Soccer Recap 15: Loons Double-Game Week, Dallas Next, A Look Around MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and The USWNT
Minnesota Soccer Spot
Tuesday, June 4th
Loons Double-Game Week, Dallas Next, A Look Around MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and The USWNT
*Disclaimer: My takes are not thoughtful, and they are NOT based in knowledge.*
Loons Lose In L.A.
Minnesota United had a busy week: This past Wednesday, the Loons traveled to L.A. to take on Western Conference powerhouse LAFC. Long story short, it was disappointing. Minnesota showed little to no promise in the attacking third, and Tapias barely made it out alive. It was the first time this season we saw the Loons display back-to-back poor performances, giving fans PTSD to the Adrian Heath era.
Here's how both teams lined up this past Wednesday:
MNUFC Lineup
LAFC Lineup
Eric Ramsay presented a 5-3-2 formation going into L.A. Tapias returned to the starting eleven, taking the place of Padelford from the previous week. Along with Tapias, the five-man back line included Rosales, Boxall, Arriaga, and Taylor. As far as the midfield is concerned, Dotson regained his position alongside Lod and Trapp. Sang Bin is moved from his normal winger position to a striker position alongside designated player Teemu Pukki. As far as LAFC is concerned, Steve Cherundolo put forward a 3-4-3 lineup. With the absence of Ile Sanchez, LAFC's midfield had a different look. Attack-wise, last year's Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga was in the left-wing position with Bogusz at the nine and Olivera on the right. The three-back and midfield system includes the young American Timmy Tillman and veteran Aaron Long at center back.
The Loons started with a couple of decent chances. In the tenth minute, a beautiful ball from Trapp down the left side of the field finds Teemu Pukki. He works his way around inside the box, his shot taking a massive deflection out for a corner kick. Without that deflection, the shot would've most likely been on target. In the nineteenth minute, Sang Bin absolutely cooks Timmy Tillman, who goes down extremely easily from "contact." He gets the cross inside the box, but it skips through everyone. The recycled ball finds the foot of Robin Lod, who takes a shot from distance, forcing the LAFC keeper into a smart save. At some point after this, a corner kick from Rosales finds the head of Miguel Tapias, who puts it in the back of the net. The referee on the far side raises his flag, claiming the ball went out of play. From replays, it's difficult to tell. Knowing the referee on that side has the best view of the situation is the only thing keeping me from being upset with this call. Either way, in moments like those, whether it be an offside or a ball being out of bounds, if it's that close, it would be better to keep the flag down and review the play if needed. But regardless of what I think, the call stands and the match is still 0-0.
From then on, it was all LAFC. A mistake from Boxall in the thirty-fourth minute falls to the foot of Olivera, who scuffs his shot wide. In the thirty-seventh minute, Denis Bouanga gets the better of Kervin Arriaga inside of Minnesota's eighteen. DJ Taylor comes in with a wreckless challenge, and the referee points to the spot. Bouanga puts the penalty away, making it 1-0 for the home team.
The second half would be all LAFC. In the fifty-eighth minute, Bouanga is able to cross the ball into Minnesota's defensive third, finding the foot of Bogusz. He then finds Segura making a run from the top of the box, who shoots it straight into the hands of Dayne St. Clair. In the sixty-ninth minute, a breakaway from LAFC helps the ball fall to Olivera, who once again scuffs his shot just wide. In the seventy-third minute, a cross finds the foot of Dennis Bouanga, who produces an incredible save from St. Clair just a couple of yards from goal. At some point in the midst of all of the LAFC pressure, a set piece would absolutely wreck Tapias, causing him to go down with a bloody nose for a decent chunk of time.
