Soccer Recap 19: Loons Losing Streak Continues, Double-Game Week Next, A Look Around MLS, and Where Does U.S. Soccer Go From Here?
Minnesota Soccer Spot
Tuesday, July 2nd
Loons Losing Streak Continues, Double-Game Week Next, A Look Around MLS, and Where Does U.S. Soccer Go From Here?
*Disclaimer: My takes are not thoughtful, and they are NOT based in knowledge.*
Loons Losing Streak Continues:
The Loons are in hot water! This past Saturday, Minnesota United traveled to Portland, Oregon, to take on the Portland Timbers. In typical Minnesota Sports fashion, the Loons blew their two-goal lead and walked away from the match with zero points. This loss takes the Loons' losing streak to four in a row. Some corners of the Minnesota United internet are calling for Ramsay's head. Others are calling for the front office's head. What does Minnesota United need? Where do they go from here?
Before I get into my thoughts, let me summarize Saturday's match. Here's how both teams lined up:
MNUFC Lineup
Portland Lineup
For Minnesota, Eric Ramsay put forward a 4-4-2 lineup. Ideally, this lineup would give Minnesota freedom to transition into a back-five with Rosales' flexibility on the left side. Padelford returns to the starting eleven after suffering a concussion injury in the opening minutes against Seattle a couple of weeks ago. The rest of the backline is typical in Tapias, Boxall, and Taylor. Initially, Wil Trapp was supposed to start in the center of midfield with Robin Lod, but just before kickoff, it was announced that he would be unavailable due to injury. Moses Nyeman takes his place. Clark is seen in a more advanced midfield position, and Bongi & Sang Bin get the start up top together.
For Portland, this is a typical lineup for them. With the absence of Maxime Crépeau (with Canada at the Copa America tournament), fellow Canadian James Pantemis gets the start in goal. Another Canadian (also a U.S. Army veteran?) Zac McGraw steps in for defender Kamal Miller, who is with the Canadian National Team as well. Felipe Mora gets the start up top, and MLS legend Dairon Asprilla starts his final Timbers match on the bench.
Both teams started the match with decent chances. In the tenth minute, a well-worked ball from the Timbers finds the feet of Evander at the top of the box. He splits Minnesota's defense, catching Taylor lacking for a moment (shocking). The ball finds Santiago Moreno, who can't keep the ball under control. Minnesota would respond with a chance of their own just ten minutes later: A long throw-in from Devin Padelford finds the head of Michael Boxall, who flicks it across Portland's box. The header falls to the feet of Bongi Hlongwane, whose shot is saved by the Timbers' keeper. Bongi would have another chance in the twenty-first minute: Sang Bin gets around two Portland defenders to find Bongi making a central run. His first touch gets away from him, causing him to scuff the shot wide. Keeping the end-to-end nature of this game alive and well, Portland would have one more chance before the scoring opened: They take advantage of a turnover from the Loons in the center of the midfield. Charra does well to find Evander, who finds Mora on the top right of the box. He finds a wide-open Rodríguez, who chips the ball over the net. It should've been 1-0 to Portland, and DJ Taylor is bailed out once again.
Minnesota would withstand Portland's pressure long enough for them to open the scoring: In the twenty-ninth minute, Robin Lod shows some individual brilliance. He wiggles his way around two Portland defenders, providing a split pass to Joseph Rosales making a run along Minnesota's right side. Rosales then squares the ball, attempting to find an attacking player in the box. Portland's keeper gets a touch on the ball, but the save falls right to the foot of Bongi Hlongwane, who puts it away. It's his fifth goal of the season, and Minnesota United are up 1-0 on the road.
Portland would have a couple more chances, but Minnesota would strike again: In the thirty-eighth minute, Bongi Hlongwane takes advantage of a poor header from Diego Chara (I believe). He squares the ball to Sang Bin, who puts it away for his third goal of the year. It's a disappointing mistake from Portland, and Minnesota is up 2-0.
