game between Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake. Boxy and Brayan Vera got a bit to scrappy marking each other on a corner kick and ended up hitting the ground. Boxy let him know about it and Vera stayed down holding his face. Moments later, Vera jogged past Boxall and spat in his face. Like, hocked right at his forehead. It was nasty. There’s a slow motion replay towards the end of these highlights... https://youtu.be/LC2c_T8Selw
Vera also tried to drop a shoulder on him as he ran past but kinda just bounced off Boxall like a trampoline. Boxall went straight to the ref to point at the slobber he’d wiped onto his jersey and the ref didn’t do anything so he figured it was time to take matters into his own hands and confronted Vera to spark a scuffle between the sides. Boxall was booked for continuing to remonstrate and that yellow card took him over the limit for a suspension. Vera did get sent off once the VAR took the time to look at it. But Boxall had to stick with the suspension because apparently the MLS rules don’t leave room for yellow cards to be rescinded, only red ones.
MNUFC coach Eric Ramsay: “I really feel for Boxy in that situation because that’s, I reckon, one of the worst things that can happen to you on a football pitch. Pretty sour note to end the game on, unfortunately.”
See that Round 1 of the Conference playoffs (teams 1-7 plus winner of 8th v 9th wildcard game) will be done as a 3 game series.
Basically quartfinals played as a 3 game series.
Bottom qualifier (which could be Minnesota or Surman's Portland) to play the top qualifier (likely LA Galaxy) over 3 games. Then one off semi final & final. Winner of each Conference final meet in the MLS Cup final.
They 3 game quarterfinal series is to finish Nov 11th (our time). AWs play Vanuatu Nov 15th. Not a big deal, but they will likely be without either Boxall or Surman - so same as this window.
First playoff game in Salt Lake City. Boxy starts, in the centre of 3 CBs. Lachlan Brook (ex Adelaide) on the bench for RSL.
Wonder if Boxall is a US citizen yet, and so can exercise his democratic right to vote? Utah not unsurprisingly one of the most Republican states in the USA. Though likely less so amongst RSL's fan base you'd think