LAFC would eventually find their second: In the eighty-second minute, a punt from LAFC's keeper falls to the foot of Olivera, who brings it down nicely. He uses his foot skills, providing the back heel to Dennis Bouanga. Bouanga then squares the ball to Bogusz, who scores an absolute banger from distance. There's nothing St. Clair can do, and the home side is up 2-0. It's absolute class from LAFC, and it is deserved. LAFC would have a couple more half-chances before the match is over. A couple of set pieces from the home side lacked the finish they would've needed to make the match 3-0. Kei Kamara, MLS veteran and former MNUFC player, would find the back of the net in stoppage time, but it would be ruled offside. And with that, the match would end 2-0.
Overall, it was a disappointing match for the Loons. They lacked any sort of rhythm in the attacking third, especially in the second half. Joseph Rosales' set pieces, which have otherwise been an important factor in Minnesota's success, were extremely poor. Defensively, Boxall, Taylor, and Arriaga looked lost at times. Wil Trapp was lucky to not be sent off the field with a second yellow card, and Lod struggled to generate much creativity. Overall, no player stood out. It was just a disappointing team performance across the board.
Loons Lose In L.A.
Minnesota United had a busy week: This past Wednesday, the Loons traveled to L.A. to take on Western Conference powerhouse LAFC. Long story short, it was disappointing. Minnesota showed little to no promise in the attacking third, and Tapias barely made it out alive. It was the first time this season we saw the Loons display back-to-back poor performances, giving fans PTSD to the Adrian Heath era.
Here's how both teams lined up this past Wednesday:
 |
| MNUFC Lineup |
 |
| LAFC Lineup |
Eric Ramsay presented a 5-3-2 formation going into L.A. Tapias returned to the starting eleven, taking the place of Padelford from the previous week. Along with Tapias, the five-man back line included Rosales, Boxall, Arriaga, and Taylor. As far as the midfield is concerned, Dotson regained his position alongside Lod and Trapp. Sang Bin is moved from his normal winger position to a striker position alongside designated player Teemu Pukki. As far as LAFC is concerned, Steve Cherundolo put forward a 3-4-3 lineup. With the absence of Ile Sanchez, LAFC's midfield had a different look. Attack-wise, last year's Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga was in the left-wing position with Bogusz at the nine and Olivera on the right. The three-back and midfield system includes the young American Timmy Tillman and veteran Aaron Long at center back.
The Loons started with a couple of decent chances. In the tenth minute, a beautiful ball from Trapp down the left side of the field finds Teemu Pukki. He works his way around inside the box, his shot taking a massive deflection out for a corner kick. Without that deflection, the shot would've most likely been on target. In the nineteenth minute, Sang Bin absolutely cooks Timmy Tillman, who goes down extremely easily from "contact." He gets the cross inside the box, but it skips through everyone. The recycled ball finds the foot of Robin Lod, who takes a shot from distance, forcing the LAFC keeper into a smart save. At some point after this, a corner kick from Rosales finds the head of Miguel Tapias, who puts it in the back of the net. The referee on the far side raises his flag, claiming the ball went out of play. From replays, it's difficult to tell. Knowing the referee on that side has the best view of the situation is the only thing keeping me from being upset with this call. Either way, in moments like those, whether it be an offside or a ball being out of bounds, if it's that close, it would be better to keep the flag down and review the play if needed. But regardless of what I think, the call stands and the match is still 0-0.
From then on, it was all LAFC. A mistake from Boxall in the thirty-fourth minute falls to the foot of Olivera, who scuffs his shot wide. In the thirty-seventh minute, Denis Bouanga gets the better of Kervin Arriaga inside of Minnesota's eighteen. DJ Taylor comes in with a wreckless challenge, and the referee points to the spot. Bouanga puts the penalty away, making it 1-0 for the home team.
The second half would be all LAFC. In the fifty-eighth minute, Bouanga is able to cross the ball into Minnesota's defensive third, finding the foot of Bogusz. He then finds Segura making a run from the top of the box, who shoots it straight into the hands of Dayne St. Clair. In the sixty-ninth minute, a breakaway from LAFC helps the ball fall to Olivera, who once again scuffs his shot just wide. In the seventy-third minute, a cross finds the foot of Dennis Bouanga, who produces an incredible save from St. Clair just a couple of yards from goal. At some point in the midst of all of the LAFC pressure, a set piece would absolutely wreck Tapias, causing him to go down with a bloody nose for a decent chunk of time.
