MATCHUP QUICK FACTS

• This is the first meeting between these teams in MLS.
• MNUFC lost their home opener to Real Salt Lake 2-1 last weekend, despite outpossessing and outshooting the visitors.
• In his second MLS game, rookie Justin McMaster got his first MLS assist after checking in in the 65^th minute. Robin Lod scored the goal — Minnesota’s first of the season — in the 86^th minute.
• The Loons are 3-1-1 all-time against expansion teams. Their only loss came in the team’s inaugural home opener in 2017 against then-fellow expansion side Atlanta United.
• Prior to joining Austin FC, Matthew McConaughey piloted the spaceship Endurance through a wormhole near Saturn on a last-ditch mission to save humanity by investigating several supposedly inhabitable planets. McConaughey fell into the black hole Gargantua after a desperate maneuver to send his ship to the final planet, landing inside a tesseract that allowed him to communicate essential data to his pre-teen daughter through her wristwatch that would ultimately save humanity. He became a part owner of Austin FC in 2019.
• Minnesota United are currently second in total shots with 40 so far this season, but only seven of them have been on-frame. Their one goal in 40 attempts this season also gives them the lowest scoring percentage in MLS currently at 2.5 percent.
• MNUFC are in a three-way tie for most offside calls at six this season.
• Austin FC are second in saves so far in 2021 with 12.
• In seven games against MNUFC, Danny Hoesen has scored four goals to go along with one assist.

MINNESOTA CONNECTIONS

• Juan Agudelo and Diego Fagundez both played for the New England Revolution in 2013 and then again from 2015–19 after Agudelo returned from a stint abroad.
• Hector Jimenez and Brad Stuver played with Will Trapp and Ethan Finlay on the Columbus Crew from 2014–17.
• The aforementioned players were all with the Crew in 2017 when they were joined by current Loons Jukka Raitala and Niko Hansen, as well as Austin’s Kekutah Manneh.
• Tomás Pochettino joined Austin FC from Boca Juniors, the former club of Minnesota United’s Emanuel Reynoso and Ramón Ábila.
• Aaron Schoenfeld played for Minnesota United in 2020, making 14 appearances including three starts, and scoring one goal.
• Austin FC Head Coach Josh Wolff was an assistant coach for Columbus Crew from 2014–19, overlapping with Minnesota players Trapp, Finlay, Raitala and Hansen.
• Wolff also spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons playing for the Chicago Fire alongside MNUFC Director of Player Personnel Amos Magee.
• Austin FC Assistant Coach Davy Arnaud was on Houston Dynamo’s technical staff — including a stint as interim head coach — during Niko Hansen’s tenure with the cub from 2019–20.
• Adrian Heath began his coaching career in the U.S. with USL team Austin Aztex FC in 2008. The team became Orlando City SC in 2010 before eventually joining MLS in 2015.