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MLS Minnesota United FC

Loons Drop Away Match at FC Dallas

June 20, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


FRISCO, Texas -- Three goals wasn't enough for Minnesota United on Wednesday night, as the Loons ultimately fell in defeat to FC Dallas by a 5-3 margin at Toyota Stadium. Minnesota United returns home Saturday night on a short turnaround to host Austin FC.

5' - Midfielder Wil Trapp fired off the first shot of the match. Trapp on top of the Dallas half-circle when he took a long-range shot that went over the crossbar and out of play.

17' - FC Dallas opened the match with the first goal. A long ball over the top found Dallas forward Petar Musa inside Minnesota's box. Musa inside of Miguel Tapias was able to bring the ball down off one-touch and found the far corner.

19' - Minnesota United saw its first dangerous scoring chance when midfielder Caden Clark sent a cross into the center of the field atop the 18-yard-box, where fellow midfielder Robin Lod took a strike, but his shot was ultimately saved by Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes.

23' - The Loons won a free kick approximately 30 yards from goal, where Honduras international Joesph Rosales stepped up and struck the kick from distance. His shot just barely missed over the goal post, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of the Texas side.

25' - Yet again, Musa made a dangerous run in behind Minnesota's back line and gained possession in an offside position where he slipped the ball past veteran goalkeeper Clint Irwin. FC Dallas's second goal was called offside, keeping the score 1-0.

32' - Forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane had a dangerous chance from outside the goal area when his powerful strike forced Paes to make a diving save, with the ball bouncing out of bounds at the end line.

32' - Following Hlongwane's saved shot, Minnesota was granted a corner kick. Rosales crossed the ball in from the right corner and found Hlongwane's head, who flicked it into goal to equalize the match.

38' - The Texas side found forward Bernard Kamungo on the left flank where he crossed it back, ricocheting the ball off defender Victor Erikkson. The ball bounced back towards Musa for a one-touch shot where he found the back of the net for the second time of the first half.

41' - Hlongwane found open space inside the 18-yard-box when he connected on a cross-in by Clark, hitting a mid-air strike at goal that just missed above the crossbar.

52' - Minnesota had a close scoring opportunity after Hlongwane took space up the pitch and was pulled down from behind by opponent Asier Illarramendi. Illarramendi was booked for a caution, allowing Minnesota to set up a free kick 30 yard from goal. Rosales, on the ball, fired off a long-range shot that was saved by Paes.

57' - MNUFC found its second equalizing goal of the night after Hlongwane sent a quick pass backwards to Hassani Dotson. With space atop the 18-yard-box, Dotson struck a powerful shot that hit the far post, bounced on the goal line and hit the opposite post, deflecting into the net to once again tie the game at 2-2.

62' - Petar Musa scored his third goal of the game. Teammate Sebastian Lletget made a run at the Minnesota goal and was challenged by defender DJ Taylor. Upon that challenge, Lletget fell, but quickly tapped a pass inside the box to an unmarked Musa, who tapped-in the shot to reclaim the lead for Dallas.

75' - FC Dallas found their fourth goal of the match after Logan Farrington slipped a through ball to Jesús Ferreira on the left side. Ferreira took space up the pitch finding himself one-on-one with Irwin far off his line. Ferreira's shot found the far corner.

90' - Dallas forward Logan Farrigton scored the fifth goal for FC Dallas. Farrigton gained possession inside the Minnesota's defensive third where he cut it back and did a step-over, creating space for a left-footed shot that finished inside the net.

90' + 4' - The Loons earned yet another free kick just outside the 18-yard box after Minnesota United substitute Patrick Weah was fouled outside the box. Hassani Dotson, on the ball, fired a shot that bounced off Dallas' wall and out of bounds.

90' + 9' - Wil Trapp scored the third goal for Minnesota after Dallas was called for a penalty. Farrington's deflection off Dotson's service was called into VAR review, which ruled that he intentionally blocked the ball with his arm, therefore awarding Minnesota a penalty kick. Trapp took the penalty and converted the attempt.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 DAL - Petar Musa (Paul Arriola) - 17'

1-1 MIN - Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Joseph Rosales) - 32'

1-2 DAL - Petar Musa (Bernard Kamungo) - 38'

2-2 MIN - Hassani Dotson (Bongokuhle Hlongwane) - 57'

2-3 DAL - Petar Musa (Sebastian Lletget) - 62'

2-4 DAL - Jesús Ferreira (Logan Farrington) - 75'

2-5 DAL - Logan Farrington (Sebastian Lletget) - 90'

3-5 MIN - Wil Trapp (penalty kick) - 90'+9'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

DAL - Asier Illarramendi (caution) - 52'

MIN - Michael Boxall (caution) - 68'

DAL - Logan Farrington (caution) - 90'+8'

NOTABLE STATS

4 - Midfielder Hassani Dotson scored his fourth goal all-time against FC Dallas during tonight's match. Dotson is now tied for the most goals scored against the North Texas side with former Loon, Kevin Molino.

1 - Minnesota United tonight was awarded a penalty kick attempt for the very first time in the 2024 season. Midfielder Wil Trap converted the attempt to score his fourth-career goal, his first since the 2021 season.

