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MLS Minnesota United FC

Loons Lose 2-1 to RSL

April 24, 2021 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - MNUFC came into their home opener aiming to right the ship after a 4-0 loss at Seattle to open their 2021 campaign. With a few tweaks to the lineup - including Jukka Raitala getting his first MNUFC start at center back, Ethan Finlay shifting to the left side and Juan Agudelo coming in at forward - Head Coach Adrian Heath and the squad handily won the possession the battle but found themselves undone by a pair of mistakes that the visitors capitalized on ruthlessly. While Robin Lod would get a late goal to cut the lead in half, the Loons would ultimately fall 2-1.

In the game's opening minutes, things seemed to be going Minnesota's way. They built their possession methodically, working the ball around the perimeter of the box and picking out targets as they probed the Real Salt Lake defense. To the visitors' credit, they bent without breaking, despite struggling to put much of a coherent attack together through the opening 20 minutes.

But also during this early part of the game, the home side showed some of the same struggles they had against Seattle. Namely, doing an excellent job in possession but finding it hard to generate clean looks. By the end of the game, MNUFC would have 23 shots to RSL's 11, but only two on target. Their primary playmaker, Emanuel Reynoso, found himself swarmed by at least two and sometimes three defenders as soon as he touched the ball.

The Claret-and-Cobalt broke the game open in the 31st minute by playing direct and opening up Minnesota's vulnerabilities on the counterattack. Pushed up high for a corner kick, the Loons' second shot following the clearance was stymied and the ball went back the other way with a gaggle of RSL players in pursuit. Defender Chase Gasper's toe poke could only dislodge the ball and it fell to Anderson Julio who finished it with a high shot over goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to make it 1-0.

MNUFC redoubled their efforts in hopes of drawing level before the break, but 10 minutes later, another defensive breakdown led to a second goal for Real Salt Lake. Defender Jukka Raitala and Gasper got their wires crossed on the left side, resulting in a weak back pass to St. Clair. Rubio Rubin jumped on the opening and charged forward to the box before sending the ball past an outnumbered Michael Boxall to Julio, who got his brace and made it 2-0.

For much of the second half, Real Salt Lake looked quite content to sit back and defend without putting too much forward. When they had opportunities, they would hit direct balls over the top and try to make a mess of it in the final third. Seeking to change up the game, Head Coach Adrian Heath went to his bench in the 65th minute and brought in Hassani Dotson and Justin McMaster for Jan Gregus and Ethan Finlay, respectively. The real bite came in with midfielder Osvaldo Alonso in the 75th minute. The team immediately looked more organized and their attempts to get forward started to pile up.

In the 86th minute, Dotson - playing on the right side - got forward on the wing and delivered a cross into the box. Lod tapped it back to McMaster, who then sent it back to Lod. The Finn rounded on it and pulled the Loons back within one at 2-1.

Energized by the goal, the home side tried desperately to get forward and get another goal to at least snatch a draw and a point from the game, but it was not to be. The end of the game was marred by a bit of controversy as Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa booted the ball into the Supporters Section after the final whistle, leading to a confrontation at midfield that ultimately simmered down as the players left the field.

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Midfielder Robin Lod

GOAL BREAKDOWN

31' | A corner kick for Minnesota turns into a counterattack for RSL. The Loons' efforts to get back and defend fall short and it's finished off by Anderson Julio. 1-0

41' | Miscommunication on the defensive end opens up an opportunity for another breakout by RSL and Rubin dishes the assist across the box to an unmarked Julio, who now has a brace. 2-0

86' | Loons have a breakthrough after Dotson centers the ball from the right wing. It finds Lod, then McMaster and then back to the Finn who scores. 2-1

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Chase Gasper, Jukka Raitala, Michael Boxall (c), Romain Metanire; M Jan Gregus, Wil Trapp, Emanuel Reynoso, Ethan Finlay, Robin Lod; F Juan Agudelo

Seattle Sounders: GK David Ochoa; D Danny Toia, Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Marcelo Silva; M Pablo Ruiz, Damir Kreilach, Albert Rusnak (c), Everton Luiz, Anderson Julio; F Rubio Rubin

UP NEXT

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. AUSTIN FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

5.1.2021 | MLS Week No. 3 | MLS Game No. 3

7:00 p.m. CT (Bally Sports North, The CW Twin Cities, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)

MINNESOTA UNITED QUOTE SHEET

MINNESOTA UNITED HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On how he assesses where the team is at after two games ...

""I don't know, really. A bit of a mixed bag at the minute in my head. Because, I don't think we played badly with the ball again. But, I don't think we've been good in the most relevant areas of the field. Which is the last third, both defensively and attacking. Tonight, I thought getting the ball through the thirds was very good, but not enough threat in the final third. And then we've made a couple of mistakes for the goals again. You know, at this level, you can't make mistakes of the magnitude we're making and expect to win a game. We've conceded six goals. I consider the players we've got on the field, and I can't really think of one that... maybe I could look at Dayne [St. Clair] and think, could he have done better? We've sort of not helped him out much on that. So, dissapointed, obviously, with the results. Dissapointed with the goals we've conceded. I we've moved the ball relatively well. In fact, I thought the first 25 minutes, 30 minutes, we were very good again. And then, you know, we make a mistake that costs us. Our preventive marking wasn't good enough for the corner. It was our corner. Then obviously, Chase [Gasper] makes a mistake, which, he can do. You know, at this moment, mistakes are costing us dearly."

On his thoughts on David Ochoa punting the ball into the Supporters section and the anger after the game ...