LAFC would eventually find their second: In the eighty-second minute, a punt from LAFC's keeper falls to the foot of Olivera, who brings it down nicely. He uses his foot skills, providing the back heel to Dennis Bouanga. Bouanga then squares the ball to Bogusz, who scores an absolute banger from distance. There's nothing St. Clair can do, and the home side is up 2-0. It's absolute class from LAFC, and it is deserved. LAFC would have a couple more half-chances before the match is over. A couple of set pieces from the home side lacked the finish they would've needed to make the match 3-0. Kei Kamara, MLS veteran and former MNUFC player, would find the back of the net in stoppage time, but it would be ruled offside. And with that, the match would end 2-0.
Overall, it was a disappointing match for the Loons. They lacked any sort of rhythm in the attacking third, especially in the second half. Joseph Rosales' set pieces, which have otherwise been an important factor in Minnesota's success, were extremely poor. Defensively, Boxall, Taylor, and Arriaga looked lost at times. Wil Trapp was lucky to not be sent off the field with a second yellow card, and Lod struggled to generate much creativity. Overall, no player stood out. It was just a disappointing team performance across the board.
MNUFC Defeats SKC Again!
This past weekend, Minnesota United returned home to face Sporting Kansas City. In a nearly perfect performance offensively and defensively, the Loons once again proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. Yes, I recognize Sporting Kansas City is in complete free fall, but their roster is better than their recent performances. And given our record overall against our forced rivals, this is a decent result.
Here's how both teams lined up this past Saturday:
MNUFC Lineup
SKC Lineup
For Minnesota, Eric Ramsay changed his tactics from the previous match against LAFC. The 3-4-3 formation saw a different look for fullbacks Devin Padelford and DJ Taylor, having them play more of a midfield role. Starters Robin Lod and Joseph Rosales move to the bench, granting Carlos Harvey the start in midfield alongside Wil Trapp. Tani Oluwaseyi regains his starting striker position from the previous match with Sang Bin Jeong and Bongi Hlongwane to his right and left. Sporting Kansas City's coach (hopefully not for long) Peter Vermes put forward a 4-3-3 formation. This lineup featured Jake Davis, who missed the last match against us due to yellow card accumulation, at right back. The lineup lacked key starters Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, and Johnny Russell, who all had spots on the bench.
The beginning of the first half was pretty uneventful as far as meaningful chances. Sporting Kansas City had a couple of set-piece opportunities thanks to a corner kick and a challenge just outside of the eighteen from Devin Padelford. In the twenty-second minute, a cross from Padelford finds the head of Sang Bin who heads it straight into the ground and into the gloves of SKC keeper Tim Melia. Minnesota would find the breakthrough in the thirty-third minute: Michael Boxall forces himself into the attack, finding the foot of DJ Taylor. He finds Bongi, who is making a run toward the right side. He then crosses it to Oluwaseyi who heads it over Kansas City's goalkeeper, taking the lead. It's poor defending from Jake Davis in the end, but Tani continues his scoring streak.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, there would be a forced substitution just before the end of the first half. DJ Taylor goes down, holding his hamstring. Eric Ramsay opts to bring on Joseph Rosales, who I'm assuming he was saving for the second half. It's unfortunate for DJ Taylor, who will likely miss next week's match against FC Dallas. After this substitution, the first half would end with Minnesota up 1-0 over their rival.
