Soccer Recap 30: The Road Warriors Do It Again, Colorado Next, A Look Around MLS, Campeones Cup, and The U.S. Open Cup
Minnesota Soccer Spot
Friday, September 27th
The Road Warriors Do It Again, Colorado Next, Campeones Cup, and A Look Around MLS
*Disclaimer: My takes are not thoughtful, and they are NOT based in knowledge.*
MNUFC Victorious On The Road:
This past Saturday, Minnesota United traveled to Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas (not Missouri) to take on Sporting Kansas City. Minnesota, who has been successful on the road in recent years, wanted to keep that narrative going. Sporting Kansas City was hoping to pick up some valuable points at home, their playoff hope growing slighter and slighter. This match was a big one for the "friendliest rivalry in sports." (It's not an actual rivalry. Minnesota doesn't have a real rival. Find them one, MLS). With a win, Minnesota would cement themselves as true playoff contenders, and at the same time, the valuable three points would officially eliminate their rival from playoff contention.
The Lineups:
Here's how both teams lined up heading into this match:
MNUFC Lineup
SKC Lineup
For Minnesota, head coach Eric Ramsay opted to change formations from the previous mid-week match against FC Cincinnati. Countering the 4-2-3-1 formation from Wednesday, the Englishman put forward a 4-4-2 formation. Dayne St. Clair continues to start in goal for Minnesota. In a surprising move (it shouldn't be surprising), Mickey Tapias is moved to the bench, and Carlos Harvey moves from the midfield to Tapias' vacated centre back position. Boxall gets the start alongside him, and Díaz & Rosales continue to start as fullbacks. The four-man midfield looks slightly different from the previous match: Wil Trapp makes his way back into the starting eleven alongside Hassani Dotson in the center of midfield. Robin Lod is moved to the bench, assuming to rest him from the previous double-match week. Bongi Hlongwane and Joaquín Pereyra get the start on the right and left side of the pitch. In the two-striker system, Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah get the start up top. Pukki sits on the bench.
For Sporting Kansas City, Peter Vermes puts forward his thirtieth different starting lineup of the season. (Every match this man has had a different starting lineup. Some may say it's crazy. Some may say it's genius. But given how Sporting has looked the last couple of years, I will have to lean more toward the crazy side of the spectrum). Jake Davis, who normally has played as a fullback, starts in the center of midfield. Other familiar names Daniel Sallói and Erik Thommy get the start in midfield. Willy Agada gets the start up top ahead of Alan Pulido, and Johnny Russell starts on the bench.
The Match:
My boyfriend and our friend opted to watch the match at Black Hart in St. Paul. My father abandoned me this matchday to go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so I took this opportunity to convert my loved ones into Loonatics.
If any future employers see this, no you didn't. That's not alcohol. It's an energy drink, because I'm so excited to start work again!
The first half was relatively boring. Both teams would have chances: In the eighth minute, Sallói works down Minnesota's right side. He does well and serves a ball into the box, finding the head of Agada. Agada's header forces a decent save out of Dayne St. Clair, earning the home side a corner kick. Minnesota would counter with a chance of their own in the twenty-second minute: Pereyra drives the ball into Sporting Kansas City's defensive box, looking for the run of Yeboah. In an awkward moment, Sporting KC's goalkeeper Tim Melia punches the ball away, but only as far as Hassani Dotson. Dotson serves the ball toward the back post. Oluwaseyi gets there, but not in time to put the shot on target. A free kick from Erik Thommy would be straight at St. Clair, a header from Agada off a corner for SKC would go just wide, and the half would conclude. In summary, it was a solid half from Minnesota: I will always say a boring match is always a solid match for a visiting side, especially this late in the season when results are vital.
After a two-hour-long weather delay, the second half would begin. Minnesota would start brightly: In the forty-ninth minute, Rosales does well to get the better of a couple of Sporting Kanas City players on the defense. His cross finds the foot of Yeboah, who puts his shot just wide of the target. After this initial chance, it looked like Kansas City might find the breakthrough: A shot from Pulido goes just wide of Dayne St. Clair's near post. A free kick from Rodriguez (who came on as a sub) goes over the target. Another free kick from Thommy would have the same result. They were having difficulty finding the end product, but the amount of pressure on Minnesota felt like it was only a matter of time.
