Soccer — much like friendship, trust, and Snelling Avenue — is a two-way street. Minnesota United has touched down in California time and time again, but now it’s time to welcome our Golden State opponents to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. After settling for a draw against Sporting Kansas City on Matchday 4, the Loons look to get back to winning ways in their return to Allianz Field. With several regular starters called up for international duty and a hungry Galaxy side still fighting for their first win of the season, this match is shaping up to be high-stakes, tense, and electric. Not a bad recipe for a soccer match, if you ask me.
Run of Form
Minnesota United FC (2-1-1)
Run of Form: D-W-W-L
The Loons strung together two strong victories against CF Montréal and San Jose before dropping the lead against SKC last weekend. Despite that disappointing result, your boys were in impressive form for the first hour of Matchday 4, putting in an incredibly effective attacking performance. Coach Ramsay’s 5-3-2 formation has seen Kelvin Yeboah and Tani Oluwaseyi shine, with Yeboah scoring the first two goals of the season and Oluwaseyi putting in a brace against SKC. Robin Lod and Sang Bin Jeong have also rotated up front thus far. With both Lod and Oluwaseyi gone this weekend, Yeboah & Co. will have to keep the attack together while a slightly varied backline holds down the fort.
LA Galaxy (0-3-1)
Run of Form: D-L-L-L
The Galaxy have yet to walk away with an MLS win this season, their sole win across all competitions being a 4-1 victory in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against C.S. Herediano. The reigning MLS Cup champions currently sit dead last in the league rankings — fallen stars, if you will — but we’ve seen them turn things around after rough starts before. Greg Vanney has his work cut out for him with Riqui Puig and Joseph Painstil injured and many of the club’s major contributors moving out during the offseason, but I wouldn’t count these guys out just yet.
Keys to the Match:
Smooth Recovery
When Minnesota plays off the success of an early goal, they have the confidence they need to capitalize on chances and find the back of the net in quick succession, as evidenced in the SKC game. (Nothing to kick off some good play like this absolute banger.) It’s when they lose that momentum — when the opposition scores — that things get dicey. The boys have yet to respond to concessions with another goal so far this season. They’ll need to be quick to find their way back to top form if the Galaxy puts a mark on the scoreboard, revitalizing the drive before the tides are able to turn completely. Rather than a collective shift to defensive play after conceding, we need to see a balanced midfield that still dedicates a significant percentage of energy to getting forward. Mindset is a powerful thing, and as long as the Loons snap back fast and keep their heads up, they present a pretty potent threat.
Fill in the Gaps
A slew of absences due to international call-ups are going to change the Loons’ starting lineup pretty significantly, with keeper Dayne St. Clair and defenders Michael Boxall and Carlos Harvey all leaving to represent their national teams. The lone holdover from the center back core is Morris Duggan, who despite an incredible start to 2025, has a career total of four MLS starts to his name. Ramsay still has some options to slot into the usual formation, though, with Jefferson DÃaz, Devin Padelford, and Nicolás Romero waiting and ready. Tani Oluwaseyi and Robin Lod are also headed out for international duty, presenting a great chance for some of the Boys in Black and Blue on the bench to see some action up front and in the midfield. This might be the match where Sang Bin needs to step up and make an impact — we have yet to really see his potential shine through in his limited minutes so far. New recruits Owen Gene and Hoyeon Jung present a pair of intriguing options to see some minutes this weekend, but no matter how Ramsay arranges his starting XI, they’ll be untested as a unit. When the whistle blows for kickoff, this match will hinge on how quickly they can settle into a cohesive rhythm.
Play Prevention 101
On the other side of the pitch, the Galaxy are still operating without stars Puig and Paintstil (which kind of sounds like a law firm), and their absences have certainly been felt on the field so far. What the club needs in order to be dangerous again is a playmaker to step up and take control. Mark Delgado and Igor Jesus are settling in at LAFC, Marco Reus was absent from the Galaxy’s matchup against Portland on Saturday, and there is a hole that desperately needs filling. If there’s a crucial moment for someone to rise to the occasion, it’s this weekend. Though we have yet to see a truly definitive performance from the midfield, the roster certainly has the bandwidth if Reus gets back in the game and recent signing Elijah Wynder continues to see action. Whoever ends up in the CDM role for the Black and Blue will need some snappy reaction times to keep an eye on those potential attacking midfielders and shut them down before they can make a mark. This could be a good match to see Wil Trapp and Hassani Dotson working a pseudo double pivot, directing traffic in the middle. In any event, this Saturday is a match you don’t want to miss.
