The return leg is nearly here, with our rematch against LAFC coming—oh, dang, it’s tomorrow. So much for resting, eh? Oh well, who needs rest anyway? The Loons are flying right now—literally and figuratively—and LAFC have won all five matches they’ve played since losing to San Jose at the beginning of the month. I’m not sure who’s the unstoppable force and who’s the immovable object in this scenario, but I know this is going to be a fun match.
Minnesota United (7-2-4)
Run of Form: D-W-D-W-W
With their unbeaten run up to six on the bounce, it’s safe to say MNUFC is in pretty good form right now. The Black and Blue are second in the West, with two games in hand on conference leaders RSL. 25 points from 13 matches is quite a tally, and the Loons have earned their impressive marks through good play, sound game plans, and a roster filled with players that are ready to step up when called upon. Squad rotation and stellar performances across the board have propelled Minnesota to the front of the pack through about one-third of the season, and though the schedule is getting busier, it feels like this squad was built to handle a bit of business.
LAFC (7-4-3)
Run of Form: W-W-W-L-W
Since the last time we saw LA’s second-best team, they’ve done pretty well. In fact, since they visited Allianz Field, the Black and Gold have played twelve games, and they’ve only lost twice across all competitions. It was nice to play these guys during their slow start, but they’re fully awake and kicking now; it’s not going to be quite as easy this time around. Mateusz Bogusz and Cristian Oliveira have combined to fill the goal gap left by Carlos Vela, and Denis Bouanga is back to his showstopping antics. There’s plenty of attacking firepower to worry about in this team, and considering their form, the Loons can’t afford to give them very many looks at goal.
Keys to the Match:
Immovable Object?
I think I figured it out. In their last four matches across all competitions, LAFC have kept four clean sheets. That’s 360 minutes without conceding a goal. Dang. The streak started when they beat a strong Vancouver side 3-0 at home, continued against St. Louis on the road, and even went through another 3-0 win against Loudoun United in the U.S. Open Cup. Their 1-0 win against Atlanta is the most recent addition to their clean sheet craze, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be letting up anytime soon. Hugo Lloris is class, Aaron Long, Maxime Chanot, and Jésus Murillo have demonstrated flexibility and interchangeability in the middle of the backline, and Steve Cherundolo’s team simply seems to have found their groove. We know how good this team is capable of being; the last few seasons are evidence enough. If the Loons want to score this weekend, they’re going to have to work for it.
Sang Bin, the Striker
On Saturday, we saw Sang Bin Jeong and Tani Oluwaseyi start together in the front two. The 5-2-1-2 formation the Loons lined up in operated more conservatively than we’re used to seeing, but much like the match against Atlanta, the game plan worked—at least in the first half. Because the wing backs were staying back a bit more than usual, almost all of the attacking onus was placed on the shoulders of Lod, Oluwaseyi, and Sang Bin—but that’s not a bad thing. Whereas Oluwaseyi offers more traditional characteristics of a number nine, Sang Bin’s speed and ball-carrying ability are akin to those of a wide forward. He’s not quite a striker, not quite a winger, but definitely a forward. Pair his pace with Oluwaseyi and Lod’s vision and passing range, and you’ve got a dangerous through-ball factory just begging to produce goals. The Loons outperformed their xG in the first half, but their threat on the counter was real and effective. After a brace from Sang Bin and a third from Tani, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this striker partnership a few more times moving forward.
Take That Space
When the Loons are at their best, Joseph Rosales and DJ Taylor are bombing up and down the channels to provide width and dimension. This not only makes MNUFC a more dangerous attacking team but also a more organized unit when in possession. The Loons sat back quite a bit more than usual on Saturday, and that made life difficult in the second half. When you eliminate wingers from your formation, you need to find some way to utilize the spaces on the outside of the pitch. That could be via a combo of attacking mids playing in free roles and wingbacks moving up, or whatever concoction you think up on the whiteboard. Regardless, you can’t afford to give your opponent the space out wide without fighting for it; otherwise, they’ll gladly take it and start trying to rip you apart. Colorado capitalized on this well in the second half of the last match, and while they certainly have quality players, they don’t boast threats like Bouanga or Bogusz to finish things off in the box. Whoever lines up in the wide areas, and whoever is supposed to be helping them, needs to be assertive, play with freedom, and be ready to put in one heck of a shift.
