Loons Score Four Goals in Resounding Victory over Querétaro FC
MLS Minnesota United FC

Loons Score Four Goals in Resounding Victory over Querétaro FC

July 31, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota United opened their Leagues Cup 2025 campaign with a resounding 4-1 victory over Querétaro FC (LIGA MX) on Wednesday night at Allianz Field on the backs of goals from four different players. The Loons' first Phase One game resulted in a crucial three points before traveling south to Houston to take on Club América on Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium.

11' (1-0) - Bongokuhle Hlongwane opened the scoring for Minnesota United from close range. In the buildup to the goal, Hlongwane gained possession about 25 yards out before passing to midfielder Joseph Rosales who was running up the left flank. Rosales then briefly drove closer, then gave the ball back to Hlongwane, who scored from within the Querétaro FC six-yard box.

20' (2-0) - The Loons doubled their lead, this time off a direct free kick taken by Kelvin Yeboah. Moments before the kick, Minnesota earned the set-piece play when Hlongwane was fouled just outside of the Querétaro goalkeeper's box. Yeboah's direct free kick curled around the right side of the opposing team wall and into the net.

24' - Querétaro created its first dangerous scoring chance of the evening. Lucas Rodriguez sent a cross deep into Minnesota's penalty area, where Jesus Hernandez's header toward goal missed just above the crossbar.

52' - Yeboah had a close scoring opportunity. He first connected a pass - from the middle of the Gallos Blancos' defending third - with Julian Gressel. Gressel then drove to the right side of the box and quickly crossed it back to Yeboah, whose shot flew just above the crossbar.

67' (2-1) - The LIGA MX side scored their first goal of the evening. Jhojan Julio received a cross into the box from the opposite side of the field. When he gained possession, he dribbled to find open space, and did, before his strike curled into the upper corner of the net and past Loons' goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

79' (3-1) - Anthony Markanich scored a third for the Loons, and was in the right place at the right time to do so. Gressel flicked the ball backwards to an open Markanich, deep inside the Gallos Blancos box. The defender then fired off a close-range shot that hit the far side of the net to extend the Minnesota lead.

90'+1' (4-1) - Minnesota United capped off the night and the victory with a fourth goal, this time from forward Tani Oluwaseyi. The sequence started with a Rosales through ball that skipped past two Querétaro defenders. The through ball connected with Oluwaseyi, who only had to beat the keeper to solidify the Loons defiant opening win of their Leagues Cup campaign.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Joseph Rosales) - 11'

2-0 MIN - Kelvin Yeboah - 20'

2-1 QRO - Jhojan Julio (Jesús Hernández) - 67'

3-1 MIN - Anthony Markanich (Julian Gressel) - 79'

4-1 MIN - Tani Oluwaseyi (Joseph Rosales) - 90'+1'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

QRO - Omar Mendoza (caution) - 19'

QRO - Kevin Escamilla (caution) - 36'

QRO - Ángel Zapata (caution) - 75'

QRO - Ángel Zapata (ejection) - 88'

Notable Stats

8 - With the opening goal in tonight's match, Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored his eighth goal in Leagues Cup action since 2023. His eight tallies lead MNUFC and make him one of the top scorers across the tournament since the current rendition began in 2023.

4 - In the four games Minnesota United have played against LIGA MX sides in Leagues Cup action since 2023, including tonight's victory over Querétaro FC, the Loons are currently riding a four-game unbeaten streak against Mexican sides, holding a 3-0-1 (W-L-D) record.

ATTENDANCE: 14,469

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Joseph Rosales, Morris Duggan (Michael Boxall 71'), Nicolas Romero, Jefferson Diaz, Julian Gressel; M Joaquín Pereyra (Anthony Markanich 72'), Robin Lod (DJ Taylor 63'), Owen Gene, Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Tani Oluwaseyi 63'); F Kelvin Yeboah (Carlos Harvey 63')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Kipp Keller; M Wil Trapp; F Darius Randell, Loïc Mesanvi

Querétaro FC XI: GK José Hernández; Omar Mendoza (Jaime Gómez 46'), Kevin Escamilla © (Alan Medina 71'), Jesús Piñuelas, Carlos Villanueva; M Aldahir Pérez (Luis Gutiérrez 62'), Ángel Zapata, Lucas Rodríguez (Carlos Valenzuela 80'), Francisco Venegas (Jonathan Perlaza 71'); F Jesús Hernández, Jhojan Julio

Substitutes Not Used: GK Allison Guillermo, Rubén Arellano; D Alan Vélez; M Eduardo Armenta, Fernando González, Juan Robles; F Ronaldo Cisneros

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. CLUB AMERICA

Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas

08.02.2025 | Leagues Cup 2025 | Phase One, Match 2

8:00 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass; Apple TV+; FS1; Univision; TUDN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On the comfortability during the match ...