The second half would be almost all Minnesota as far as meaningful chances are concerned. A shot from Bongi Hlongwane forces an easy save from Tim Melia. In the fifty-third minute, Rosales cooks Rosero on the left side with his speed. His cross finds the head of Oluwaseyi, whose header takes a deflection out for a Minnesota United corner. In the sixty-first minute, a break from Sporting Kansas City is broken up by Joseph Rosales, who then provides a ball for Oluwaseyi, splitting SKC's defense. Tani's shot goes just wide in the end, but once again, it was a moment of pure class from the Honduran. After this play, both teams made substitutions that would change the vibe of the match: Eric Ramsay opts to bring in Robin Lod and Hassani Dotson to the midfield, while Peter Vermes brings on the three normal starters mentioned earlier.
It wasn't long after these substitutions that Minnesota would find their second: In the sixty-seventh minute, Devin Padelford takes a long throw-in that finds the feet of Oluwaseyi. He, like Rosales, cooks Rosero with his speed. Once he finds the space, he crosses the ball to Robin Lod, who finishes it first-time. It takes a bit of a deflection on the way through, but Minnesota won't care. It's Robin Lod's fifteenth goal contribution (fifth goal) of the season and Tani Oluwaseyi's eleventh (fourth assist). Minnesota would find their third goal on the evening not long after this: A poor defensive clearance would fall right to Kervin Arriaga, who finishes it from one of the toughest angles I've seen all season. The Loons are up 3-0 with a little over ten minutes to go.
Sporting Kansas City would not go home without some kind of say. In the eighty-sixth minute, a poor touch from Dotson would fall to the last person you would want the ball to fall to in Johnny Russell. Trapp cannot clip him without risking a second yellow card, nobody steps, and he finishes beautifully. It's a mere consolation prize, but St. Clair will be frustrated with the lack of a clean sheet in an otherwise excellent performance from the Loons.
This past weekend, Minnesota United returned home to face Sporting Kansas City. In a nearly perfect performance offensively and defensively, the Loons once again proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. Yes, I recognize Sporting Kansas City is in complete free fall, but their roster is better than their recent performances. And given our record overall against our forced rivals, this is a decent result.
Here's how both teams lined up this past Saturday:
 |
| MNUFC Lineup |
 |
| SKC Lineup |
For Minnesota, Eric Ramsay changed his tactics from the previous match against LAFC. The 3-4-3 formation saw a different look for fullbacks Devin Padelford and DJ Taylor, having them play more of a midfield role. Starters Robin Lod and Joseph Rosales move to the bench, granting Carlos Harvey the start in midfield alongside Wil Trapp. Tani Oluwaseyi regains his starting striker position from the previous match with Sang Bin Jeong and Bongi Hlongwane to his right and left. Sporting Kansas City's coach (hopefully not for long) Peter Vermes put forward a 4-3-3 formation. This lineup featured Jake Davis, who missed the last match against us due to yellow card accumulation, at right back. The lineup lacked key starters Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, and Johnny Russell, who all had spots on the bench.
The beginning of the first half was pretty uneventful as far as meaningful chances. Sporting Kansas City had a couple of set-piece opportunities thanks to a corner kick and a challenge just outside of the eighteen from Devin Padelford. In the twenty-second minute, a cross from Padelford finds the head of Sang Bin who heads it straight into the ground and into the gloves of SKC keeper Tim Melia. Minnesota would find the breakthrough in the thirty-third minute: Michael Boxall forces himself into the attack, finding the foot of DJ Taylor. He finds Bongi, who is making a run toward the right side. He then crosses it to Oluwaseyi who heads it over Kansas City's goalkeeper, taking the lead. It's poor defending from Jake Davis in the end, but Tani continues his scoring streak.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, there would be a forced substitution just before the end of the first half. DJ Taylor goes down, holding his hamstring. Eric Ramsay opts to bring on Joseph Rosales, who I'm assuming he was saving for the second half. It's unfortunate for DJ Taylor, who will likely miss next week's match against FC Dallas. After this substitution, the first half would end with Minnesota up 1-0 over their rival.