Minnesota wouldn't make it out of the first half with the two-goal lead. A ball is served into Minnesota's box. DJ Taylor puts his arm on Mora's back. Mora goes down rather easily, and the referee points to the spot. In my opinion, the penalty is soft. I don't believe the contact is enough to knock Mora down, but in those moments, Taylor has to be smarter. You cannot be giving up calls like that knowing VAR won't be able to overturn it. Not to mention it's the third penalty Minnesota has conceded in 2024, and it's the third penalty conceded by DJ Taylor. Evander puts the PK in the back of the net, and it's 2-1. Bongi would score another just before halftime, but he would be deemed offside. The first half would end 2-1 in favor of Minnesota United.
The second half would be a disastrous one for Minnesota. There are no chances to summarize for the Loons. They, and I'm not being dramatic, had no possession and no legitimate chances. Minnesota would withstand Portland's pressure until the seventy-third minute: Moreno hits it from distance, nobody steps, and it's a tie-game. It's around this time that Timbers legend Dairon Asprilla enters the match, causing the momentum to completely shift in Portland's favor.
This is when the controversy starts: Moreno wins the ball off of Hlongwane in the midfield. He chips it to Rodríguez, who finishes perfectly. Clint Irwin immediately finds the referee claiming Rodríguez handled the ball with his arm. There's also the question of Antony's involvement in the play. The commentators (one of which was a former commentator for the Timbers, mind you), insisted that because Antony got on the end of the shot, it's technically his goal, and the goal should stand regardless of Rodríguez' obvious handball offense. They continue to show they don't understand handball rules, but rightfully so, the goal is called off. Either way, Portland would win it in stoppage time. Asprilla would provide the assist on Rodríguez' tap-in, and the match would end 3-2.
Minnesota's losing streak continues into this next week of tough matches. So, what needs to change?
First off, Ramsay is fine. People calling for his head are just Heath-Outters coming out of the woodwork to complain. For a first-time, young manager, I'd argue Ramsay has done a decent job, especially considering how much this team struggled under Heath. He's taken it upon himself to switch his lineups and personnel on a game-by-game basis. For me, the issue is coming down to poor defending and struggling in the final third (Aka Sang Bin and Bongi not living up to their hype this season. Missing our leading goalscorer and designated striker doesn't help either).
Here's what I think needs to happen:
- DJ Taylor has proven himself not worthy of starting. It's not just this season. He has been a consistent weak link in Minnesota's starting eleven since he's been with the team. I'm not sure how many more "tough conversations" are needed before he is benched. That would be my first issue to tackle.
- We need a legitimate number six. With all due respect to Wil Trapp, we need someone better who can hold down our midfield.
- We also need a better fullback to be starting over DJ Taylor. Taylor is a decent depth piece, but defensively, that's the piece we're missing.
- We need Oluwaseyi and Dayne St. Clair back. Too many missed chances from our forwards and poor moments from Irwin solidify this. We will be in better standing once those two return from international duty.
Loons Losing Streak Continues:
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| MNUFC Lineup |
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| Portland Lineup |
Minnesota's losing streak continues into this next week of tough matches. So, what needs to change?
First off, Ramsay is fine. People calling for his head are just Heath-Outters coming out of the woodwork to complain. For a first-time, young manager, I'd argue Ramsay has done a decent job, especially considering how much this team struggled under Heath. He's taken it upon himself to switch his lineups and personnel on a game-by-game basis. For me, the issue is coming down to poor defending and struggling in the final third (Aka Sang Bin and Bongi not living up to their hype this season. Missing our leading goalscorer and designated striker doesn't help either).
Here's what I think needs to happen:
- DJ Taylor has proven himself not worthy of starting. It's not just this season. He has been a consistent weak link in Minnesota's starting eleven since he's been with the team. I'm not sure how many more "tough conversations" are needed before he is benched. That would be my first issue to tackle.
