MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB
Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota
09.29.2019 | MLS Week No. 30 | MLS Game No. 33
6:30 p.m. CT (FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports GO, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)

After clinching its first-ever playoff berth in a thrilling 2-1 win against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night, Minnesota United is back at Allianz Field for its final regular season home fixture as it welcomes Los Angeles Football Club to Saint Paul in a game presented by Element Electronics. LAFC enter Sunday’s game fresh off their own momentous achievement as a 3-1 victory against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday meant that the Black-and-Gold secured the 2019 MLS Supporters’ Shield – a trophy awarded to the club with the highest point total during the regular season.

While LA Football Club have put up scintillating numbers throughout the 2019 MLS season, they have cooled off down the final stretch. After losing Carlos Vela to a minor hamstring injury in a thrilling 3-3 tie with the LA Galaxy, the Black-and-Gold struggled for the first time in what has otherwise been a historic season. While a 2-0 Minnesota United win at Banc of California Stadium shocked many, LAFC went on to draw their next three games – going winless in five straight games for the first time in 2019 before beating the Dynamo 3-1 on Wednesday. Although LA Football Club have a first-round playoff bye and the Supporters’ Shield locked up, the visitors will come into Allianz Field hungry to avenge their first loss at the Banc in 2019 MLS play. A win for the Loons would further extend their grip on second place in the Western Conference and the possibility of hosting a first-round playoff game at Allianz Field.

Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and after being flexed, will be televised on Fox Sports 1, streamed on FOX Sports GO and live on MNUFC Radio on SKOR North. Celebrate Fan Appreciation night: The first 15,000 fans in the building will receive a free Element Electronics beanie and fans outside the stadium will have a chance to spin the wheel for prizes on the Great Lawn. Play lawn games with Michelob Golden Light in the Beer Garden or join us for a pre-game concert with Rhymesayers.

Minnesota United’s hard-fought point at Providence Park against the Portland Timbers last Sunday meant that the Loons had to wait until Wednesday night to clinch a playoff berth. While they left it until late, an equalizing Osvaldo Alonso goal in the 70th minute and a 90th minute Hassani Dotson deflected strike overturned a 1-0 deficit to give Minnesota United a last-minute win and a definite spot in the 2019 MLS Playoffs. Although the win was monumental in Minnesota’s short history as an MLS team, Head Coach Adrian Heath was quick to emphasize his side’s desire not just to reach the playoffs, but go even further than that.

“[I’m] just so pleased for everybody connected with the club,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “The ownership group, who’ve spent an awful lot of money putting all [of] this together, it’s a nice reward for them. Great reward for the players, for all their hard work. We’ve been in the playoff [positions] all season and I think it’s only fitting that we did, but now we have to go one better. We have to go and try and secure that second spot if we can.”

After a 7-2 blowout loss on the road against the LA Galaxy and a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids in which Sporting Kansas City gave away a two-goal lead, questions were asked about Sporting KC and its will to get above the playoff line. Defying all expectations and answering those questions was a well-organized, resolute SKC side that defended deep and looked devastating on the break against Minnesota United. The visitors opened the scoring on Wednesday night in the 6th minute, when Johnny Russell shaped a ball on his dangerous left foot and swung in a cross that was touched home by Botond Baráth. Looking back, the ball appeared to have smacked off Baráth’s outstretched hand but perplexingly, the play did not go to a video review.

Heading into halftime down a goal and frustrated with what Adrian Heath called, “maybe our worst 45 [minutes] since we’ve been in this stadium,” a response was needed to shake things up. After what was assumed to be a spirited team talk from Heath to his players, MNUFC fought back in a hotly contested second half. Holding their lead until the 70th minute, SKC even had other chances to extend their lead as Gianluca Busio, Gerso Fernandes and Erik Hurtado all spurned golden opportunities for the visitors. In the end, it was a case of missed Sporting opportunities, an exemplary Vito Mannone performance and an MNUFC offensive onslaught that pushed the Loons over the line in the final moments of Wednesday night’s action.

“The other night, Vito made a couple which were right out of the top drawer which kept us in the game and at crucial moments in the game,” remarked Heath. “That’s what goalkeepers do. Sometimes you think after a game, ‘How the hell have we got something out of the game?’ And it’s been the goalkeeper. I thought the second save, the double save that he made, was as good as you’ll see. Great reactions, really, really sharp, a testament to the work that he’s been doing with Stewart Kerr over the last couple of months. It’s starting to get him really sharp [in an] important part of the year as well.”

“It’s been the story of the year, a little bit,” added Mannone. “It’s either me or the defenders, we are a team who really digs deep to defend. We want to keep clean sheets, we want to concede as few goals as possible and we want to give us a base to go and create the chances because we know we have front players who can change the game.”

Minnesota United enter Sunday’s game with yet another difficult defensive task against an LAFC squad who boast an outrageous league-best +46 goal differential and have scored a league-leading 81 goals. In the two teams’ previous meeting, the Loons shocked LAFC as two first-half Mason Toye goals handed the home side its first MLS home loss this season. But Heath isn’t about to let the recent swoon that loss sparked underestimate his opponent.