The second half would be almost all Minnesota as far as meaningful chances are concerned. A shot from Bongi Hlongwane forces an easy save from Tim Melia. In the fifty-third minute, Rosales cooks Rosero on the left side with his speed. His cross finds the head of Oluwaseyi, whose header takes a deflection out for a Minnesota United corner. In the sixty-first minute, a break from Sporting Kansas City is broken up by Joseph Rosales, who then provides a ball for Oluwaseyi, splitting SKC's defense. Tani's shot goes just wide in the end, but once again, it was a moment of pure class from the Honduran. After this play, both teams made substitutions that would change the vibe of the match: Eric Ramsay opts to bring in Robin Lod and Hassani Dotson to the midfield, while Peter Vermes brings on the three normal starters mentioned earlier.
It wasn't long after these substitutions that Minnesota would find their second: In the sixty-seventh minute, Devin Padelford takes a long throw-in that finds the feet of Oluwaseyi. He, like Rosales, cooks Rosero with his speed. Once he finds the space, he crosses the ball to Robin Lod, who finishes it first-time. It takes a bit of a deflection on the way through, but Minnesota won't care. It's Robin Lod's fifteenth goal contribution (fifth goal) of the season and Tani Oluwaseyi's eleventh (fourth assist). Minnesota would find their third goal on the evening not long after this: A poor defensive clearance would fall right to Kervin Arriaga, who finishes it from one of the toughest angles I've seen all season. The Loons are up 3-0 with a little over ten minutes to go.
Sporting Kansas City would not go home without some kind of say. In the eighty-sixth minute, a poor touch from Dotson would fall to the last person you would want the ball to fall to in Johnny Russell. Trapp cannot clip him without risking a second yellow card, nobody steps, and he finishes beautifully. It's a mere consolation prize, but St. Clair will be frustrated with the lack of a clean sheet in an otherwise excellent performance from the Loons.
Dallas Next
This coming Saturday, June 8th, Minnesota United will take on F.C. Dallas at Allianz Field in St. Paul. Dallas, who are coming off of a defeat to LAFC, have been struggling this season. Currently sitting at twelfth in the West, Dallas' record of three wins, eight ties, and four losses is one they will look to change. With Minnesota missing NINE players on international duty plus injuries, if Dallas were to steal all three points from Minnesota, it would be Saturday.
As far as lineups are concerned, I don't even know how to predict this one. With all of the players out due to serving for their national teams, it's safe to assume Eric Ramsay will call up players from the MNUFC 2 squad and give minutes to those riding the bench. It will be a true test of Minnesota's depth.
Minnesota will be without Carlos Harvey (Panama), Joseph Rosales & Kervin Arriaga (Honduras), Robin Lod & Teemu Pukki (Finland), Tani Oluwaseyi & Dayne St. Clair (Canada), Zerek Valentin (Puerto Rico), Alejandro Bran (Costa Rica), Mickey Tapias (Green Card), and DJ Taylor (Injury).
Here are some highlights from this past week!
Wednesday, May 29th:
Delgado BANGER (FC Dallas): A banger from Patrickson Delgado to equalize against L.A. Galaxy! Galaxy would walk away from this match with all three points, but this goal deserves some praise.
Maarten Paes PK SAVE (FC Dallas): This dude is underrated. If I don't see him on the All-star roster, I am throwing a temper tantrum.
Albert Rusnak Free Kick Goal (Seattle): Rusnak really quieted the haters with this one! A nice free kick goal from the Seattle midfielder gave them the lead. RSL would come back to equalize in stoppage time, but this would've/could've/should've been the game-winner for the Sounders.
Latif Blessing VOLLEY (Houston): BACK TO BACK GOALS FOR LATIF BLESSING! Let him cook. He's moved around a decent amount the last couple of years, so it's great to see him thriving in Houston! This goal would end up being a part of Dallas' victory over Colorado.
Emil Forsberg Free Kick (New York Red Bulls): The rain delay wouldn't stop the Red Bulls! This dude seems like he sucks as a human being, but this is a banger. Hopefully ghosting his wife and kids to play in New Jersey was worth it to him, I guess?
