Minnesota United FC vs. Portland Timbers
Allianz Field | St. Paul, Minnesota
07.01.2023 | MLS Week No. 21 | MLS Game No. 19
7:30 p.m. CT (AppleTV MLS Season Pass, 1500 ESPN)
Minnesota United is back to their regularly-scheduled programming, aka the second half of their MLS 2023 campaign. Following their mid-week friendly, the Loons get back to MLS home action after an action-packed game against Real Salt Lake – and while the 2-2 draw felt disappointing after taking a 2-0 lead, picking up a point on the road against a team that hasn’t lost in a month is nothing to sneeze at either. The team showed great poise in their offensive creativity, resulting in two goals from the Black and Blue and a solid showing to precede their match against the Portland Timbers on Saturday.
Minnesota United
Run of Form: D-L-D-L-D
MNUFC has had a tough go of it recently, but the team has every capability of righting the ship and making a nice run in the back half of the season. Emanuel Reynoso has stood tall in his #10 role and has conducted the offensive symphony we’ve all come to know and love when El Rey is in the lineup. Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Sang Bin Jeong have been utilizing their speed to break defensive lines. Miguel Tapias and Michael Boxall are always a steady presence as centerbacks. With solid talent dispersed throughout the lineup, the Loons just need to find a way to put away their chances and perform for the full 90.
Portland Timbers
Run of Form: D-L-D-W-D
The Timbers have also experienced their own struggles recently, and only sit one point and two spots ahead of the Loons in the Western Conference standings. Portland has their own scoring woes to remedy – as they have only notched one goal or fewer in their past eight games. When they do find the net, it’s generally thanks to one of their two go-to scorers, Franck Boli and Evander. Boli and Evander are tied for the team lead with five goals each – accounting for what is nearly half of all the Timbers’ goals this season. Due to a one-game suspension, Evander won't be suiting up for the Portland this weekend, but the Timbers will still have their other offensive star for the Loons to contend with. Boli specifically has been an asset for Portland as of late, scoring three of their last four goals. The Loons defense will need to keep a close eye on the striker to keep him out of the net.
Keys to the Match
Revenge is a Dish…
When the Loons and the Timbers last met on May 20, the Black and Blue served a late-game defeat to Portland in stoppage time, and in front of their home crowd. That type of loss is likely to have left a bitter taste that the Timbers will absolutely be trying to sweeten with a return win of their own. The odds, however, are not with Portland on this one, as the team has only won one away game this year, drawing four and losing five.
Tilting to the Win
Sometimes, mid-week tilts can be trying on a squad – it’s a lot of physicality to endure over one week, especially when travel is involved. In Minnesota United’s case, their Wednesday friendly vs FC Kaiserslautern provided a nice confidence boost for the Loons, as they were able to defeat the German side 2-1. The lads looked good against their international foes, and the two goals they scored were beautifully executed. For a team struggling to finish their chances, this was a nice pick-me-up. Friendly or not, a win is a win, and MNUFC is headed into Saturday with some good practice and solid traction, at the very least.
Ramping Up
Things are happening, folks. Sang Bin has been looking more and more dangerous since his first appearance with the club – and it’s evident to all that if he can find a way to get some more goals under his belt, he could very well be unstoppable. Well, against FCK, we saw a glimpse of that possibility with an excellent goal from the South Korean-international. Things are ramping up, and it’s exciting to see. Another player to get amped for is Bakaye Dibassy. Dibassy, one of the more solid defensive contributors, is ready to be a regular member of the roster once more, following his season-ending injury late in the 2022 season. Loons fans can rest easy knowing the back line is gaining a hugely important piece – perhaps just in time for a mid-season run, huh?
