Target USA Cup 

International Arrivals Gate, Terminal 1
MSP International Airport; 4300 Glumack Drive; St. Paul, MN 55111 

Volunteer host families, who will be feeding, providing transportation for and housing the FC Minaj players and coaches in their homes before and after the USA Cup tournament, will greet the team with hugs, smiles and Ukrainian flags waving upon their return to Minnesota. Although the team's flight is scheduled to arrive at 5:30 pm, it may take as long as 45 minutes for them to clear passport control and customs before they pass through the wide doors of the International Arrivals Gate at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. 

Central Middle School Fields
8025 School Road; Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

A premiere coach in the soccer-based indoor game of futsal, with more than 20 successful years of coaching at all levels and 12 years as a player, Dusan Jakica is also a mechanical design engineer and a survivor of war, having witnessed the civil wars in the Balkans in the 1990s that resulted in nearly 200,000 lives lost, four million people displaced and the division of his native land of Yugoslavia into six separate nations.

Jakica will run the team through their paces on the artificial turf field. Parking is at the soccer field is behind the school, near the Stratasys tennis courts.

Starbucks Town Square
582 Prairie Center Drive; Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

A premiere coach in the soccer-based indoor game of futsal, with more than 20 successful years of coaching at all levels and 12 years as a player, Dusan Jakica is also a mechanical design engineer and a survivor of war, having witnessed the civil wars in the Balkans in the 1990s that resulted in nearly 200,000 lives lost, four million people displaced and the division of his native land of Yugoslavia into six separate nations.

Following a training session with the team at the Central Middle School fields, Jakica will , then the group will head to the Starbuck's coffee shop at 582 Prairie Center Drive in Eden Prairie, where Jakica will impart practical lessons on surviving the trauma of war and the importance of education to aspiring professional athletes, who are always one injury away from the end of their sports careers.

First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church
5450 West 41st Street; St Louis Park, MN 55416 

Rudy Balazhinec, head coach of FC Minaj and founder of the humanitarian aid organization Family of Christ International, will bring greetings from Ukraine and give an update on how he and his volunteers are delivering help, hope and healing to people and places in crisis throughout his war-ravaged nation. This service is conducted in Ukrainian, with English translation available.

Pamela Park Turf Field
4303 West 58th Street; Edina, MN 55424 

Last year when FC Minaj visited the North Shore, the Hermantown Youth Soccer Association graciously hosted the Ukrainians in their homes and introduced them to the joys of jet-skiing, white-water rafting and tubing, ending the visit with a friendly scrimmage with Hermantown’s U16 team. We're excited to give these athletes an opportunity to reunite in the spirit of international friendship and competition around the game they love.

Macalester College Stadium
179 Snelling Avenue South; St. Paul, MN 55105 

Celebrating the diversity of the Twin Cities soccer community at Camp Harambee, FC Minaj will reconnect with some of the players from the South Minneapolis team Stray Dawgz who traveled and practiced with the Ukrainians when they were here last year. This will be another fun opportunity for local Minnesota and Ukrainian athletes to renew their friendships.

National Sports Center
1700 105th Avenue NE; Blaine, MN 55449 

While Head Coach Rudy Balazhinec and Assistant Coach Dmytro (Dima) Antoshyn attend to the paperwork of check-in at the USA Cup registration desk, Coach and Trainer Erik Hrechka will run a practice with the team on a nearby field (field number to be announced).

National Sports Center
1700 105th Avenue NE; Blaine, MN 55449 

FC Minaj will be one of two international teams competing in the Boys U19 division in this three-day tournament. Check the USA Cup website for specific game times and field locations at https://www.usacup.org/schedules/#.

National Sports Center
1700 105th Avenue NE; Blaine, MN 55449

FC Minaj is one of 34 teams registered to compete in the Boys U17 competition, including teams traveling from Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Check the USA Cup website for specific game times and locations at https://www.usacup.org/schedules/#.

National Sports Center
1700 105th Avenue NE; Blaine, MN 55449

The players and coaches of FC Minaj will hold their banner and wave their Ukrainian flags proudly as they enter the National Sports Center Stadium, representing the people of their war-ravaged nation who are fighting diligently to overthrow the Russian forces who invaded their country in February 2022.

Terminal 1, MSP International Airport
4300 Glumack Drive; St. Paul, MN 55111

We'll wish our Ukrainian friends Bezpechni podorozhi (safe travels) and pray that God grants them traveling mercies until we see them again.

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