- We need a legitimate number six. With all due respect to Wil Trapp, we need someone better who can hold down our midfield.
- We also need a better fullback to be starting over DJ Taylor. Taylor is a decent depth piece, but defensively, that's the piece we're missing.
- We need Oluwaseyi and Dayne St. Clair back. Too many missed chances from our forwards and poor moments from Irwin solidify this. We will be in better standing once those two return from international duty.
Double-Game Week Next:
Minnesota will play two matches this week, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. On Wednesday, the Loons will take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at home. Vancouver, who sit just below them in the standings, will look to jump the Loons in the Western Conference. Minnesota will also take on the L.A. Galaxy on the road this Sunday. I'm sure the Galaxy sees this as an easy three points at home, but Minnesota will look to at least get a result. Both teams will look to take advantage of Minnesota's recent poor form.
With the announced injuries of Wil Trapp and Clint Irwin this week, our roster has become even more depleted. This means that, most likely, MNUFC 2 keeper Alec Smir will be called up to the first team along with more midfield and attacking players. With that in mind, here's a mock lineup that seems accurate to who's available at the moment.
Minnesota will take on the Whitecaps tomorrow at 7:30 PM and the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday at 9:30 PM.
A Look Around MLS:
Where Does U.S. Soccer Go From Here?:
This past week, the United States Men's National Team was knocked out of the group stage at the Copa America tournament. This has sparked a lot of conversations regarding Gregg Berhalter's future with the team, the talent level of the players, whether or not we should burn U.S. Soccer to the ground, etc. I'm here to share my tangent on what I believe is reality.
First of all, let's talk about the matches. The USMNT took on Panama this past Thursday. It was a match where, if the United States would win, they would for sure advance to the next round regardless of the match against Uruguay. Commentators have made a lot of noise surrounding this match that I just don't agree with. Should the United States have won this match? Absolutely. With all due respect, Panama is an inferior CONCACAF rival who we have consistently performed well against. With that being said, is it extremely difficult to defend with a man down for the majority of a match against almost any opponent? Yes. In my opinion, Tim Weah's weak-ass punch cost the United States this game. Commentators left and right can go on tangents about how the US should've at least tied, and maybe they have a point. But many things are easier said than done. Those commentators, many of which are former players, know damn well how difficult it is to play a man down, especially when it comes to defending. So while on paper, the United States is the better team and should've walked away with a result, the circumstances make that more difficult.
Now, as far as Uruguay is concerned, this match was an absolutely disastrous display of many things. I won't blame the officiating for the United States' exit, but I have to take a moment to discuss the disgrace I watched last night. Let's name a list:
- Tyler Adams got a yellow card for a yellow card-level foul committed AGAINST HIM.
- The referee let a goal stand that was CLEARLY OFFSIDE.
- At one point, the referee reached into his pocket to give Chris Richards a yellow card, and while he did so, Uruguay took the free kick, and he allowed play to continue???
- There were multiple times the United States had a clear advantage, the referee would wait for the advantage, then stop the play dead when he should've let the advantage play out.
- The center referee refused to shake Christian Pulisic's hand after the match.
Now that I've got that out of the way, the game itself wasn't a poor display from the United States. I thought, in general, we were the better team, especially in the first half. The real issue came down to not being able to finish in the final third, an issue that has become recurring with this team. We saw it in the semi-final match against Jamaica during the Nations League. We saw it off and on throughout World Cup Qualifying. In the end, that's what cost the United States the match as well as Panama's victory against Bolivia.
Now the real question is, what are the next steps for this team? The first thing that I believe should happen is the firing of Gregg Berhalter. I will be the first to say that coaches get more criticism than is warranted at times, and I believe this is true in some instances, mainly regarding individual games. But the reality is that Berhalter's stats against top twenty teams have been poor. The only top twenty team the United States Men have defeated under his reign is Mexico, and at this point, it's clear Mexico is struggling as well. I think he should've been let go after the World Cup, one, because I am a firm believer that coach rotation is good for a team, and two, the tactics at the World Cup were frightening to watch, not to mention the insanity that took place in the aftermath. I think letting go of Berhalter and seeing how the men perform in upcoming friendlies will be a good first step.