Minnesota would strike first against the run of play: In the sixty-fifth minute, Franco Fragapane (who came on as a sub) finds the run of Lod. Lod splits Sporting Kansas City's defenders, the ball reaching a running Yeboah. Yeboah uses his foot skills to confuse the SKC defense, cutting out with the outside of the foot, and perfectly finishing from the top of the box. It's his fifth of the season in as many matches, and the Loons find themselves leading at Children's Mercy Park.
LINK GOAL
Sporting Kansas City would keep the pressure on despite the goal conceded. In the seventy-second minute, a corner kick for Sporting Kansas City is taken short, finding Leibold near the top of the box. He serves it in, and it bounces around, eventually finding the foot of Rodriguez, who puts the shot just wide. In the seventy-fifth minute, Rodriguez serves a ball over the top of Minnesota's defense, finding the run of Agada. Agada lays the ball off to Pulido, but the shot is straight into the arms of St. Clair. In the eighty-second minute, Rossero provides a diagonal switch of the field to find Thommy making a run on Minnesota's right side. He gets the better of Sang Bin, providing a dangerous cross. Luckily for the Loons, the ball goes all the way through. Not long after, a long-range shot from Russell (who also came on as a sub) would be straight at St. Clair.
It looked as though things would take a turn for the worse for the visitors. In the eighty-eighth minute, a ball from Davis would find the run of Rodriguez. Rodriguez gets the better of Tapias, Tapias sticks his foot out, taking Rodriguez out, and Sporting Kansas City is awarded a penalty. It's another poor moment from the Mexican centre back, and it looks like SKC would equalize. To the surprise of those watching, Willy Agada steps up to take the penalty over the go-to penalty taker, Alan Pulido. The last time Agada had stepped up to take a penalty, it led to one of the worst penalty misses I've seen. (SKC was up 3-0 on Portland. After the penalty miss, Portland would come back to tie it 3-3). History repeats itself: Agada hits it off the crossbar. It's a lifeline for Minnesota in the dying minutes of the match.
Minnesota would put the final dagger in Sporting Kansas City's playoff hopes. In the final minute of stoppage time, Rosales would bring the ball up the left side, finding Trapp making a central run. He then passes the ball to Lod, who splits Kansas City's defenders. The split pass finds the run of Hlongwane, who has plenty of time to put it past Tim Melia. In real-time, it looks like Bongi may have strayed offside, but looking at the replay, it was a perfectly timed run from the South African. With that, the match would end 2-0 in favor of the visitors. It's their first-ever regular season win at Children's Mercy Park, and Sporting Kansas City's playoff hopes are dead.
LINK GOAL
Overall, the Loons provided a solid performance. Carlos Harvey and Michael Boxall did a dependable job shutting down Sporting's crosses into the box and manmarking. In my opinion, Harvey has made a solid case to continue starting over Tapias for tomorrow's match. Robin Lod continues to shine. With two assists on the night, he adds to his tally of fourteen assists on the year. Offensively, Yeboah may be the answer we've been searching for. Bongi is finding his groove after a rough start, and Tani continues to be a threat. I think Tani has been struggling a bit due to injury and since the arrival of Yeboah. It will be a test for him to see if he can get back into the starting picture.
MNUFC Victorious On The Road:
This past Saturday, Minnesota United traveled to Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas (not Missouri) to take on Sporting Kansas City. Minnesota, who has been successful on the road in recent years, wanted to keep that narrative going. Sporting Kansas City was hoping to pick up some valuable points at home, their playoff hope growing slighter and slighter. This match was a big one for the "friendliest rivalry in sports." (It's not an actual rivalry. Minnesota doesn't have a real rival. Find them one, MLS). With a win, Minnesota would cement themselves as true playoff contenders, and at the same time, the valuable three points would officially eliminate their rival from playoff contention.
