Photo illustration by Anthony Mendolia
Dark Clouds
Habitat: At TCF Bank Stadium, Loons supporters will occupy the whole of the east endline, in Sections 123-127.
Visual Identification: Drawing from team colors, and highlighting those that best match their name, Dark Clouds members are typically decked out in gray and black.
Defining Characteristics: This supporters’ group is boisterous and irreverent, and from their very beginnings, have been a little out in left field, even by soccer-fan standards. The name Dark Clouds — while a nod to the Minnesota Thunder they originally supported — is also a wry nod at ultras-style support, and came about when founder Bruce McGuire wore a button with a gray cartoon cloud on it to a match.
Songs and Calls: Imagine Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” in a laconic monotone, and you’ve got a prime example of how the group’s sense of humor translates to the stands. They also still keep “You Dive Like Jamie Watson” in their repertoire, which refers to a player who, as Dark Clouds president Jim Oliver explains, is “a 10-year-old joke referring to a former USL player who's since played in other leagues, joined Minnesota for three years, and is now our sideline reporter.”
True North Elite
Habitat: They’ll be standing the full 90 at the east end of TCF Bank Stadium.
Visual Identification: Some members hoist True North Elite flags, and they’ve also created a range of merchandise in their favored black.
Defining Characteristics: They prefer to enter the match just before kickoff, singing, clapping, chanting, drumming, and otherwise motivating the crowd to get excited for the match. They define themselves as an ultras-style supporters’ group, and they also point out that they’re anti-discrimination and anti-violence.
Songs and Calls: Their current go-to is “Minnesota Boys in Black and Blue,” a tribute to the team to the tune of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.”