I want to talk about is the response to this loss. Fans online are saying the entire U.S. Soccer system is broken, that it needs to be torn to the ground and rebuilt, the players aren't good enough, the youth academies aren't good enough, etc. First of all, do people not realize how dramatic they sound? This is the reality: We exited this tournament mainly because Tim Weah punched someone. We would've won that match if we had all eleven players on the field, and we would not be having this conversation right now. Sure, other factors go into it, and maybe this is an oversimplification of what occurred, but since soccer is such a low-scoring game, one moment like that can make or break a match and a tournament. Yes, there are recurring issues that need to be addressed, but to me, it is not as deep as others are arguing it is.
I want to respond to Alexi Llalas in particular: His go-to tangent is to talk about how Americans only care about winning, and the United States Men's National Team isn't winning. There is definitely truth to that. You see the coming together of Americans when their sports teams succeed. However, I would argue that the sport of soccer is less straightforward than other sports that are popular in the United States. This tournament is a perfect example: It takes one freak play, one bad moment, or even one amazing moment of individual brilliance to make or break a match. I'd argue that no other sport is as reliant on moments like those as soccer is. So to me, the "America isn't winning" sentiment is very much a blanket statement that doesn't acknowledge any sort of context of the matches he's referring to. I think Alexi Llalas means well, which is a difficult thing for me to say considering he's a borderline fascist. He finds the growth of soccer in the United States important, and I agree. But I think his mentality is that it isn't as popular because they aren't winning, which disregards so many other factors as to why it isn't as popular (The sport not being seen as an "American" sport for a variety of reasons, some of which having more to do with political affiliation than anything else, Americans don't like low-scoring games or ties, the sport itself is seen as slow, etc). Sure, the not-winning aspect plays a role, but again, it's more complicated than that.
The last thing I want to address is comments made regarding the women's team. After the match, one of the commentators on the panel made a comment about how the U.S. Men's team isn't pulling their weight, and the USWNT has been carrying U.S. Soccer for years. All I want to point out is that this very same commentary team (minus Clint Dempsey) absolutely ripped apart the U.S. Women's National Team last summer at their World Cup, talking about how their mentality wasn't good enough, they don't train hard enough, they only care about politics, they smiled too much, etc. Now, all of a sudden, they're going to use the team they insulted as leverage to critique their male counterparts. They look ridiculous.
This past week, the United States Men's National Team was knocked out of the group stage at the Copa America tournament. This has sparked a lot of conversations regarding Gregg Berhalter's future with the team, the talent level of the players, whether or not we should burn U.S. Soccer to the ground, etc. I'm here to share my tangent on what I believe is reality.
First of all, let's talk about the matches. The USMNT took on Panama this past Thursday. It was a match where, if the United States would win, they would for sure advance to the next round regardless of the match against Uruguay. Commentators have made a lot of noise surrounding this match that I just don't agree with. Should the United States have won this match? Absolutely. With all due respect, Panama is an inferior CONCACAF rival who we have consistently performed well against. With that being said, is it extremely difficult to defend with a man down for the majority of a match against almost any opponent? Yes. In my opinion, Tim Weah's weak-ass punch cost the United States this game. Commentators left and right can go on tangents about how the US should've at least tied, and maybe they have a point. But many things are easier said than done. Those commentators, many of which are former players, know damn well how difficult it is to play a man down, especially when it comes to defending. So while on paper, the United States is the better team and should've walked away with a result, the circumstances make that more difficult.
Now, as far as Uruguay is concerned, this match was an absolutely disastrous display of many things. I won't blame the officiating for the United States' exit, but I have to take a moment to discuss the disgrace I watched last night. Let's name a list:
- Tyler Adams got a yellow card for a yellow card-level foul committed AGAINST HIM.