The Lineups:
Here's how both teams lined up heading into this match:
 |
| MNUFC Lineup |
 |
| SKC Lineup |
For Minnesota, head coach Eric Ramsay opted to change formations from the previous mid-week match against FC Cincinnati. Countering the 4-2-3-1 formation from Wednesday, the Englishman put forward a 4-4-2 formation. Dayne St. Clair continues to start in goal for Minnesota. In a surprising move (it shouldn't be surprising), Mickey Tapias is moved to the bench, and Carlos Harvey moves from the midfield to Tapias' vacated centre back position. Boxall gets the start alongside him, and Díaz & Rosales continue to start as fullbacks. The four-man midfield looks slightly different from the previous match: Wil Trapp makes his way back into the starting eleven alongside Hassani Dotson in the center of midfield. Robin Lod is moved to the bench, assuming to rest him from the previous double-match week. Bongi Hlongwane and Joaquín Pereyra get the start on the right and left side of the pitch. In the two-striker system, Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah get the start up top. Pukki sits on the bench.
For Sporting Kansas City, Peter Vermes puts forward his thirtieth different starting lineup of the season. (Every match this man has had a different starting lineup. Some may say it's crazy. Some may say it's genius. But given how Sporting has looked the last couple of years, I will have to lean more toward the crazy side of the spectrum). Jake Davis, who normally has played as a fullback, starts in the center of midfield. Other familiar names Daniel Sallói and Erik Thommy get the start in midfield. Willy Agada gets the start up top ahead of Alan Pulido, and Johnny Russell starts on the bench.
The Match:
My boyfriend and our friend opted to watch the match at Black Hart in St. Paul. My father abandoned me this matchday to go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so I took this opportunity to convert my loved ones into Loonatics.
 |
| If any future employers see this, no you didn't. That's not alcohol. It's an energy drink, because I'm so excited to start work again! |
The first half was relatively boring. Both teams would have chances: In the eighth minute, Sallói works down Minnesota's right side. He does well and serves a ball into the box, finding the head of Agada. Agada's header forces a decent save out of Dayne St. Clair, earning the home side a corner kick. Minnesota would counter with a chance of their own in the twenty-second minute: Pereyra drives the ball into Sporting Kansas City's defensive box, looking for the run of Yeboah. In an awkward moment, Sporting KC's goalkeeper Tim Melia punches the ball away, but only as far as Hassani Dotson. Dotson serves the ball toward the back post. Oluwaseyi gets there, but not in time to put the shot on target. A free kick from Erik Thommy would be straight at St. Clair, a header from Agada off a corner for SKC would go just wide, and the half would conclude. In summary, it was a solid half from Minnesota: I will always say a boring match is always a solid match for a visiting side, especially this late in the season when results are vital.
After a two-hour-long weather delay, the second half would begin. Minnesota would start brightly: In the forty-ninth minute, Rosales does well to get the better of a couple of Sporting Kanas City players on the defense. His cross finds the foot of Yeboah, who puts his shot just wide of the target. After this initial chance, it looked like Kansas City might find the breakthrough: A shot from Pulido goes just wide of Dayne St. Clair's near post. A free kick from Rodriguez (who came on as a sub) goes over the target. Another free kick from Thommy would have the same result. They were having difficulty finding the end product, but the amount of pressure on Minnesota felt like it was only a matter of time.
Minnesota would strike first against the run of play: In the sixty-fifth minute, Franco Fragapane (who came on as a sub) finds the run of Lod. Lod splits Sporting Kansas City's defenders, the ball reaching a running Yeboah. Yeboah uses his foot skills to confuse the SKC defense, cutting out with the outside of the foot, and perfectly finishing from the top of the box. It's his fifth of the season in as many matches, and the Loons find themselves leading at Children's Mercy Park.
LINK GOAL
Sporting Kansas City would keep the pressure on despite the goal conceded. In the seventy-second minute, a corner kick for Sporting Kansas City is taken short, finding Leibold near the top of the box. He serves it in, and it bounces around, eventually finding the foot of Rodriguez, who puts the shot just wide. In the seventy-fifth minute, Rodriguez serves a ball over the top of Minnesota's defense, finding the run of Agada. Agada lays the ball off to Pulido, but the shot is straight into the arms of St. Clair. In the eighty-second minute, Rossero provides a diagonal switch of the field to find Thommy making a run on Minnesota's right side. He gets the better of Sang Bin, providing a dangerous cross. Luckily for the Loons, the ball goes all the way through. Not long after, a long-range shot from Russell (who also came on as a sub) would be straight at St. Clair.
