In the early 2000s, Kyndra de St. Aubin was playing soccer for the Golden Gophers and studying broadcast journalism. She had no idea at the time that fifteen years later two of her greatest passions would come together in a serendipitous marriage.
After traveling and climbing the broadcasting ranks, de St. Aubin was chosen to be the television color commentator for Minnesota United FC, the local soccer franchise that has moved up to Major League Soccer. She’ll join play-by-play announcer Callum Williams.
“Literally, it’s like a dream come true,” says de St. Aubin. “It could not be any better of an opportunity for me to be back home in Minnesota on a broadcast for a team [close to me].” She grew up in Stillwater and was a big fan of the Minnesota Thunder, even coaching Thunder soccer camps in the summer.
After playing one year of soccer for the University of Wisconsin, de St. Aubin transferred to Minnesota to play for the Gophers for two seasons, and then entered the broadcast profession. She worked in radio locally and in Scottsdale, Ariz., before landing at the newly created Big Ten Network. She’s also worked for the PAC-12 Network and for FOX, and has covered international soccer teams including at the Women’s World Cup in 2015.
She’s ecstatic to be returning to the Twin Cities, where she has a large family (husband Bobby also played soccer and was drafted by the Thunder), and putting her vast soccer knowledge to use at the highest tier. And de St. Aubin becomes the only female announcer in the booth for Major League Soccer.
“For it to be MLS and to be a female analyst and to know that they thought enough of me to even consider me for the job, it could not have been more perfect,” she says.
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