"I think it was comfortable. We made it possibly more difficult for ourselves than we needed to with that period of defending that led to the goal, but in general we played well. We did what the game required which was, as I said before hand to the players, play in a really tight, controlled, disciplined way and there were a couple of things we really wanted to work on today, a couple of things that I feel like we can approach this tournament [2025 Leagues Cup] with in mind. A lot of what we talked about today was reflected in the performance and that amounted to a game that we controlled, we were probably good value for more goals than we obviously scored and almost to a man we approached it with a real seriousness that sometimes those types of games can let slip away too easily. But for the large part, we were really good."

On Bongokuhle Hlongwane's performance tonight...

"It was said in the dressing room that he comes alive in this competition [2025 Leagues Cup], it was a thing that was talked about a lot before I came here and you saw tonight a real spark from him, some real quality between the lines that, he'd be the first to say, you don't always. We're always pushing him for more quality between the lines, more reliability on the ball, less turnovers, more efficient use of it [ball]. I think you saw that to a good level today. He got his goal and he worked hard and that is what's required of him. Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] is a really good player for us in the sense that he's very versatile, he can play right wing-back, he can play between the lines. What I don't want is for him to become a victim of his versatility and then when he comes to play as that number ten, he's lost that sense of how to handle the ball under real pressure between the lines. And sometimes you've seen the worst of that but tonight you saw a really good level and he was tough to handle."

On who mentioned Bongokuhle Hlongwane coming alive in the Leagues Cup tournament...

"It's just tongue and cheek, but I think he came alive in the Leagues Cup the year before and he upset a couple of good moments for us in the tournament last year. I for sure cannot say that's the case this year because he's been a really good player for us all the way through. But certainly tonight you saw him play with a real freedom. In the first half where we got the two number 10's well connected with one another the way the opposition defended meant that the closer players from our perspective together were able to link together the more they were able to play the little combinations off Kelvin [Yeboah] or between one another the more space opened up. Most of the better moments of the first half came through Joaquín [Pereyra] and Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] being close to one another. Obviously that's the start point but then from that point on it was real clean combinations, real precision on the ball, that's what I needed and that's what I saw at our best."

On changing the defensive tactics early on after not being pressed...

"We had a sense of it being one extreme or another prior to the game. We would either see very very aggressive man-to-man pressing or see the opposition defending relatively low and that's what we saw in the opening stages and that gave us an opportunity to really work on some of the things that we want to get better at, we want to be a team that has more control in the first third when it is required. I'd shown the team some clips beforehand actually of us sitting at both ends of the spectrum when it comes to how we use the ball and wanting to be a team that can do both. I want us to be a team that at our very best can be very direct, can be very strategic, and detailed in how we do that. But also be a team that when the game requires to be able to handle the ball and take 10, 15, 20 passes per phase to work the ball up the pitch more slowly and we did a good job of that in the first half; but crucially what I don't want us to lose ever is that ability to change pace quickly, use quick combinations between the lines, use the pace of the forwards and we struck that balance really well. So, it was nice in a way to have a chance to work on some of the things that we talked about in that sense."

On starting the tournament on the right foot and now focusing on the next opponent that is a big team in Liga MX...

"I was tuning in to watch their [Club América] game against Real Salt Lake right now and they were losing at this time, but we know they are a really big team in their country. For us to win today and play them will create a huge atmosphere in Houston. It'll be a great challenge for us and we want to show our strength, represent this country in a way where we can show that we are capable of playing against the best teams. And now that we've won, we can continue with our progress in this tournament, but it won't be possible if we don't at least tie the match under difficult circumstances. We have the base, but we need to confirm our status [of competing against the best] in our game against América."

On getting the victory in a tournament format where it's important to win the first game...

