Liberian national team denied US visas, calls off MN United game

Issues with U.S. immigration policies continue to derail foreign teams’ attempts to play Minnesota United in an international friendly at Allianz Field this summer.

After German club Werder Bremen called off its summer exhibition with the Loons over the federal immigration raids in Minnesota last winter, the Liberian national team is now backing out of its match set for St. Paul on July 26.

The Liberian Ministry of Youth and Sport said in a Facebook post Wednesday it was using a force majeure provision to terminate its arrangement to play in Minnesota.

The Liberia Football Association (LFA) and the ministry made efforts to get the team in to the country, but “members of the Liberian national team and the official delegation were denied (U.S.) visas, making it impossible to field the required delegation and fulfill the contractual obligations within the agreed timeframe.”

MNUFC issued a statement Wednesday: “While we were looking forward to welcoming the Liberia National Team and celebrating the strong ties between Minnesota’s Liberian community and our club, circumstances outside of our control have made it necessary to cancel the match. We appreciate the understanding of our supporters and wish the Liberia National Team all the best.”

The Liberian ministry said with less than two weeks before the scheduled match, “There was no reasonable opportunity to secure alternative visa arrangements, assemble a representative national team and complete all necessary travel requirements before the contractual deadline.”

Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga said in February they would not travel to Minnesota because of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal agents during protests of the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge.

“Playing in a city where there is unrest and people are being shot does not fit our values,” a club spokesman said at the time. “That (trip) will not happen for us.”

MNUFC said fans who purchased tickets to the Liberia match will be refunded within 10 business days.

The Loons regularly schedule international friendlies during the summer. They have been host to clubs from England, Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica and Ireland since 2014.

United restarts MLS regular-season play against Sporting Kansas City on July 22 and the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 25. The international friendly with Liberia would have featured a number of reserves and members of MNUFC2, given the overlap with MLS matches.