Do you remember? The 21st night of September? Oh, our hearts were ringing. The Loons were dancing the night away, just as Earth, Wind and Fire once recalled, taking down Sporting Kansas City with a scoreline of 2-0. The fourth member of the band reared his head though, as a rain delay made this one take a bit longer than normal. But nothing was stopping the Starry Night from stealing the night away.

The Loons started their second-consecutive match with a 4-4-2 (on paper) with notable changes in personnel, including Tani Oluwaseyi in for Robin Lod, Wil Trapp back in the starting lineup, and Carlos Harvey sliding back into the backline for Miguel Tapias.

Just minutes in, the lineup shifted into more of a 5-3-2, with Jefferson Diaz playing on the left side of a three back with Michael Boxall and Carlos Harvey. Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Joseph Rosales served as wingbacks, while the combination of Trapp, Hassani Dotson, and Joaquín Pereyra formed a three-man midfield line. We finally got to see Kelvin Yeboah line up next to Oluwaseyi up top, combining two of the club’s most interesting attacking profiles.

A relatively slow start to the game saw the ball shared between the sides, with end-to-end play that just wasn’t clean enough to create any clear-cut chances either way. It wasn’t until an 8th minute header from William Agada forced a fantastic save out of Dayne St. Clair that the chances began to pop up.

As the Loons began to grow into the game, it became clear that Coach Ramsay’s switch in the back was meant to free Jefferson Diaz up to make runs up the field alongside Joseph Rosales. While nothing came directly from the change, some threatening moments showed that it was an idea worth trying.

The Black and Blue proved to be the more menacing side in the first 45, though finishing issues continued to plague the visitors, keeping them scoreless at the break. Some near misses from Tani Oluwaseyi were close without lighting any cigars, and the opener would have to wait until after what felt like the longest rain delay of all time.

When the clouds finally parted and Mother Nature allowed the Loons to finish the match, any and all momentum that had been built was gone. A flurry of subs saw the game take on a much different look, as Robin Lod replaced Oluwaseyi and Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell came on to bolster the hosts.

Despite the fresh legs, an empty stadium contributed to a lethargic feeling in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. It felt almost like a scrimmage in training, with giant spaces left in midfield and slow movement making for a tough watch at times. That is, until Lod got comfortable in the middle of the park.

In the 65th minute, the Finnish playmaker won the ball near midfield and proceeded to find the run of Kelvin Yeboah. The DP striker pulled back across the box to set up a beautiful finesse finish into the upper right corner of the goal, putting the Loons up out of nowhere in emphatic fashion.

While the hosts picked up the pace a bit following the goal, they continued to have very few ideas on the ball. Their chance creation was mediocre at best, aside from Memo Rodriguez’s fancy footwork late in the game. But we’ll get to that in a second. Of their 19 shots, just four were on frame. Not the best way to keep your playoff hopes alive.

The final ten minutes of the game saw Rodriguez draw a penalty, which Agada subsequently fired off the crossbar to seal his team’s elimination from the 2024 postseason. But the Loons didn’t want to end their first-ever regular-season win at Children’s Mercy Park with an SKC error, so they scored again. In the 90+4’, Hlongwane made it dos a cero, following a fantastic through ball from 2024 MLS All-Star, Robin Lod.

In the end, a handful of quality moments saw the Loons get the edge in what was a disjointed, lackluster game from both perspectives. Robin Lod was absolutely fantastic, showing us that the player that earned an All-Star appearance is still in there. Yeboah showcased his quality, scoring his fifth goal in as many games on the way to MNUFC’s seventh road win of 2024, the most in a single season in club history.

Tonight’s win also marked the first time that the Loons have swept SKC in the regular season and knocked Peter Vermes and company out of playoff contention, which seems like the nicest way to handle your rivals. Better luck next year, guys.

With this result, the Loons moved up to 42 points, further securing their hold on 9th place. FC Dallas remain five points behind in 10th, and with four games remaining, the Black and Blue are in the driver’s seat of their playoff pursuit. They’ll be back in action next Saturday at Allianz Field to take on the Colorado Rapids in their penultimate home match.