“They have the Supporters’ Shield wrapped up with a couple of games to go because they’ve been the best team,” said Heath. “Normally the league tables don’t lie. You are where you finish normally and I think it’s only fitting that they [won] the Supporters’ Shield. They played the best football this year.”

“You learn from your own performances,” added Mannone. “We knew what it took to come out of LA with a massive three points and nothing changes. Even more on Sunday, it’s going to be difficult because they are probably [going to] play more relaxed. It’s going to be a tough challenge but it’s down to us.”

While Minnesota’s win in LA turned heads around MLS, the league-leaders were without their talisman Carlos Vela, who missed the game with a slight hamstring injury. After returning to full fitness, Vela returned to the starting XI and wasted no time picking up where he left off. Scoring in three straight games – against Philadelphia, Toronto and Houston – Vela has shown that he is the piece that makes LA Football Club click. With 30 goals in 29 games so far, Vela has two games left to try and surpass Josef Martinez’s 2018 tally of 31 goals. While Vela will be a focal point for the MNUFC defense on Sunday, the rest of LAFC’s front line has proven to be dangerous, scoring freely alongside Vela.

“The way he’s scoring he could end up with a league record,” said Heath. “[He’s] a great player, been a top player for a long, long time. The kid, [Brian] Rodriguez, we know is going to be really, really good, [Diego] Rossi has been good for them. Probably at this moment in time, maybe the best front three in MLS. It’s going to be a challenge for our back four and Vito [Mannone]. We are going to have to bring our A game. As I said to the players this morning, if we play like we did on Wednesday – no disrespect to Sporting [Kansas City] – that will not be enough to win this game.”

Minnesota United’s final game of the 2019 MLS regular season is a Decision Day road trip to Century Link Field as the Loons face off with fellow Western Conference playoff qualifiers, the Seattle Sounders. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT with pregame coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT televised on Fox Sports North, streaming on Fox Sports GO and live on MNUFC Radio on SKOR North.

INJURY REPORT
Minnesota United FC

• None

Los Angeles Football Club

• OUT: M – Javi Perez (left ACL injury)
• OUT: F – Josh Perez (left MCL injury)
• OUT: D – Danilo Silva (lumbar disc injury)

FIRST TOUCHES

• Wednesday’s victory against Sporting Kansas City was the first time the Loons had won an MLS game after trailing at halftime.
• The Loons’ 2-1 win on Wednesday ensured them a spot in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
• A win on Sunday against LAFC would guarantee a home game in the first round of the playoffs for MNUFC.
• Osvaldo Alonso scored the tying goal and assisted the game-winner for his first multi-point league game as a Loon.
• Minnesota’s playoff berth continues Alonso’s streak of 10 consecutive seasons making the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• Hassani Dotson’s 90th minute goal was his second game-winner of the season, his first coming back on June 29 against FC Cincinnati.
• Dotson is fifth among the Loons with four goals on the season.
• Chase Gasper will miss Sunday’s game as he serves a one-game red card suspension.
• Jan Gregus got his 10th assist of the year on Alonso’s game-tying goal.
• Abu Danladi earned his second assist of the year on Wednesday.
• Minnesota is the only team who has beat LAFC at Banc of California Stadium this season.
• Vito Mannone has set a new club single-season record with 122 saves in league play.
• With the win, Mannone has tied Bobby Shuttleworth for the club career record of 19 wins across all competitions.
• Mannone will also tie the club single-season appearance record of 33 if he plays on Sunday against LAFC. Playing 76 minutes will also give him the single-season minutes played record.
• Mason Toye scored both of MNUFC’s goals in its 2-0 win over LAFC at the beginning of the month.
• Minnesota has now scored over 49 goals in an MLS season for the first time thanks to two goals against SKC.
• Carlos Vela is one goal away from tying the MLS single-season record of 31 goals, set by Atlanta’s Josef Martinez in 2018.
• LAFC’s 3-1 win against Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night secured the 2019 Supporters Shield and a spot in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League.
• Minnesota, Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy all clinched Western Conference playoff spots on Wednesday night.
• LAFC forward Carlos Vela’s brother, Alejandro, played for Minnesota United during its NASL tenure. He made eight appearances for the Loons in 2015.
• Phillip Ejimadu was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Bob Bradley coached Manny Lagos and Amos Magee when they played for Chicago Fire. Lagos played for the Fire in 1998 and 1999, while Magee was on the team in 2001-02.
• Jordan Harvey and Michael Boxall were teammates on Vancouver Whitecaps FC from 2011 to 2012.
• Dejan Jakovic and Collin Martin were both on D.C. United’s roster in 2013.Lee Nguyen and Bobby Shuttleworth were mainstays at New England Revolution together from 2012 through 2016.
• Tyler Miller and Osvaldo Alonso were teammates for two seasons on Seattle Sounders FC from 2016 to 2017. Miller played for Sounders FC 2 in 2015 while Alonso was on the senior squad.
• Steven Beitashour and Ike Opara played for the San Jose Earthquakes from 2010 to 2012.
• Lamar Batista and Lawrence Olum played the 2017 and 2018 seasons for the Portland Timbers.
• Latif Blessing and Opara played for Sporting Kansas City in 2017.