The Minnesota Thunder have endured three-straight miserable campaigns. Struggling with a paltry player payroll in a league that escalates in quality each year, the once-proud franchise (having advanced to the league championship four times between 1998 and 2003) hasn't qualified for the post-season since 2004. During Amos Magee's first two campaigns as coach, the club has compiled a sad 12-27-17 record.

As an obsessed fan of this lowly team, I have endured approximately 24,387 minutes (whether at The Jimmy or watching games on the Internets) of abject misery over the last three years. Now granted that statement probably says more about the misguided priorities of my life than it does about the state of a minor league soccer franchise that the general public really doesn't give a shit about. But that's the path I've chosen and it's too late to alter my destiny.

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The Minnesota Thunder's pre-season kicks off in earnest tomorrow as they take on the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. It will be the first of five friendlies leading up to the season opener in Portland on April 24. The off-season has been busy for the Thunder. Under the team's new ownership group, the player budget has been significantly increased and the roster overhauled. Only nine players look to be returning from last year's cellar-dwelling squad, most notably goalkeeper (and 2007 BlueSkySoccer player of the year) Nic Platter and towering central defender Kevin Taylor. More >>

The Minnesota Thunder have signed Canadian forward Alen Marcina. The 28-year-old striker split time with three USL First Division clubs last season, scoring three goals. In 2006 he struck the back of the net 13 times (including three tallies against the Thunder) for the Puerto Rico Islanders, earning him second team All-League honors.

Marcina is the Thunder's second significant off-season signing. Last month the club announced that it had finalized a three-year deal with playmaker Luchi Gonzalez. The former MLS first-round pick spent last season with Miami FC, notching four goals and two assists.

The team's new ownership group, headed by Belgium-based developers Dean Johnson and Henk Habers, has promised to significantly increase Coach Amos Magee's player budget. The Thunder have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons.