Hello my fellow Loons enthusiasts…loonthusiasts, if you will…anyway, we hope that last evening’s tough 2-0 loss to LAFC didn’t cause you to lose any sleep. But, if it did, I hope the Black and Gold-colored nightmares subside as you move forward with your week. While nobody wants to be on the wrong end of a losing result, truth be told, BMO Stadium is a tough place to play no matter the visiting side. It doesn’t absolve a Loons team that certainly felt more out of sync than usual, and the Black and Blue’s miscues certainly impacted the final result in their first contest of the club’s double-match week, especially when top-caliber talent like Denis Bouanga is able to pounce on those opportunities that present themselves around the opposing net, a tough task becomes even more daunting. The 2023 Golden Boot winner proved to be a problem for the Loons defense, both as a scorer and as a playmaker, which was lacking from Bouanga the last time MNUFC took on LAFC in March.
But, like last night’s loss, it's in the past. In the present, the Loons are looking for ways to right the ship before the weekend hits. And, what better opportunity for the boys to reignite their execution on the pitch after Wednesday than by hosting a Sporting Kansas City side that’s in the midst of a six-game MLS losing streak? While the Loons will have to prove it on the pitch, this feels like the right ingredients for a “get right” game for our Loons. So, let’s dive in on how the boys can make good on Saturday night, shall we?
| Run of Form
Minnesota United FC (7-3-4)
Run of Form: L-D-W-D-W | Standings: 4th in the West (-1)
Taking down LAFC at their house was never something the Loons would take lightly, but as Coach Eric Ramsay acknowledged in his postmatch comments, “We needed to be almost perfect to come here and get a result.” It’s safe to say that perfection can’t be attributed to their performance on Wednesday night, as LAFC was quick to stifle any sort of momentum the Loons tried to create on the attack, in what would be a complete performance from the former champs. And, after relinquishing a 3-1 halftime advantage to Colorado Rapids in the previous match, it should serve as a wake up call for the defensive third as it looks to get back to its stingy ways. Not only that, the Loons attacking third has just felt far more disconnected than it has been for a majority of this season, and to compete with the top teams in the West, the boys will need to find ways to rekindle the magic and get things back on track. Hopefully, a return home can help restore the positive vibes seen throughout the season.
Sporting Kansas City (2-8-5)
Run of Form: L-L-L-L-L | Standings: 14th in the West (--)
As you can probably gather by now, things aren’t looking real good down in ol’ Kansas City, Kansas. Rather than pile on, I’ll let SKC Head Coach Peter Vermes speak his truth via his post match comments after their 2-1 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday evening. After being asked about how he felt about the current state of the club, Vermes didn’t mince words in his reply. “Not good. I’m not sure I understand the question. We’re in last place in our division so we’re not in a good spot.” Honestly, tough to blame Vermes for giving such a curt answer to a question that has such an obvious conclusion, but an overly-frustrated SKC squad feels like rebound material for the Loons.
| Keys to the Game
Stop Setting The Table
There’s no doubt that DJ Taylor’s play on the defensive wing has been one of the more encouraging storylines to materialize this season. The role he’s played at both ends of the pitch has contributed to the success the Loons have found in 2024. However, after being assessed a yellow card in the Loons’ own box in each of the last two matches, Taylor must find a way to stay aggressive as a defender without giving up the penalty kick to the opposition. When asked postmatch about the costly cards issued to Taylor, Coach Ramsay acknowledged the frustration, both from a team standpoint and for the player. “He [Taylor] will be frustrated with that moment, and again, particularly in the box, particularly against that player [Denis Bouanga]. You do need to be perfect in terms of how you defend and it’s obviously a space that we’d identified prior to the game as being crucial to us, really clogging up when he comes inside, and DJ obviously has that in his mind when he’s trying to recover back to that spot and obviously his timing isn’t quite as he would like it to be there.” No matter how down and out SKC may look at the moment, they surely will look to capitalize on such costly miscues, so the Loons will needTaylor and company to stay vigilant in defending without going overboard and giving SKC a gimmie.
A Heavier Lod
It's obvious to most Loons fans, but Robin Lod is a valuable part of what’s made the Loons successful as an attacking third. His value to this club’s resurgence cannot be understated, even if it may be understated outside of Minnesota. While he did his best to create scoring windows for his teammates and find his own in the process, LAFC keyed on the fine Finn for what seemed like much of the evening. The defensive efforts seemed to keep the ball away from the feet of Lod more often than is usual on the pitch, and less Lod with the ball in his possession plays a factor in the success (or lack of success) the Loons have experienced when pressing for goals near the opposition’s net. If the boys can find more ways to feed Lod, and Lod can find more of the spaces he needs to find his teammates in waiting, Minnesota will greatly increase their chances of finding the net.
More Set Peace
Wingback Joseph Rosales has been spectacular as the Loons’ go-to for corner and free kicks, with Wednesday night in LA being the exception. Rosales’ deadeye accuracy has been a big reason why MNUFC has found more success in set-piece situations than they had in previous seasons. However, the usual precision of Rosales was absent Wednesday night in LA, and it showed on the pitch, not to mention the scoreboard. To unlock the high-flying possibilities from the likes of Kervin Arriaga, Michael Boxall and others, Rosales must refocus his sights. If he can prove Wednesday’s inaccuracy to be just one bad night—or perhaps the result of an overeager assistant referee—the boys can quickly reassert themselves to find success on those set pieces once again.
