With Wednesday’s loss to Dallas, the Loons officially crossed the halfway threshold of the 2024 MLS season. Now, with their second match against the team they opened the season against on the horizon, it seems like the perfect time to look back at the first half of the year for a bit of perspective. I picked out three themes that felt most fitting to describe the Loons’ season thus far, and I’m excited to share them with you.
Fine Form
Hot streaks? Perhaps we’ve seen a few, but this year’s Loons have been less streaky and more consistent, if you ask me. They’ve lost just five out of 18 matches, earning points in 72% of their games. They’ve only lost consecutive games once this season (Seattle and Dallas), and while excuses aren’t something Coach Ramsay likes to fall on, those consecutive losses came while the Black and Blue were dealing with an extremely limited squad due to international call-ups, injuries, and various other reasons.
The Loons enjoyed an eight-game unbeaten run from April 6 to May 25. They’ve scored in all but three of their matches this season, and they’ve scored multiple goals in 11 of those games. Their 1.61 ppg mark is among the best in the Western Conference, and their 13 points from road matches have been a large part of what’s keeping them within touching distance of the league leaders.
It hasn’t been a season without setbacks for Minnesota United, but it has certainly been more positive than negative, both statistically and stylistically. Their ability to respond to defeats and believe in their game plan has separated this squad from much of the league, and with the persistent positivity and unshakeable resolve of Coach Ramsay at the helm, it feels like something special is building here in the Twin Cities.
Rotation Revelation
In 2024, we’ve rarely seen the Loons line up exactly the same way twice in a row. In three games with Cam Knowles as interim manager and 15 coached by Eric Ramsay, we’ve seen MNUFC utilize seven different formations this season, with a shift to wingbacks spelling the end of the four back that Loons fans grew used to seeing in years prior. The tactical shift on paper fits with the stylistic shift on the field, as a less rigid formation has given rise to a more fluid style of play that seems to fit the personnel quite well.
Speaking of personnel, we’ve seen quite a few players pull on the colors this season. It’s hard to give your best if you don’t feel like you’re part of the team, and through consistent rotation and trust, every player on the Loons’ roster has been able to integrate themselves into the setup this year. 29 different players have featured for the first team this season, including MNUFC2 standouts Kage Romanshyn Jr. and Loïc Mesanvi. 18 of those players have contributed to at least one goal, and several players have enjoyed the fluidity of movement between MNUFC2 and the first team to get minutes however they can get them.
Building a team is no easy task; there needs to be universal buy-in, enough pressure to push players to improve, and the kind of understanding that helps a squad healthily overcome setbacks. Plenty of good coaches can build a good team, but it takes an entire organization to build a great club. This season, MNUFC has utilized the Player Pathway in all of the ways that they were designed to be used: academy players earning professional minutes in MLS NEXT Pro, second-teamers getting chances to contribute to the first team, first-teamers getting valuable minutes with the second team, and the best performers coming together to put the best soccer the club has to offer on display at the highest level. The style has changed, and so has the club.
The Consequence of Success
There’s so much more to this sport—and life in general—than league matches. The wonderful world of international football is one of the greatest catalysts for dreaming known to humankind, and representing your nation on the biggest stages this sport has to offer is a true honor. Earning a call-up takes a lot of hard work and consistency, and it’s a credit to the level of intensity at MNUFC that the Loons have had more players called up than any other team in MLS this summer.
Four Loons are with their national teams for the Copa America this summer, including goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and striker Tani Oluwaseyi for Canada, midfielder Alejandro Bran for Costa Rica, and midfielder Carlos Harvey for Panama. An additional five players earned call-ups for friendlies and/or qualifiers just a few weeks ago, with Zarek Valentin (Puerto Rico), Teemu Pukki (Finland), Robin Lod (Finland), Joseph Rosales (Honduras), and Kervin Arriaga (Honduras) all getting international experience as a reward for their good form.
While we’re beyond proud of the boys for proving their worth on the field, the squad has become a victim of its own success during this summer international window. Thin squads in the last three matches have contributed to the worst run of the year, with the Loons picking up just a single point in that span. However, though disappointed not to pick up a few more points, the approach and mindset of this team don’t seem to change. They play their game with the players available, and that’s the mark of a confident club. In the long term, such commitment to ideals and trust in players is what makes strong cultures thrive, and it’s only going to be a positive for MNUFC.
As the Loons prepare to face Austin this weekend, fans can be sure of a few things: this team will fight to the final whistle, they won’t shy away from any challenges, and they’re capable of putting together quite a performance on the pitch. This is certainly a tough stretch for MNUFC from an availability standpoint, but excuses are useless, and a club that believes in its guiding principles like this one has no interest in them. Here’s to an exciting first half of the season; let’s hope that the second half brings us just as much joy!