It looked as though things would take a turn for the worse for the visitors. In the eighty-eighth minute, a ball from Davis would find the run of Rodriguez. Rodriguez gets the better of Tapias, Tapias sticks his foot out, taking Rodriguez out, and Sporting Kansas City is awarded a penalty. It's another poor moment from the Mexican centre back, and it looks like SKC would equalize. To the surprise of those watching, Willy Agada steps up to take the penalty over the go-to penalty taker, Alan Pulido. The last time Agada had stepped up to take a penalty, it led to one of the worst penalty misses I've seen. (SKC was up 3-0 on Portland. After the penalty miss, Portland would come back to tie it 3-3). History repeats itself: Agada hits it off the crossbar. It's a lifeline for Minnesota in the dying minutes of the match.
Minnesota would put the final dagger in Sporting Kansas City's playoff hopes. In the final minute of stoppage time, Rosales would bring the ball up the left side, finding Trapp making a central run. He then passes the ball to Lod, who splits Kansas City's defenders. The split pass finds the run of Hlongwane, who has plenty of time to put it past Tim Melia. In real-time, it looks like Bongi may have strayed offside, but looking at the replay, it was a perfectly timed run from the South African. With that, the match would end 2-0 in favor of the visitors. It's their first-ever regular season win at Children's Mercy Park, and Sporting Kansas City's playoff hopes are dead.
LINK GOAL
Overall, the Loons provided a solid performance. Carlos Harvey and Michael Boxall did a dependable job shutting down Sporting's crosses into the box and manmarking. In my opinion, Harvey has made a solid case to continue starting over Tapias for tomorrow's match. Robin Lod continues to shine. With two assists on the night, he adds to his tally of fourteen assists on the year. Offensively, Yeboah may be the answer we've been searching for. Bongi is finding his groove after a rough start, and Tani continues to be a threat. I think Tani has been struggling a bit due to injury and since the arrival of Yeboah. It will be a test for him to see if he can get back into the starting picture.
Colorado Next:
Tomorrow, Minnesota United will take on the Colorado Rapids at Allianz Field. Both teams are in very different positions: The Colorado Rapids currently sit at third in the Western Conference and have already qualified for the 2024 MLS Playoffs. They are looking to pick up as many points as they can to potentially catch RSL for that second-place position and keep LAFC from catching them. While Minnesota is above the playoff line, they have not officially qualified. A win at home, I would argue, is a must-win for this side. The rest of the season cannot be forced to rely on road victories.
Here's how I predict Minnesota to line up:
St. Clair will continue to start in goal. I predict the backline to be the same as this past weekend, other than Díaz, who looked to have sustained an injury during the match. Sang Bin Jeong has been a go-to fullback in recent months, so I expect him to slide into Díaz' vacated position. In this formation, Trapp and Dotson would be the go-to central midfielders. I'd like to see Lod in a playmaking role against Colorado. Minnesota is looking for a win, so they'll need Lod to step up. What better way to do it than in a central position? Bongi and Pereyra seem to be go-to starters, and Yeboah is, without a doubt, the starting striker.
As I said before, I believe this is a must-win for Minnesota in their push for the playoffs. The last time these sides met was earlier this year in a crazy 3-3 draw in Colorado. Minnesota was lucky to get out of that match with any result. Depending on how Portland does against Vancouver, with a win, Minnesota could jump to eighth in the West, making the road for those behind them more difficult as the season comes to a close.
Minnesota United will take on the Colorado Rapids tomorrow at 7:30 PM.
St. Clair will continue to start in goal. I predict the backline to be the same as this past weekend, other than Díaz, who looked to have sustained an injury during the match. Sang Bin Jeong has been a go-to fullback in recent months, so I expect him to slide into Díaz' vacated position. In this formation, Trapp and Dotson would be the go-to central midfielders. I'd like to see Lod in a playmaking role against Colorado. Minnesota is looking for a win, so they'll need Lod to step up. What better way to do it than in a central position? Bongi and Pereyra seem to be go-to starters, and Yeboah is, without a doubt, the starting striker.
As I said before, I believe this is a must-win for Minnesota in their push for the playoffs. The last time these sides met was earlier this year in a crazy 3-3 draw in Colorado. Minnesota was lucky to get out of that match with any result. Depending on how Portland does against Vancouver, with a win, Minnesota could jump to eighth in the West, making the road for those behind them more difficult as the season comes to a close.