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Bongokuhle Hlongwane

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Clint Irwin; D Joseph Rosales, Miguel Tapias, Michael Boxall ©, Victor Eriksson, Caden Clark; M Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Wil Trapp, Hassani Dotson, Robin Lod; F Sang Bin Jeong

Bench: GK Alec Smir; D Zarek Valentin, DJ Taylor, Finn McRobb; M Franco Fragapane, Molik Jesse Khan; F Kage Romanshyn Jr., Patrick Weah, Jordan Adebayo-Smith

FC Dallas XI: GK Maaren Paes; D Sam Junqua, Nkosi Tafari, Sebastien Ibeagha; M Bernard Kamungo, Liam Fraser, Asier Illarramendi, Paul Arriola©; F Tsiki Ntsabeleng, Petar Musa, Jesús Ferreira

Bench: GK Jimmy Maurer; D Omar Gonzalez, Emmanuel Twumasi, Marco Farfan; M Patrickson Delgado, Sebastian Lletget; F Dante Sealy, Logan Farrington, Eugene Ansah

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. AUSTIN FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

06.22.2024 | MLS 2024 Regular Season | Match 19

7:30 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On what happened during the match against FC Dallas...

"That's a good question. I think we played well in large portions of the game without a shadow of a doubt. You've got a very disappointed dressing room in there because they know full well that irrespective of our circumstances, we've done enough, I would say, across large spells of the game to have won the game, aside from uncharacteristic moments while defending that really don't represent the group that we are. That's arguably the most disappointing thing because our baseline is a very strong defensive team that typically doesn't make repeated mistakes as we've done tonight in that sense. If I was a betting man, I would have said we would have been a strong defensive team tonight and if we were to have issues it would have been more likely to be with how well we were able to use the ball and how consistently we were able to do that over 90 minutes. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how you look at it - it was the reverse. We've come a way having created a load of good chances, had some good spells of control in the game, I think being really impressive in that sense for periods. But, we've conceded five goals and we've come away a really disappointed group."

On the potential for mental and physical fatigue while short-handed...

"The temptation of course in the situation that we're in, given the number of absentees, is to feel sorry for ourselves. I'm sure that seeps in somewhere, but we're doing everything we can within the group, amongst the players, the message that is coming from all the staff for that really not to be the case. We know, again tonight has proved that irrespective of what we have, the situation we find ourselves in, we're a group that can find a way to be competitive and I felt we found a way to be competitive today, without a shadow of a doubt. I just find ourselves wanting in moments of the game where we really couldn't be. There's two sides of this because we have to focus on the positives, we have to be really constructive, we have to make sure at the moment we are rolling from game-to-game, feeling as though each game is winnable, but we're realistic about where we are. I'm trying to balance that in the messages that I give to the players. I'm sure the players are also having those types of conversations with themselves. It's not an easy situation but it's a nice challenge in a way and we will only deal with it in the best way we possibly can."

On the absence of Kervin Arriaga...

"I can only say on his part, a personnel issue that I can't really comment on beyond this. I would leave it at that."

On how much he pins the defensive struggles tonight on the goalkeeping...

"No, I wouldn't pin anything directly at Clint [Irwin]. I haven't admittedly spent time pouring over the goals yet. I will probably reserve comment on that. I'm sure that question comes from somewhere, but certainly no glaring, blaring errors in my eyes at the moment. It was a collective at fault for the large portion of the goals. You look at how the ball goes into the net, but we've given away big spaces that we typically wouldn't give away. We really struggled in some individual moments where based on the way we try and defend, we have to make really good decisions, we have to be really clean in our decision making, and how we defend certain spaces. That's not the case, I could very easily, I'm sure the players have it in their mind when I talk to them about this sort of stuff. Sort of rest into the fact that you've got a back line that has not spent a lot of time together, you've got players playing out of position, players that are sort of works-in-progress, I would say, relative to the positions they're playing at the moment. There is some of that stuff that is in-built and expected. We've been maybe unfortunate on the scale tonight that where we made mistakes we've been punished and that's why we find ourselves in the position we're in tonight."

On hope in the short term with the roster...

"I always see hope. I saw hope prior to this game and I saw hope prior to the game against Seattle. We have got a group that are very willing to throw themselves into a challenge. You've got a coaching staff that are largely very positive and very constructive and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we roll from one game into another and we look ourselves in the mirror hard after results like this, but we are also realistic. I am absolutely adamant that we are on to a good thing here. We have proven that over a relatively long period of the season. The biggest thing about this period that we are in now is that we remain very calm, very level and we come out of it on the other side with lessons learned, everyone better for it and everything still intact, which I'm sure will be the case. I think we have shown signs in both of the games this week where we have been very light-handed in terms of what we are able to do, where we are able to go in games, but we have still shown positive signs and that's the big thing and that's what we have to cling to and that's what we have to try and build on."

On missed chances early in the game...

"I think our xG was above the 3.0 mark so we were probably on course for where we were, obviously we had some good chances on top of that, but that's not where we've lost the game tonight. We've lost the game based on the number of goals that we have conceded and the key incidences that have led to those. I'm not too disappointed in how we used the ball and how purposeful we were around the edge of their box and what that led to. It's the other side of the game unfortunately where we have been found wanting today."

On reflections from the first half of the season...

"I'm very realistic about the situation we are in at the moment, in that it is pointless for me to draw huge conclusions from this period because I don't want to repeatedly lay the context on the table as an excuse. Because that is not at all what I am trying to do nor is that the message that is going to the players. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel at the moment because we are in a position where we have a huge number of players to return and we are approaching a transfer window. So irrespective of whether we as a coaching staff did anything between now and then there is a real positivity coming our way. Our big battle at the moment is making sure that we are level-headed and stoic enough about the situation we are in and we really grind through this difficult period and we learn a lot about what we can do as this group of players and in many senses it's a really nice chance to cultivate that mentality, which is positivity, realism, being pragmatic and making sure that have a look at ourselves in the mirror after this game, but we move on with the right conversations going on amongst players and in players' heads because they are the only things that amount to good performances and us making the very best of the situation."

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