Hello again, feathered friends. Well, wasn’t that a lovely little trip down to Kansas City, Kansas this weekend? While this may be a very friendly rivalry between Minnesota United and Sporting Kansas City, it doesn’t feel any less satisfying to complete the season sweep of Johnny Russell and company in their own house. But, with the final few weeks of the regular season upon us, I regret to inform you that the path to the playoffs doesn’t appear to be getting any easier, as the Loons do battle with Western Conference contenders, the Colorado Rapids, this Saturday. And no, that's not a typo. After spending much of 2023 at the bottom looking up, 2024 has seen a complete reversal of fortune for Colorado. Even with a playoff berth in hand, expect them to give the Loons everything they've got. So, let’s dig in on all the things, shall we?
| Run of Form
Minnesota United FC (12-12-6)
Run of Form: W-L-W-W-L (MLS Regular Season)
This past weekend’s win in Kansas not only further helped the Loons cause in staying on track to earn a postseason berth but also marked MNUFC’s first-ever regular-season sweep of Sporting KC in MLS history. Not bad, right? But the cherry on top? Eliminating Peter Vermes and his boys from playoff contention. Speaking of playoff contention, the Black and Blue now sit on 42 points, further securing their grasp on 9th place. The next closest threat is FC Dallas, five points behind in 10th with four games remaining. But, the Loons do still have the opportunity to keep rising up the standings, as 8th seed Portland holds a 2 point advantage and 7th seed Vancouver holding a 4-point advantage. In other words, the Loons control their own playoff destiny at this point.
Colorado Rapids (15-10-5)
Run of Form: W-L-W-W-W (MLS Regular Season)
The Rapids secured an important 2-0 win against Toronto FC this past weekend, clinching their spot in the 2024 MLS playoffs. Prior to this, they faced a reality check with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sporting KC. Despite that bump in the road, 2024 has been a major success for Colorado, especially considering the misery of their 2023 season when they languished at the bottom of the Western Conference. Heading into the playoffs, the Rapids are shaping up to be one of the more dangerous teams to watch.
| Keys to the Game
Defensive Diagnosis
One thing we do know about the Loons’ defense is that it won’t be missing Michael Boxall anytime soon, thanks to his recent contract extension. His leadership continued to stabilize the backline, and after a tough night against Cincy, Boxy bounced back with 12 clearances in the win over SKC. However, the defensive third has some uncertainty heading into the Colorado match. Jefferson Diaz exited the SKC game with an abductor injury, which is concerning given his steady improvement in recent matches. And for a backline that has seen its share of midseason additions to the roster, injuries have surely been a contributing factor in some of the cracks that have shown through while the starting unit works to gel—and have once again left the boys a bit thin in terms of support coming off the bench. Coach Ramsay must find ways to reinforce any potential cracks in the defense if they hope to keep Colorado from finding the net.
Mind The Cannon
Despite joining just over two weeks ago, right back Reggie Cannon has quickly made his impact felt in Colorado. He scored his first goal in the 2-0 playoff-clinching win over Toronto, earning a spot in the MLS Team of the Matchday lineup. In terms of style, the Grapevine, Texas product has proven a worthy threat as a defender with ability to push forward and become a factor in the attacking third. When you consider Cannon’s bevy of international experience with the US Men’s National Team and at the club-level across the pond, with his most recent stop at EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers, it's safe to say Cannon has only added more polish to a valuable skill set that can be game-changing. The Loons will need to key in on Cannon if they want to neutralize one of Colorado’s most versatile weapons from doing damage.
From The Start
While a win is always welcome, the Loons once again found themselves struggling to hit their stride in the first half against SKC, similar to their slow start against Cincinnati, where they trailed 2-0 at halftime. Coach Eric Ramsay addressed the lack of first half firepower following the SKC match, acknowledging “I don’t think we really got going until after that break. I think we ended up finding ourselves defending very deep. We looked pretty lethargic. We weren’t able to get good pressure on the ball and build pressure in the way that we wanted to do so.” If Minnesota hopes to take down a playoff-caliber team like Colorado, they’ll need to start strong and capitalize on early opportunities, both offensively and defensively.