"There's no margin of error. We made it very clear to our players this week that it's not possible for us to lose games at home. After winning tonight, we have a huge challenge against Club América but the players want that kind of challenge. For them, it'll be a feeling of playing a final at this point in the tournament and that's really important. We have in mind playoff games, [Lamar Hunt] U.S. Open Cup games and to have games that feel like it's a final early in the season is really important, and Saturday in Houston against them [Club América] will feel like a final. For us, that's a positive thing because with the base that we've built with the win today, we are able to face them with confidence and I'm happy with the performance today."

On how Leagues Cup format this year feels only competing with MLS teams to advance to knockout rounds

"It's an interesting format, it's been reflected in the change in European competitions so I am more familiar with it than I would have been had that not been the case last year. It makes for an interesting competition, but it makes it really difficult to progress. There is absolutely no margin for error. I can imagine it's very possible to win three games and still not progress. Tonight, the fact that we were able to win very convincingly, hopefully puts us in good stead when it comes to the determining factors if there are teams on the same number of points. For us to have been plus three tonight, one [point] is the absolute minimum on Saturday against Club America. That will be no question a really difficult thing to achieve. Now that we have gotten over this hurdle we have what we need to really feel like we can progress and attack the top of the table.

On how he determines who takes dangerous free kicks...

"The big difference between free kicks in those sorts of areas and corners are that it's very difficult to determine who is best equipped based on the change of angle, the variation in the way the opposition can set up. There's almost a million different moving parts in terms of where the ball is positioned around the box. You've also got to account for the way the players are feeling and I feel like we've got five or six players who would put their hand up to take that. But, as it transpired I stood directly behind it and you could see it was really well set up for the right footer. They used the screeners really well, I think it was Nico Romero and one other who positioned themselves really cleverly and you have got to give the players the scope to make those types of decisions. We do have some principles in terms of that type of thing - making sure there are screeners, making sure there is communication. But from that point onwards it's about the players and the way they feel and Kelvin [Yeboah] now is a player who is really gaining that confidence and that's really important for him at this stage of the season. I was really pleased for him and it was a really nice game."

On resting some of the regular starters being important for Saturday's game...

"We were fairly hopeful of it being an opportunity for both Wil [Trapp] and Boxy [Michael Boxall] and [Anthony] Markanich for them not to play in the sense that they have accumulated a lot of minutes. Ant has found it tough to finish a game, particularly away from home in the searing heat. Had we been able to avoid all three of them playing this week then it would have been a nice thing to do. But I felt that at that stage of the game it was justified in hindsight. We felt we needed that leadership from Boxy, it felt like he really shored up the back line and Ant obviously did what he does at the moment which is to come on and make a real mark and look a real threat. We had the conversation relentlessly on the bench to weigh whether twenty-thirty minutes would be good for them just to continue their rhythm or in the case of the older guys, Boxy, Wil, whether it be best for them just to use this as a rare opportunity to have some time off. So on balance it panned out really well for us and it wasn't a huge taxing game for us physically as per the data."

On how you manage the team's exhaustion levels with so many games and tournaments happening...

"We, number one, do what we have done tonight which is be really intentional with how we change players. We made five changes and have allowed five players to play sort of between 60-70 minutes and others to play between 20-30. We are down to having lost Hoyeon [Jung] and the three players we moved on that have all played minutes over the course of the year. We are down to a relatively small squad, so for us it is about being really sensible and ruthless to an extent in how we make changes. As an example with Joaquin [Pereyra] today, probably not the stage in the game having just conceded that we would necessarily want to take him off, but I think if you look at the players that have been really influential for us over the course of the year and those that you are going to be really reliant on as time goes on. I want to make sure there is a real freshness in there and we strike that balance between being competitive and that we win games and also that we get to Saturday and feel like if we wanted to put an eleven out of ten outfield players that haven't played 90-minutes that we can do so and we want to be able to do the same next Wednesday. Fortunately then we have that extra day's rest on Colorado going into the game on Sunday. So I think we will have been fortunate there, but we will have those types of things in mind. It was nice to see players like DJ [Taylor] get on the pitch tonight, he is an incredibly solid citizen, a really good guy for the group and really coachable. It was nice to be able to get him to feel like he was really contributing to the game."

On his thoughts about Anthony Markanich impact in the attacking third...

