Niche Cache. So 37 yr old Boxy to play the 2026 MLS season at Minny.
After that, retirement? A season with Auckland FC?
Boxall was very rudely excluded from the three-man shortlist for MLS Defender of the Year despite a fair bit of campaigning for his case but, in more positive news, it’s been confirmed that he’s met the requirements for his automatic one-year contract extension so he’ll be back in 2026 as a 38-year-old. No reason not to after the best year of his career.
Kinda funny- wonder what Boxy and Boyd were on at the Nix?
Still a duo that gave us victory in Adelaide and these salaries show what that is worth!
Ha. I still remember seeing Boxall & Boyd doing the hard yards in front of 75 plus or minus at Centennial Pk for Nix Reserves. Somebody on here asked how I rated them. I recall saying they stood out by way of their 'comittment'.
The winner of this Minny v Seattle QF series, is going to play the winner of Surman's Portland v San Diego QF (locked one game each), in the Western Conference semis.
Whether Portland and Minny make the Conference semi post the FIFA window could dictate the AW playing loads of Surman & Boxy, against Colombia and Ecuador. Lots of playing and travelling of late.
Boxy's dream of winning the MLS Cup lives on, but only just. Plenty of drama in chilly St Paul. This game really had it all.
Boxall withn the pre assist for 10 man Minny's 2nd goal to go level 2-2.
Seattle levelled it up late at 3-3 at 88 mins. So then straight into the pen shootout, which is where the drama really cranked up a notch.
Minny win the pen shootout 7-6. Went to 10 takes each, the keepers taking PKs to finish the match. The Seattle keeper was brought off the bench specifically for the shootout. Both teams failed to convert their 7th & 8th attempts
Just seen the announcement that this years Chasing the Fox is going to feature a "Team All Whites." Brown and Smeltz will be joining current All White Boxall who must be planning on a stint back home for the silly season. Hopefully helps build some public awareness of the side in the lead up to the WC next year. Pity Ben Old's not available. With him in tow, Team All Whites would probably take out the whole thing.
Boxy comes home to Auckland every summer, and gets his body whipped into shape for the following MLS season with Coach Sunz in the 09.
Saffa Sunz is the AWs fitness trainer, and does a lot of football specific sessions at his Auckland gym. His stuff online looks hard arse brutal. No doubt a factor in Boxall snr at 37 playing as well as ever, and rarely getting injured. Then Boxy's wife is a nutritionist, the other part of the puzzle to staying lean and super fit.
Shame for Boxy this season may have been his best chance ever to win the MLS Cup. Minnesota ain't the biggest club, and it's not often they will be a serious contender.
IM to host New York City in that Conference final. The highest-ranked finalist in the overall Supporters Shield table will be the host the MLS Cup Final. All remaining teams except New York City FC are still eligible to host the Cup Final.
Niche Cache. Early start for the MLS in 2026, Feb 21st. Presumably teams in the midwest/northern states, and Canada won't be having any home games until well into March.
Up Next: The World Cup in North America is doing wonky things to the MLS calendar next year so preseason begins again in just 40 days, Boxy will be straight back into it before you know it.
Niche Cache. Early start for the MLS in 2026, Feb 21st. Presumably teams in the midwest/northern states, and Canada won't be having any home games until well into March.
Up Next: The World Cup in North America is doing wonky things to the MLS calendar next year so preseason begins again in just 40 days, Boxy will be straight back into it before you know it.
There are some big disruptions coming to MLS the next few years after clubs voted last week to transition to a July - May season starting in July 2027. Next season runs from February. Starting in 2027, MLS will change to a summer-to-spring calendar, aligning with European leagues. The new season will begin in mid-to-late July 2027 and finish with playoffs in late May 2028, including a mid-winter break from mid-December through early February. There will be an abbreviated 2027 season from February to May as a transition before the new schedule fully takes hold....
Knowles has reverted Minnesota to a back 4 this season.
So that will better prepare Boxy for how the AWs play. And he's got a famous Colombian as a new team mate.
Niche Cache.
2-2 final score (away at Austin). Good point away from home against a tricky opponent. Michael Boxall did the full thing as captain, no surprises there. He was beaten to the header for the first goal but otherwise pretty emphatic with the Loons returning to a back four formation this year under the new bossman. Boxy’s CB partner Morris Duggan scored Minny’s first equaliser. Including his three-game interim stint in 2024, Cam Knowles remains undefeated after four games as a coach (two wins, two draws).
Also, this was without Minny’s star offseason recruit James Rodriguez who isn’t quite ready yet. When he is, it’ll mean joining forces with a bloke he captained against in a 2-1 win for Colombia back in November...
There were just 19 players younger than Troy Putt who got minutes during week one and the only other foreigners on that list were Bryan Zamble of Ivory Coast and Lucas Herrington of Australia (on debut after joining from Brisbane Roar).
There were only seven players older than Michael Boxall to get minutes in week one and it’s a pretty crazy list: Diego Chara, Hugo Lloris, Luis Suarez, Maximiliano Moralez, Alejandro Bedoya, Lionel Messi, and Tim Ream.