"Well, there was no need. They won the game. He doesn't need to be blasting the ball into our supporters. Everybody knows that's a no no. And, you normally, when you use them antics like you've done most of the evening, you're normally pretty good. So, that was a surprise for me."

On what he saw from Justin McMaster tonight ...

"We like him. It's a nice little set up for Robin [Lod] for the goal, because if he hits it too hard, Robin can't hit it first time. He came in the pockets at the right time. A couple of nice moments. Yeah, we like him. That's why we drafted him. We think he's got a future. He's got to get fit, he's got to get up to the speed. Trying to play 90 minutes of MLS football. He's not played a lot of football in the last year or so with his injury. He had his ACL and had a groin problem at college. So, no. He's had a really good start and we've been pleased with him."

On what he thought of the evening, return of the fans, the atmosphere inside Allianz Field ...

"Great. You know, they tried to get us going after we conceded the goals. We just couldn't get the goal early enough. I honestly think if we got the goal five or 10 minutes earlier, than they would have come and responded again. The crowds have been great. Little bit sorry from our point of view that we haven't given them more to cheer."

On what he saw from Juan Agudelo's shift tonight ...

"I thought he started the game really well. We needed something to break for him in the box. Unfortunately, it didn't. But, his link up play was very good. I thought he had some really nice moments in the first half and, Juan [Agudelo] has had a couple of weeks as well without training with a niggling injury. So, he'll be better for that."

On what he saw from Jukka Raitala tonight and an update on Bakaye Dibassy ...

"I thought Jukka [Raitala] used the ball, came out with it really well. As I say, if I look at the game in general, I think nearly every, unless when we were chasing the game, nearly all their opportunities have come from mistakes from us. But, there were turnovers. So, I thought Jukka used the ball well when he was coming out from the back."

"[Bakaye] Dibassy, we're hopeful that he can join in with the guys this week with a bit of luck."

On where specifically in the final third things might be lacking ...

"As I said, I don't think we've created... It was one of them nearly nights. I don't think Juan [Agudelo] has had a clear-cut chance. You know, obviously, I think we've had a couple of moments where Ethan [Finlay] had an opportunity right at the start of the second half. Final ball at times not been quite as good as it should have been. And, I think, you know, goals change games. When we've had really good pressure like we had last week, you know, Robin [Lod] had an opportunity and hit the post with it. We haven't made the most of our pressure where it's counted and that will come down to quality at times. Our final ball has not been good enough."

On what his thoughts are on his players getting in David Ochoa's face after the game ...

"As I say, there was no need for what happened at the end of the game. As I said before. Normally when you behave like that, you've got a body of work behind you. And, you're normally very good. So, that was why it was surprising."

On how soon he expects to get the new signings in ...

"Well, yeah, you always want a full complement of players. And, the sooner we get them in, the better. We think that we should have them in the next couple of weeks so I think that we will be better for that as well."

MINNESOTA UNITED DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On how the team is playing...

"How we are playing or how we are sitting? I mean, you kind of look at our performances the last two games and you kind of walk away from them thinking you played well, you've got enough to get something out of one, maybe not both of them, but I think we are playing okay. But there's just moments where mistakes were made, mental errors that lead directly to goals. So that's just something that we need to fix, like last week. Frustrating that it happened again in front of our own fans after so long. I mean we're two games in, there's a long season to go. We know we're better than our results show, but we need to start proving that."

On what he thought of David Ochoa punting the ball into the crowd...

"He acted like a bit of a clown within the 90 minutes before that, and then decides to top it off with that, which is pretty disrespectful. I mean, I don't know if it's his first time out on the field or just doesn't seem like he knows how to behave. I think we wanted to let him know. And yeah, just a bit of a clown, you can tell him I said that."

On what it was like to play in front of fans again...

"I wish we could've given them the "W." I think there's one song we all wanted to hear tonight, but we'll get there. I think for me, just seeing some of those familiar faces again, it meant a lot because it's been what, 18 months or so, and they really mean a lot to us. Obviously everybody's been through so much the last 12 months-plus, so yeah, we want to give them some - I mean we are going to give them a lot more - more happy moments as the season progresses, for sure."

On how he paired with Jukka Raitala...

"Playing beside Jukka, I think he's composed on the ball. I'm really comfortable beside him, I think for the most part I'm not too sure if Dayne [St. Clair] was really troubled tonight aside from the goals, I think we kept everything in front. We got a little bit of stretched in that second half when we were trying to chase goals, but I think he put in a good shift tonight."

On if the team is worried by two losses to start the season...

"Obviously we'd like to look at our own name on the table and be able to see a few points behind our name. I think at this point in the season we have quite a long way to go, we've still got a lot of games to play and I think if weren't picking up points, and we were playing poorly, then we would be pretty concerned. But I think in both games we've played so far, we've had big stretches of the game that we were in control of it. We just need to be a bit more clinical in the final third, create a few more clear-cut chances, but that will come with time. As I said before, just on the backside of things, just those errors cannot be happening at this level."

On back to back defensive errors and how to come back from them...

"I mean it's a tough one because it's not like you can do drills where you replicate with what happened with the second goal, it's just one of those mental things that the two of them just get mixed up, and I know they have to be better. I think it's just a focus thing and something we need to realize, to keep each other accountable on the field. For me and my part, just be more vocal and get others to take command of the situation at times. I think there were times in our final third, I think we need a bit more bite. I think we felt like we could play ourselves out of every situation, when like, it's okay to just put it in the stands and then get our shape back and reset and I think that's one thing we can take away from the last two weeks."

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