Football or Fútbol? MNUFC players and their NFL counterparts

Football’s back, and it’s like it never even left.

Anglo-American naming confusion aside, the overlap between football and futbol makes a fun time of year for plenty of sports fans.

Let’s dive into some similarities between Minnesota United players and their counterparts across the National Football League.

Brent Kallman is...

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...Adam Thielen.

Kallman has a lot in common with the Vikings’ breakout receiver. Both are local guys, Kallman hailing from Woodbury, Thielen from Detroit Lakes. And both are fan favorites, at least in part for that reason. Plus, there’s the fact that it took some serious work for them to get to the level they are at. For Thielen, that meant playing DII football and winning a spot with the Vikings from a tryout. Kallman’s grind through the NASL left him as a backup as the Loons entered MLS, but he worked his way into a solid and undisputed starting role.

Ibson is...

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...Joe Flacco

Sometimes — okay, a lot of times — you wonder about Flacco and Ibson. They’ve done their jobs well in the past, that’s indisputable, but now, it’s a gray area. Just when you think they’ve gotten it figured it out, everything goes wrong. And just when you think you’re ready to move on, they’re operating at an all-star level. Flacco and Ibson can be frustrating, sure, but you’re still in love. For this week, at least.

Angelo Rodriguez is...

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...Kirk Cousins

There are still some questions about Cousins as he fits into his new role as the Vikings starting quarterback, and Rodriguez hasn’t finished his transition with the Loons either. You want, really expect, both to be good and strong producers, but you’re just not all the way sure yet.

Bobby Shuttleworth is...

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...Tom Brady

Both players are often the ones that you can confidently point to as game MVPs. In the end, you don’t question the methods, you just enjoy the success. Whether that’s purely reactionary saves, or late Super Bowl-winning rallies, you’ve got to trust the process.

Jérôme Thiesson is...

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...Kyle Rudolph.

Both Jerry and Rudolph are known for being great human beings off of the field. For Thiesson, that means regular interactions with fans; Rudolph is plenty involved in the community as well. If you’re going to pick a slightly under-the-radar player to count on, both of these guys are good bets.

Christian Ramirez is...

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...Adrian Peterson.

Okay, we’ll go a little beyond #MNUFC players for this one. But it feels weird to see Superman donning the black and gold of Los Angeles Football Club, and it’s been weird to see Peterson running in a color other than purple. Both players will be fondly remembered for their contributions for Minnesota sports, no matter the other teams they play for.

Got some other similarities in mind? Let us know on Twitter (@EPluribusLoonum) or in the comments section below!