MATCHUP QUICK FACTS

• The Loons returned to action on for the first time since October 6 last Sunday against the Houston Dynamo, following a pair of postponed games. The Loons jumped to an early lead, but the visitors’ second-half surge forced a 2-2 draw.
• Ethan Finlay scored both of Minnesota’s goals against Houston. This was the first time he has gotten on the scoresheet since July 22 against at Colorado, when he also scored twice.
• Jacori Hayes and Kei Kamara were credited with their first MNUFC assists on Sunday.
• Robin Lod assisted Finlay’s first goal of the night, his second assist of the year and first point since September 23.
• Dayne St. Clair made six saves against the Dynamo. It’s his second-highest single-game total behind his team-leading eight saves in the previous fixture with the Dynamo.
• Minnesota is undefeated in its last four games. A win or draw against FC Cincinnati would tie its longest unbeaten run in regular season play this season.
• The Loons defeated Cincinnati 2-0 in the previous meeting at Allianz Field. Kei Kamara and Kevin Molino were the goal scorers in the contest.
• This will be Minnesota’s first trip to Nippert Stadium since the 2018 U.S. Open Cup. The teams battled to a scoreless draw after 120 minutes, with the Loons emerging victorious by a 3-1 margin in a shootout.
• The Loons have won both previous league games against FC Cincinnati by a combined score of 9-1.
• Cincinnati sits at the bottom of the league with a -19 goal differential.
• Both teams have taken 66 corner kicks this season, tied for the third-fewest in MLS.
• Finlay and Molino are among the 10 players in the league with two multi-goal games this season. Minnesota is the only team with more than one player who has scored multiple goals in multiple games.
• Finlay has scored on 36.4% of his shots this year, the fourth-best rate in MLS.
• St. Clair has the fifth-best save percentage in the league, stopping 76.1% of shots that he has faced.

MINNESOTA CONNECTIONS

• Darren Mattocks and Michael Boxall were teammates on Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2012.
• Saad Abdul-Salaam, Ike Opara and James Musa all were in the Sporting Kansas City organization in 2017.