Friday, May 31st:
Alonso Martinez HAT TRICK (NYCFC): NYCFC TROUNCED San Jose this past Friday. He took advantage of turnovers and was rewarded with his hat trick. Shoutout to NYCFC for keeping other Western Conference teams at bay.
Saturday, June 1st:
CHICHO HAT TRICK AGAIN (RSL): IN RSL's 5-1 victory over Austin, Chicho Arrango absolutely cooked, fried, burned, etc. Austin FC. Not only did he score a hat trick here, but he scored from MIDFIELD? This dude is the MVP of the league, and there is no debate.
Brian Gutierrez GAME WINNER (Chicago): The young American really saved Chicago's season with this goal. In a HUGE win over Western powerhouse L.A. Galaxy, Gutierrez makes his presence known once again.
Carles Gil Goal (New England): Carles Gil CANNOT CARRY THE WHOLE TEAM PEOPLE! The New England Revolution, who have been struggling this season, found a massive victory in Nashville with the help of this class goal.
FIRST GOAL FOR ESMIR BAJRAKTAREVIC (New England): A first goal for the young American! This was the game-winner against Nashville SC. He's going to be known among USMNT fans someday, mark my words.
Ivacic PK SAVE (New England): In the end, this save sealed New England's victory over Nashville. The former Portland Timber goalkeeper seems to have found a new home with the New England Revolution!
Columbus Crew CONCACAF:
This past Saturday, the Columbus Crew took on Pachuca in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. Unfortunately for them and MLS fans everywhere, they got their ass handed to them. I was unable to watch the match due to MLS games being on at the same time (shoutout lame scheduling), but for my mental health and overall sanity, it's probably good I didn't. With that being said, it was a historic run for the Columbus Crew. Liga MX fans may have this, but there is no denying that the gap between MLS and Liga MX is closing. The gap between Mexico and the U.S. soccer-wise in general is closing and has been for quite some time. Congratulations to the Columbus Crew for the run they had, and hopefully next year, more MLS teams will be on that level of competition with Mexico's league.
USWNT:
This past Saturday, the USWNT took on the Korea Republic in an international friendly. I, again, was unable to watch due to working at the stadium, but unlike the CONCACAF match, I'm bummed I missed this one. In a 4-0 dominant performance over the visiting national team, they finally look like their old selves. Braces from both Swanson and Davidson sealed the victory for the United States, and players of the likes of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Caterina Maccario showed how talented this team truly is. After a poor performance in this past World Cup along with some unsatisfactory results in friendlies and other tournaments, a change in coaching might be what this national team has needed. There is no denying that the gap between the USWNT and the rest of the world is closing and that that plays a role in the Women's team not being as dominant as they have been historically. With that being said, with the combination of new coaching and these young, skillful players (Shaw, Rodman, Smith, Swanson, etc), the future is bright for this team.
The USWNT will take on the Korea Republic at Allianz Field tonight at 7 PM central time.
That's all for this week!
This past Saturday, the USWNT took on the Korea Republic in an international friendly. I, again, was unable to watch due to working at the stadium, but unlike the CONCACAF match, I'm bummed I missed this one. In a 4-0 dominant performance over the visiting national team, they finally look like their old selves. Braces from both Swanson and Davidson sealed the victory for the United States, and players of the likes of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Caterina Maccario showed how talented this team truly is. After a poor performance in this past World Cup along with some unsatisfactory results in friendlies and other tournaments, a change in coaching might be what this national team has needed. There is no denying that the gap between the USWNT and the rest of the world is closing and that that plays a role in the Women's team not being as dominant as they have been historically. With that being said, with the combination of new coaching and these young, skillful players (Shaw, Rodman, Smith, Swanson, etc), the future is bright for this team.
The USWNT will take on the Korea Republic at Allianz Field tonight at 7 PM central time.
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