Minnesota United will take on the Colorado Rapids tomorrow at 7:30 PM.
A Look Around MLS:
Lots of matches and goals! Let's get into it!
NYCFC VS Inter Miami: HIGHLIGHTS
NYCFC played host to Inter Miami in New York City this past Saturday. Inter Miami, who are looking like this season's Supporters Shield winners, were looking to increase their point lead on competing teams as well as break the Supporters Shield point record. NYCFC are just above the playoff line hoping to pick up as many points as possible. Both teams had solid chances in the first half. That combined with the chippiness and an assistant coach for Miami being red-carded made for an exciting match. Toward the end of the match, Miami found the breakthrough through Leonardo Campana. It was a fantastic team goal with Messi written all over it. It looked as though the Eastern Conference leaders were going to walk away with all three points, but a stoppage-time goal from James Sands forced the teams to settle on a point a piece. It was James Sands' first goal in Major League Soccer and a big one at that. Another highlight I'd like to mention is Hannes Wolf. He was everywhere all the time. He was a bright point for New York City.
Charlotte FC VS New England Revolution: HIGHLIGHTS
Going into this match, it felt like a must-win for both teams. New England's hopes of making the playoffs were steep, but with three points here, it would've made their road less treacherous. Charlotte was in a better position, but again, three points at home at this point in the season was a must. Needless to say, Charlotte delivered. New England had a few solid chances, but after they conceded that second goal, it was all Charlotte. To top it off, Borrero (New England) got sent off for a back-to-back yellow card challenge followed by dissent. That moment truly sums up the afternoon for the visitors.
Montreal Impact VS Chicago Fire: HIGHLIGHTS
Montreal played host to the Chicago Fire this past weekend. Going into the fixture, both teams sat below the playoff line, and they still do. As I've said a bunch in this post, every match feels like a must-win at this point in the season. In summary, Montreal dominated play when it was important. A goal from Josef Martínez in the twenty-first minute set the tone for the match. It was a perfectly weighted ball and a perfectly timed run from the MLS veteran. Caden Clark also scored another goal for his new club. It was a fantastic finish chipping the Chicago goalkeeper. After the two goals were scored, Chicago had a burst of energy, but it was too little too late. This match granted Montreal a valuable three points in their playoff push.
New York Red Bulls VS Atlanta: HIGHLIGHTS
The New York Red Bulls hosted Atlanta United this past Saturday in New Jersey. (Yes, their stadium is in New Jersey. It makes no sense). The New York Red Bulls are in a solid position to make the playoffs, while Atlanta continues to be on the outside looking in. The match was mainly dominated by the Red Bulls, Atlanta's goalkeeper, Brad Guzan, came up big a number of times to keep Atlanta in the match. The Red Bulls found the breakthrough in the thirty-first minute from a recycled corner kick. John Tolkin's service is initially cleared, but he is able to beat any Atlanta defenders to the recycled ball, leading to a goal for New Jersey's local racist Dante Vanzeir. It looked as though the New York Red Bulls were cruising, but a penalty for Atlanta United would grant them the equalizer. In the eighty-fifth minute, a penalty would then be awarded to the Red Bulls, but Guzan would come up big once again. Atlanta would think they stole all three points with a banger from Mosquera, but Manuel would make up for his missed penalty by scoring a stoppage-time equalizer.
Columbus Crew VS Orlando: HIGHLIGHTS
This past Saturday, the Columbus Crew played host to Orlando City. Orlando City had been on a hot streak of three clean sheets in a row coming into this one. If they were going to steal points from the reigning MLS Cup Champions, this would be the time to do it. The first half would have chances from both ends, with Columbus and Orlando hitting the post at different points. Columbus would find the breakthrough in the 30th minute and double it in the fifty-first. Cucho would come off the bench and make it 3-0 for the home side. Orlando City ends up scoring what appears to be a consolation goal, but once a penalty is awarded to City in the seventy-seventh minute, the match is 3-2, and anything could happen. Just when it looks like Orlando might find the equalizer, AZ Jackson makes it 4-2 for Columbus. Orlando would get that third goal in stoppage time, but it would be too little too late.
