Kickoff’s getting closer, and you know what that means: a return to the epic pregame preview post. Yes, the alliteration was intentional, and you may now applaud. As Minnesota United treks back to California for the season opener against LAFC, we’re keeping in mind a few long-term and short-term goals.
Short-term goal: get goals. Long-term? Climb the ranks of the Western Conference. To take that next step, LAFC is one of the teams United needs to dethrone, but the Loons haven’t seen a victory at BMO Stadium since 2019. Game one often sets the tone for the rest of the season one way or another, and taking LAFC on early in the season gives your Loons a chance to assert themselves before the opposition settles in.
Club Overview
Minnesota United FC
Run of Form: TBD
Though we obviously don’t yet have a regular season run of form to look at, we can make some educated guesses based on last season’s performance and the new additions to the lineup. A strong first-round playoff victory over RSL preceded the Loons’ unfortunate loss against the Galaxy (whose midfielder Mark Delgado is now with LAFC). The big question here is formation: will we be seeing a Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah duo at the front, or will Coach Ramsay mix it up after preseason? A flexible midfield means a number of arrangements on the pitch could yield positive results, so now it’s all about chemistry and how aggressive we want to be in the approach.
LAFC
Run of Form: TBD
LAFC’s 2024 accolades include winning the U.S. Open Cup and finishing the regular season atop the Western Conference. Aside from Delgado, the club recently signed midfielder/defender Yaw Yeboah of the Columbus Crew (no relation to the Loons’ Kelvin Yeboah) and acquired FC Dallas defender Nkosi Tafari. Botafogo’s Igor Jesus joined the ranks as well, a U22 Initiative player with U-20 National Team experience for Brazil, and Türkiye international Cengiz Ünder is rumored to be the next big name to don Black and Gold. Before last year, LAFC reigned supreme over Los Angeles, but the Galaxy staged a coup during the playoffs to knock them off the top. Needless to say, Steve Cherundolo and his squad will be looking to set things right in 2025.
Keys to the Match:
Defense Against Denis
It’s no secret that Denis Bouanga is a threat going forward. As LAFC’s top scorer in 2024 (20 goals, on par with Messi’s performance for Miami) and an easy-in for 2024’s MLS Best XI, the Loons will need an alert defense to keep him away from Dayne St. Clair. Minnesota defender Jefferson Diaz is out for this match after his red card in the playoffs, meaning someone will have to step into the starting eleven in his stead, likely Devin Padelford or Morris Duggan. If Bouanga wasn’t already enough to worry about, the defense will also need to keep an eye out for LAFC’s Olivier Giroud, the French national team’s all-time leading goal scorer. These two are more than capable of finding the back of the net, and without proper preparation by the Black and Blue backline, they’re liable to add their names to the scoresheet.
Purposeful Possession
Both Minnesota United and LAFC had some issues maintaining possession last season. The Loons only had over 50 percent possession eight times — only twice on the road, and never against LAFC. On top of a compact defense, the key to grabbing the advantage this time around is quick thinking to exploit the most fleeting opportunity. If LAFC plans to hog the ball, Minnesota needs to be intentional with their touches. “We’re not going to push to become a team that is a real possession-dominant team, nor wants to win games on the basis of trying to have 60 percent of the ball every week. That’s not us,” Ramsay said. “We’ve got a real directness to the way in which we play and want to play, and at the moment, when I look at the group, I see that as a real strength. But I’m also recognizing of the fact that we did turn the ball over incredibly cheaply often last year, and it is costly.” Instead of playing it safe and passing back, our boys need to use any defensive slip-up they can find to slide a shot past Lloris.
Leverage the Lineup
LAFC announced in January the transfer of Polish attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to LIGA MX Club Cruz Azul. The 23-year-old was the club’s leading scorer after Bouanga, with 15 goals in the regular season. Between Bogusz’s departure and the outgoing transfers of Cristian Olivera, Kei Kamara, and Ilie Sánchez, there are some big boots to fill and a number of new recruits vying for the space. Yaw Yeboah, Delgado, or returning player Timothy Tillman could rise to the occasion, as could former Earthquake Jeremy Ebobisse. The Loons have significantly less changes to work through, having done most of their transfer business last summer. Coach Ramsay will largely have returning players to choose from, though midfielder Hoyeon Jung has already seen minutes in preseason and defender Nicolás Romero may be available for selection as well this weekend. Regardless of who makes the cut for both teams, it’s clear that this won’t be the same matchup that we watched last season.
