There may be snow on the ground, but what’s a little inclement weather in the face of an MLS season with loads of kinetic potential? Answer: no sweat. Capitalizing on head coach Eric Ramsay’s strong inaugural season, we’re launching into 2025 with the fervor of a kid who just got tagged in a game of Duck, Duck, Gray Duck (not goose, thank you). The temps are dropping, but your Loons are just getting started.
In its ninth season in MLS, United looks to fuel the fire they set last year and hopefully pull it all the way to some silverware this season. Personally, I think our three new transfer-window additions are incredibly promising and am pumped to see how Ramsay decides to slot them in alongside an already talented core. In fact, I’m so excited to see how the season shakes out that I couldn’t help looking ahead at the calendar. You can find the club’s full schedule here, but as an overview, here are a few key matches to keep on the radar.
MNUFC at LAFC (2/22)
Do loons go west for winter? Ours do — at least for MLS Matchday 1, landing at BMO Stadium in sunny California February 22 at 3:30 p.m. Calling the first game of the season a notable match is a bit of a no-brainer, but LAFC is an interesting opponent for a few reasons. The last two regular season MNUFC-LAFC matchups wound up with a score of 2-0, once in favor of the California club and once in favor of the Boys in Black and Blue. Both clubs also have a number of recent acquisitions who haven’t yet had the chance to face off on the field, and the loss of Mateusz Bogusz leaves a hole in LAFC’s midfield. Playing them early in the season before they have a chance to really solidify dynamics on the pitch could be an advantage for us.
MNUFC at Sporting Kansas City (3/15)
The nicest rivalry in sports shakes hands again March 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Children’s Mercy Park, with SKC recently adding forward Mason Toye to the roster — a former MNUFC SuperDraft pick who spent last season with the Portland Timbers. United beat SKC three times last year for a perfect nine out of nine possible points, and they’ll be looking to keep that streak going this season. Sporting has since signed Spanish midfielder Manu García and big-time LA Galaxy scorer Dejan Joveljić as Designated Players. Minnesota’s defense will have to be on guard, but I’m feeling optimistic, considering we no longer have to worry about Johnny Russell or longtime goalkeeper Tim Melia.
MNUFC vs. Dallas FC (4/19)
The Loons have beat Dallas just as many times as they’ve lost to them, a 7-7-5 record. The two times United took them on last season, we were notably short-handed due to international breaks. Dallas didn’t get to see Minnesota at its best, and they might be in for a rude awakening now that we’ve got more hands on deck. Since we saw them last, Dallas traded Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola to Seattle, but a trio of MLS vets also joined their ranks: Nashville defender Shaq Moore, Real Salt Lake striker Anderson Julio, and Seattle midfielder Léo Chú. And we can't ignore Dallas FC’s recent acquisition of Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati in a massive multi-million dollar trade. This is a huge boon for the Texas club. Acosta is easily one of the biggest names in MLS, possibly the only one to give Messi a run for his money. He was Cincinnati's leading goal-scorer for 2024 and also at the top of the league in assists. And now he’s in our conference.
MNUFC vs. Inter Miami FC (5/10)
For the first time in club history, Minnesota hosts Inter Miami CF (yes, Team Messi) at Allianz Field May 10 at 3:30 p.m. Our Boys in Black and Blue last played Miami’s pink on the road in 2022, but by now Miami looks like an entirely new team. A lot of big names pose a threat on the pitch: defender Jordi Alba, midfielder Sergio Busquets, striker Luis Suárez, and of course, international superstar Lionel Messi. United has never gone up against this apparent MLS recreation of Barcelona, or recent signings Maximilano Falcón and Telasco Segovia.
Miami also clinched the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 with a regular season record of 22-4-8. It’s a dicey matchup on paper, but keep in mind that Miami lost in the first round to Atlanta last year, so who’s really the favorite? A May kickoff (probably) won’t give us any kind of home-team weather advantage, but our Wonderwall sure will.
MNUFC at Seattle FC (6/1)
The Loons fan’s least favorite fact: Minnesota United has never once notched a result on Seattle soil. Our next chance to change the record comes at 5:00 p.m. June 1, with an away game in the Evergreen State. Korean defender Kim Kee-hee returns to Seattle after winning the 2019 MLS Cup with the club. With Minnesota’s signing of Hoyeon Jung, this presents the opportunity to see three Korean MLS players on the pitch at once, which has never happened before. Seattle also recently acquired striker Jesús Ferreira from FC Dallas. Ferreira’s been an MLS Best XI selection and an All-Star player and boasts 53 goals over his MLS career.
MNUFC vs. San Diego FC (6/14)
I know, I know — more California? Well, this largely untested club gives California its fourth MLS team, meaning that the Golden State makes up 13 (13.33 going on forever and ever, if you want to get technical) percent of the league. We’re bound to have some good matchups from the West Coast. Minnesota’s first match against the new expansion team that balances out the Eastern and Western conferences kicks off at 7:30 p.m. June 14 at Allianz Field.
San Diego’s roster hosts a mix of transfers from other MLS clubs — Inter Miami, San Jose, LAFC, and more — as well as some internationals, like Jeppe Tverskov of FC Nordsjælland and Chucky Lozano of PSD Eindhoven. Everyone’s eyes will be on this expansion team as they kick off their season against the Galaxy, but we’ll see how they hold up against United.
MNUFC at LA Galaxy (10/18)
We’re coming full circle by finishing the regular season in California, this time at Dignity Health Sports Park against the 2024 MLS Cup victors. Tune in on Decision Day (October 18) at 8:00 p.m. I’d be remiss not to point out that Galaxy knocked MNUFC out of the 2024 playoffs after our rousing first round against RSL. Star midfielder Riqui Puig is out for a portion of the season with a torn ACL, but could be back in action by October. This offseason, the Galaxy have also acquired Christian Ramirez, former Minnesota player who saw United through the NASL to MLS leap. The Galaxy might have six MLS Cups under their belts (what am I saying? Soccer players don’t wear belts), but we have something they don’t: the power of friendship!
I’m kidding (although we have that too). But we are looking at a few things that make us a different club than we were the last time we met the Galaxy on the pitch. This time, we’ve got a head coach who’s now had a chance to settle in for a full season. We’ve got some new blood on the roster ready to electrify the full field. And we’ve got an itch for a rematch. Maybe we’re too Minnesota Nice for revenge, but we certainly aren’t above a killer comeback.
The blank slate of a new season stretches out before us, and it could go a thousand different ways. I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens when the Loons hit the pitch this time around. As usual, you can watch all 34 games with the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Or, even better, you can show up to gameday at Allianz Field and cheer on your team from the Wonderwall. Scarves up!
