Minnesota United Complete Dramatic Comeback to Advance in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Complete Dramatic Comeback to Advance in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

May 21, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota United battled back in dramatic fashion to secure a 3-2 comeback victory over St. Louis CITY SC in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16. The Loons took an early lead through Kelvin Yeboah, but CITY SC responded with two second-half goals to go ahead. Late heroics from Anthony Markanich, who scored twice in a three-minute span, sealed the win and sent MNUFC into the quarterfinals. The draw to determine Minnesota's next Open Cup opponent will take place tomorrow, Thursday May 21. The Loons return to MLS action this Saturday, May 24, hosting Austin FC at Allianz Field with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

10' (1-0) - Minnesota United opened the scoring through Kelvin Yeboah. Bongokuhle Hlongwane made a run through the attacking third and played Julian Gressel on the right flank. Gressel delivered a long pass to find Yeboah at the penalty spot, where he one-timed the ball into the back of the net.

26' - The young Argentinian defender Nicolás Romero made a crucial tackle after João Klauss broke through, dribbling towards goal, but Romero tracking back was able to slide in for a clean tackle on the left flank before Klauss could get a shot off.

31' - The Loons continued to be a threat with South Korean midfielder Hoyeon Jung, who received possession on the attacking left flank and sent a long ball into the penalty area, Hlongwane redirected it with a header toward goal, but Roman Bürki threw himself to make a crucial save, getting both hands on the ball.

38' - Minnesota continued to be a threat in front of goal as Sang Bin Jeong crossed the ball from the left side of the 18-yard box. St. Louis was able to get a body on the ball, but directed it towards goal for Morris Duggan to use his height and find a header to goal that was ultimately saved by Bürki.

43' - St. Louis CITY SC sought a scoring opportunity off a set piece, with Marcel Hartel stepping up to take it. However, his attempt narrowly missed, sailing just wide of the left post.

48' - Yeboah sent a through ball from the near the top of the 18-yard box to Gressel, who made a run toward the six-yard line and took a one-touch shot that dipped just wide to the left of the net.

55' (1-1) - CITY SC found the equalizer after Timo Baumgartl quickly recovered the deflection, crossing the ball across goal where he found Marcel Hartel unmarked for a header.

66' (1-2) - St. Louis CITY SC doubled their lead in the 66th minute with a long switch from Hartel that found Timo Baumgartl on the right side. Baumgartl rose up and headed the ball into the back of the net.

85' (2-2) - Anthony Markanich found the equalizer in the 85th minute after receiving a long ball from Joaquín Pereyra in the middle third. He continued his run into the 18-yard box and fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net.

88' (3-2) - MNUFC took the lead after Pereyra crossed the ball from the corner where he found Markanich on top of the six-yard line for a header to goal, placing the ball in the back of the net.

89' - Cedric Teuchert received possession on the left flank in the attacking third and sent a long through ball in an attempt to find a St. Louis attacker, but Wessel Speel came off his line to make a crucial save and preserve the lead.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Kelvin Yeboah (Julian Gressel) - 10'

1-1 STL - Marcel Hartel (Timo Baumgartl) - 55'

1-2 STL - João Klauss (Marcel Harte) - 65'

2-2 MIN - Anthony Markanich (Joaquín Pereyra) - 85'

3-3 MIN - Anthony Markanich (Joaquín Pereyra) - 88'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

STL - Chris Durkin (caution) - 24'

MIN - Carlos Harvey (caution) - 26'

MIN - Anthony Markanich (caution) - 42'

NOTABLE STATS

1 - Midfielder Owen Gene made his first start for Minnesota United's First Team in today's 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match.

1 - Anthony Markanich netted two of Minnesota's three goals against St. Louis CITY SC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16, marking his first professional brace.