Nashville SC VS FC Cincinnati: HIGHLIGHTS
Nashville hosted FC Cincinnati in a thrilling draw. The match started red hot for the home side, with Sam Surridge scoring the opener in just the fourth minute. The celebration wouldn't last long as Lucho Acosta would find the equalizer. It's another banger from the MLS MVP. Sam Surridge and Nashville would respond to retake the lead in the twenty-fifth minute. At this point, FC Cincinnati has the momentum. An equalizer from Nicholas Gioacchini (who, apparently, plays for FC Cincinnati now?) would be chalked off due to an offside call. Personally, I don't agree with the call, and I think it was clear and obvious to overturn. With that said, this is nothing new from MLS referees. Cincinnati would find the equalizer from a banger free kick. Orellano continues to make waves in MLS, and the match would end 2-2.
FC Dallas VS LAFC: HIGHLIGHTS
FC Dallas hosted LAFC at Toyota Stadium in Texas this past Saturday. LAFC is a team that is currently above the playoff line competing for home-field advantage, while Dallas is below the playoff line hoping to keep their dreams alive. To my knowledge, a loss to LAFC would've knocked FC Dallas out of playoff contention. In the first half, both teams had their chances, but Dallas had the better play. Musa would open the scoring for the home side in the twenty-eighth minute. He had options on either side, opted to go himself, and finished wonderfully. A goal from Ferreira would be chalked off for offside at the beginning of the second half, but Dallas would respond with two more goals, tripling their lead over LAFC. At this point, LAFC would begin gaining momentum. This momentum forced Dallas' goalkeeper into a couple of smart saves. The only reward LAFC would get from the momentum is a consolation goal, and the match would end 3-1 in favor of the Texan side.
Campeones Cup:
This past Wednesday, the Columbus Crew and Club América competed for the Campeones Cup trophy. This is a relatively new competition established between Major League Soccer and Liga MX. It's a match between the champions of both leagues from their previous seasons. The Columbus Crew went into this match having won two finals in a row, and Club America was looking to add to their evergrowing trophy collection.
The first half was dominated by Club América. They could've easily taken the lead, but Columbus had a couple of opportunities on the counterattack. Columbus may have stepped up their game for the second half, but América ended up finding the breakthrough. In a poorly organized defensive moment from the Columbus Crew, Club América was able to capitalize on a counterattack with no defensive pressure. (Everyone was in the opposing half of the field). But Columbus did what they usually do: They found a way. A corner kick in the seventy-seventh minute would lead to a goal from Malte Amundsen. The match would eventually be taken to penalties, where Club América would find themselves victorious. Overall, it was a solid performance from both teams, especially both goalkeepers. If Patrick Schulte doesn't win goalkeeper of the year, the system is rigged. I don't know what the system is, but whatever it is, it's rigged.
The U.S. Open Cup:
Unfortunately, I had to go to sleep early, so I did not catch this match. This match was between LAFC and Sporting Kansas City. Sporting Kansas City had just come off a loss to Minnesota United the previous Saturday (ha). Having their playoff hopes squashed, this was their opportunity to make something of the 2024 season. For LAFC, going into this match, they had lost two finals in a row both being to the Columbus Crew. They were looking to break the losing streak by walking away with a trophy.
Both teams had solid opportunities in the first half. The goalkeepers for the two competing teams were called upon to make incredible saves, keeping the match level into the second half. LAFC struck first in the fifty-third minute. French international Olivier Giroud was provided an easy tap-in finish thanks to a brilliant defensive tackle on the other end and a smart run from Bogusz. Sporting Kansas City wouldn't go down without a fight, though: A poor giveaway from Timmothy Tillman would have the ball falling to the foot of Johnny Russell. Russell provides the perfect switchball to an on-running Dániel Salloi. He squares it to Erik Thommy, who finishes perfectly. LAFC would dominate the rest of the half, but Tim Melia and his defense would keep Sporting in the match, forcing it to extra time.
Extra time is where Sporting Kansas City would crumble. A longer-distance strike from Campos and a header from FORTY-YEAR-OLD Kei Kamara would make the match 3-1. It was a solid performance from both teams, but in the end, the better team won the trophy.
That's all for this week!
That's all for this week!
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