Every year, Minnesota United plays teams from all across the U.S. (and Canada). Since the introduction of Leagues Cup, you can add Mexico to that list as well. Competitions like the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Club World Cup make it possible to play teams from all over the region, and even the world, but those spots must be earned. But international friendlies? Those are just pure soccer celebrations without any barriers to entry. They’re just fun.
In this global game of ours, there’s no shortage of teams to test our mettle against, no matter where you look. From English club Aston Villa to the Germans of 1. FC Kaiserslautern, we’ve hosted some fantastic friendlies over the years, and 2025 is no exception. On Monday, July 7, we’ll be hosting Holstein Kiel of the German 2. Bundesliga in our latest friendly, and we figured it would be worth learning a thing or two about our guests before they take the field. So, without further ado, here’s a very condensed look at the long history of our next opponents.
(Over) A Century of History
Holstein Kiel — as we know it today — was born from the merger of Kieler Fußball-Verein von 1900 and Kieler Fußball-Club Holstein in 1917. That makes them about 108 years old; looks like we’re the spring chickens in this matchup. They hail from the city of Kiel, located in the far northern reaches of Germany, just south of Denmark. They found mixed success at the top level of German soccer during their first 30 years of existence, winning a national title in 1912, a few regional titles, and coming quite close to plenty more.
After early success and quite a bit of shuffling within the German league system, Holstein Kiel spent the majority of the next 60 years competing in their nation’s lower divisions. Several impressive runs in the DFB Pokal — the German equivalent of the U.S. Open Cup — helped to elevate the club's profile and eventually led to their promotion to the second division in 2017. This return to second division soccer ended a 36-year absence and would be the springboard for even greater success.
At the end of the 2023-24 season, Die Störche (the Storks) earned their first-ever promotion to the top flight after finishing second in the 2. Bundesliga. They struggled early on in their first Bundesliga campaign but managed to pick up a few impressive results, including a 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund, a dominant season sweep of FC Augsburg (whom they outscored by a total of 8-2), and a 4-3 win over Borussia Monchengladbach. Despite their scattered successes, Holstein Kiel was relegated at the end of the season after finishing in 17th place out of the league’s 18 teams.
With players from all around the world representing them (including USMNT defender John Tolkin), KSV have effectively built upon their recent successes. The jump from regional leagues to the national stage is a big one, and they’ve managed it with efficiency and determination. Attempting to step up the ladder that is the football pyramid is a truly daunting task, where every decision you make could be the difference between promotion, relegation, or stabilization. While they’ll be spending the 2025-26 season in the 2. Bundesliga once again, I wouldn’t bet on them to stay down for long. If their history has demonstrated anything, it’s that these guys are on an upward trajectory that almost feels inevitable.
Monday’s match is meant to be a challenge for either side. Instead, it will serve as a chance for Minnesota United to test some depth while Die Störche gets their squad ready to chase promotion next season. For one side, it’s a break from a busy season. For the other, it’s a staging ground for what’s to come. At the end of the day, though, it’s a celebration for both teams, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
