Minnesota may not immediately come to mind in discussions of soccer hotbeds in the United States, but the Land of 10,000 Lakes has nonetheless made its mark on the sport’s grandest stage throughout its history.
Minnesota United defender Francisco Calvo will represent his native Costa Rica at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia this summer, but he is not the first player with ties to the state to have their chance to shine under soccer’s brightest lights.
GK Tino Lettieri – Canada (1986)
Probably best known for the stuffed parrot named “Ozzie” he kept in the back of his net during matches as a good luck charm, goalkeeper Tino Lettieri was a staple of Minnesota soccer in the late 1970s and 1980s for the indoor and outdoor iterations of both the Minnesota Kicks and Minnesota Strikers.