A long-anticipated soccer rivalry is finally set to ignite.
On Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Walt Hunting Stadium in Duluth, Duluth FC will host cross-bridge challenger Superior City FC in the inaugural Twin Ports Cup. The matchup marks the first meeting between the region’s top semi-professional soccer clubs.
Fans from both sides of the bay have been eager for this match since Superior City FC emerged onto the semi-professional soccer scene in 2023.
For the first time, NPSL powerhouse Duluth FC (the 2024 Midwest Region Champions) will face UPSL’s Superior City FC (the 2024 Wisconsin Cup Champions) under the lights, promising a derby-style showdown that will be both competitive and festive.
“The Twin Ports Cup isn’t just a game – it’s a new tradition,” said John Shuster, co-owner of Duluth FC. “This is about celebrating the growth of soccer in our region and bringing our communities together through the game we love.”
Kaden Bergman, President of Superior City FC, expressed excitement about the upcoming derby: “We’re thrilled to have a match between our local clubs to showcase high-level soccer in the Twin Ports. Growing the game is a priority for both clubs, and this is a fantastic opportunity to promote the sport in a meaningful way.”
BlueGreens coach Thomas Pazo said the Superior FC match is another wonderful opportunity for his players to play the game they love and compete against a quality side.
“It is also always fun to play in a rivalry match and perform in front of a crowd,” said Pazo. “I am excited for multiple players who will get opportunities and get to showcase the depth of our squad. I look forward to seeing our fans again. As always, we will look to play attractive football and put in a performance that makes our fans proud.”
Duluth FC enters the match with a record of 5 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw after a challenging weekend road trip. The BlueGreens started strong with a 2-0 victory over Sioux Falls Thunder FC on Friday night, but suffered a 1-0 loss to Siouxland United FC on Saturday following a goal conceded in stoppage time – marking their first loss of the season.
“It was quite a productive weekend, with two games that left very different tastes in our mouths,” said Pazo of the back-to-back road matches. “We had plenty of challenges – traveling 7 hours and playing on the same day, playing back-to-back games in two different states against very tough opponents, injuries, etc. We had a great win and a clean sheet on Friday, followed by a poor performance (for our standards) on Saturday, when we conceded a goal in the last minute to lose 1-0. Although we aimed to return to Duluth with six points, we learned about ourselves and gained valuable experiences.
“Losing in the last minute was certainly a bitter pill to swallow, but we will regroup and return stronger. I always take away the positives: we rotated the squad quite a bit, lots of guys got great opportunities to play, and the silence in the locker room after Saturday’s match showed me how much this group cares and wants to win. I’m very proud of my fantastic group.”
Superior City FC faces Duluth FC with momentum, sporting a record of 3 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, following a dominant 7-1 victory at home against Joy AC on Saturday night. Their impressive second-half performance in that match, where they scored five goals, demonstrated how dangerous they can be when they hit their stride.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and military personnel, and $5 for college students. As always at Duluth FC home games, children under 18 can attend for free. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on game day or in advance here.
Minnesota Wilderness Notebook
This week, the Minnesota Wilderness has two opportunities to expand its roster of protected players for the 2025-26 season.
The North American Hockey League will host its first-ever Futures Draft on Tuesday and its annual Entry Draft on Wednesday. In the Futures Draft, all 34 teams will select two players.
Teams will choose players born in 2009 over two rounds, with each team selecting one player per round. The Entry Draft is open to all players born between 2005 and 2009. Teams can select players who are not tendered to another NAHL team.