- The referee let a goal stand that was CLEARLY OFFSIDE.
- At one point, the referee reached into his pocket to give Chris Richards a yellow card, and while he did so, Uruguay took the free kick, and he allowed play to continue???
- There were multiple times the United States had a clear advantage, the referee would wait for the advantage, then stop the play dead when he should've let the advantage play out.
- The center referee refused to shake Christian Pulisic's hand after the match.
Now that I've got that out of the way, the game itself wasn't a poor display from the United States. I thought, in general, we were the better team, especially in the first half. The real issue came down to not being able to finish in the final third, an issue that has become recurring with this team. We saw it in the semi-final match against Jamaica during the Nations League. We saw it off and on throughout World Cup Qualifying. In the end, that's what cost the United States the match as well as Panama's victory against Bolivia.
Now the real question is, what are the next steps for this team? The first thing that I believe should happen is the firing of Gregg Berhalter. I will be the first to say that coaches get more criticism than is warranted at times, and I believe this is true in some instances, mainly regarding individual games. But the reality is that Berhalter's stats against top twenty teams have been poor. The only top twenty team the United States Men have defeated under his reign is Mexico, and at this point, it's clear Mexico is struggling as well. I think he should've been let go after the World Cup, one, because I am a firm believer that coach rotation is good for a team, and two, the tactics at the World Cup were frightening to watch, not to mention the insanity that took place in the aftermath. I think letting go of Berhalter and seeing how the men perform in upcoming friendlies will be a good first step.
I want to talk about is the response to this loss. Fans online are saying the entire U.S. Soccer system is broken, that it needs to be torn to the ground and rebuilt, the players aren't good enough, the youth academies aren't good enough, etc. First of all, do people not realize how dramatic they sound? This is the reality: We exited this tournament mainly because Tim Weah punched someone. We would've won that match if we had all eleven players on the field, and we would not be having this conversation right now. Sure, other factors go into it, and maybe this is an oversimplification of what occurred, but since soccer is such a low-scoring game, one moment like that can make or break a match and a tournament. Yes, there are recurring issues that need to be addressed, but to me, it is not as deep as others are arguing it is.
I want to respond to Alexi Llalas in particular: His go-to tangent is to talk about how Americans only care about winning, and the United States Men's National Team isn't winning. There is definitely truth to that. You see the coming together of Americans when their sports teams succeed. However, I would argue that the sport of soccer is less straightforward than other sports that are popular in the United States. This tournament is a perfect example: It takes one freak play, one bad moment, or even one amazing moment of individual brilliance to make or break a match. I'd argue that no other sport is as reliant on moments like those as soccer is. So to me, the "America isn't winning" sentiment is very much a blanket statement that doesn't acknowledge any sort of context of the matches he's referring to. I think Alexi Llalas means well, which is a difficult thing for me to say considering he's a borderline fascist. He finds the growth of soccer in the United States important, and I agree. But I think his mentality is that it isn't as popular because they aren't winning, which disregards so many other factors as to why it isn't as popular (The sport not being seen as an "American" sport for a variety of reasons, some of which having more to do with political affiliation than anything else, Americans don't like low-scoring games or ties, the sport itself is seen as slow, etc). Sure, the not-winning aspect plays a role, but again, it's more complicated than that.
The last thing I want to address is comments made regarding the women's team. After the match, one of the commentators on the panel made a comment about how the U.S. Men's team isn't pulling their weight, and the USWNT has been carrying U.S. Soccer for years. All I want to point out is that this very same commentary team (minus Clint Dempsey) absolutely ripped apart the U.S. Women's National Team last summer at their World Cup, talking about how their mentality wasn't good enough, they don't train hard enough, they only care about politics, they smiled too much, etc. Now, all of a sudden, they're going to use the team they insulted as leverage to critique their male counterparts. They look ridiculous.
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