"On almost every occasion where he [Anthony Markanich] has been called upon to have a bit of a spark as a substitute, he's done it. I think that's the way in which he's become such an important player to us. If you look back to last year there were points at which Ant [Anthony Markanich] wasn't getting in the squad for us, he was left out of a couple of squads, but I think he's approached it moment by moment and minute by minute and each time he's been given a chance he's been able to make an impact and now he's got himself into a position where he's an incredibly important player for us on both sides of the ball. There have been a couple of home games that are very memorable this year, Chicago [Fire] being one of them, where he comes on in these types of situations and he can show a real killer instinct and I think against a tired team his freshness, athleticism, and change of pace was really tough to handle so I'm really pleased that we got him to the position we have because he's been such an influential player for us on the pitch, but also off the pitch. He's a top guy and I think you see every time he scores you can get a sense of how important he is to the group with the way people celebrate with him."

On how he felt about playing against a team like Querétaro F.C....

"Well obviously we know that they are at a difficult moment in the league and we had a sense of that vulnerability before the game and felt like if we could start the game strong and if we were a good version of ourselves and we were a Minnesota team that was able to show why we've been such a good team over the course of the year, then we would have a good chance of winning the game. I would say that for anyone at the moment we're one of those teams that relative to our level, we feel that we can compete with anyone on our day, certainly teams with more vulnerabilities in terms of their rhythm and the level they've been able to find in their league. We would fancy our chances if we play to our level and that was the message before the game that irrespective to what the opposition did and in this case it was very difficult based upon what they had done over the opening games. They've been fairly inconsistent in terms of team selection, shape, and the way they've played so for us it was about getting to our level in terms of certain principles and our way of playing and we trusted that that would get us to where we ultimately got to. We were very much focused on us tonight and not so much focused on the opposition and where they were."

FORWARD KELVIN YEBOAH

On Bongokuhle Hlongwane's performance tonight...

"It was a very good shift. I always speak with Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane], we're always trying to combine, we're always trying to use his movement and he's very rapid. As you said, when he has the ball he can really dribble so today was a really good performance from him and we're really happy because he contributed and he helped the team win."

On his thought process before scoring his free kick goal...

"It was just the position of the free kick. I think it was favored for a right footed taker, Joaquin [Pereyra] is also very good at taking free kicks so once he [Pereyra] put the ball down it became more favorable for me to take it and I was glad that I did because it ended up in the goal."

On the Querétaro defender moving out of the path of the ball on his free kick goal...

"I saw the goalkeeper gambling a bit between the two [his left and right posts]. I actually said to Nicolás [Romero] to move out of the way because I know that spot would've been difficult for him [José Hernández] to reach."

On the overall team performance...

"It was great. It was very good. Especially coming from last week where we went down, this performance really showed our hunger, our will to run, our will to sacrifice in this moment. We are very glad to have this performance. Knowing that goal differential matters and scoring four goals really helps."

On the level of difficulty that comes with competing in three different competitions at the same time...

"Since day one with Coach [Erik] Ramsey and Dennis [Lawrence] we spoke that we wanted to be competitive in all these tournaments so very glad that we've been doing that and very glad that this squad that we had today got us through."

FORWARD BONGOKUHLE HLONGWANE

On what playing in Leagues Cup does to his performance...

"I don't know what I can say about this tournament, but there's something I have for this tournament. I think it's giving me flashbacks from 2023."

On whether or not he was surprised by the available space that allowed him to drive forward and earn the team a key free kick...

"I was not surprised because Kelvin [Yeboah] he stretched a little bit and the sense of play went with him and then there was a lot of space for me to attack. That's why I had to go to the space."

On if he wishes he could play against more teams based in Mexico...

"I don't know, at this moment I think any team is fine. I don't have to pick and choose which team, but we're still going to play a Mexican team so hopefully I'm going to get something again."

On if he makes any adjustments from an attacking standpoint when playing in different competitions...

"At this moment, it feels different because in the league [MLS] I haven't been like this. So I think it feels different, but I have to try to balance my game so I can do as well in the league as I did in tonight's game."

On Querétaro's defensive approach early on in the game...

"I think for them [Querétaro] it was because maybe they don't know us as a team so I think they figured out late how we played so by the time they figured out how we played it was too late because we were up 2-0."

On his friendship Sang Bin Jeong and how he feels about him leaving the club...

"Yeah it was difficult. Even right now it is difficult because he's my friend and I miss him, but I'm happy for him that he got the opportunity to go to another team where he can show up for the games and get opportunities to play. I'm happy for him, but I still miss him."

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