ATTENDANCE: 3,325

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Wessel Speel; D Nicolás Romero (DJ Taylor 46'), Hoyeon Jung (Tani Oluwaseyi 79'), Morris Duggan; M Anthony Markanich, Julian Gressel© (Joaquín Pereyra 64'), Owen Gene, Carlos Harvey (Michael Boxall 46'), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Robin Lod 64'); F Kelvin Yeboah, Sang Bin Jeong

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; M Wil Trapp

St. Louis CITY SC XI: GK Roman Bürki ©; D Jake Girdwood-Reich (Joey Zalinsky 66'), Timo Baumgartl, Kyle Hiebert; M Cedric Teuchert, Jannes Horn (Akil Watts 46'), Marcel Hartel, Chris Durkin (Xande Silva 79'); F João Klauss (Simon Becher 79'), Conrad Wallem (Tomáš Ostrák 66'), Josh Yaro

Substitutes not used: GK Ben Lundt; M Célio Pompeu

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. AUSTIN FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minneapolis

05.24.2025 | MLS 2025 Regular Season | Match 15

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

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On the resolve tonight against St. Louis CITY SC...

"By design, we wanted to be able to finish the game strong, but I think it's another one of those situations where it pans out, to an extent, as you would have hoped prior in the sense that we were able to spread minutes well across the group. We were able to keep Saturday in mind, and we were able to finish strong and win the game. I'm certainly not without my criticism in terms of how we were able to handle what, for me, should have been relatively straightforward moments that we typically really do handle well as a back line and we didn't. It's a very obvious threat that they [St. Louis CITY SC] pose in that sense. They cross well. They attack the box well. We talked a lot about that, obviously, over the course of two games. So there is some disappointment there, and other players will be disappointed. I know there's been comments about that already, and that speaks to the group. I think that the first thing that they talk about when they come off the pitch in that situation is how disappointed they are to have conceded the goals, and how self-critical some of those guys are in there. So, that is pleasing in one sense. But I think the manner of coming back into the game, you always felt that we'd be able to finish that game strong. And I think once we got the second goal, you always felt that the third would just be around the corner."

On Anthony Markanich scoring goals for Minnesota United...

"Yeah. There's a good buzz around Anthony [Markanich] in the changing room at the moment. I can tell you he just had one of those nights, and he's on a really good run at the moment. He is a super reliable player. He's a great lad, really coachable, really dialed into the game plan, and someone who puts everything into every day, and he's now getting his rewards because he's also had some really high-quality moments. The set-play moments stand out, of course, but his first goal he took that really, really well. He's got a really nice knack for being able to get in behind the back line. His movement timing is good, and he's got good quality when he gets in there. I'm really pleased that he's really going to push Joe [Joseph] Rosales in that position. And over the course of the first 14 games and the two Open Cup games, he's made a huge contribution to this team. I'm pleased because, as a character, he deserves it, and he's really popular in the dressing room, which is a big thing."

On rotating the squad from the last match against St. Louis CITY SC...

"Well, we've got a small squad. I'm conscious of how the summer months went last year, and I want to make sure that we're very disciplined in making changes where we need to make changes, and we keep what is the biggest focus in mind. We've got to make sure that we are competitive and in our pursuit of playoff positions, and we want to make sure that we meet that objective. I feel like tonight we obviously took a relatively balanced approach to it in the sense that we kept a couple of the guys in who had started the game [last] Saturday, but I think overall, the approach has and will pay off in the weeks and months to come. I think it's so important in MLS to consider, not just certainly in this period, not just Wednesday, Saturday, but also how we look in June as we start to lose players to the Gold Cup, and we want to make sure that we've got players that are in a good rhythm and we're not accumulating load that is going to lead to injuries in an unnecessary way. So I feel like we've done a good job on that. We made some good decisions."

On what are the players mentioning in the dressing room...

"I know Morris [Duggan] was very disappointed with arguably both the goals, but certainly the second one he picked up on. I think he was very close to [João] Klauss. He was in a position with Morris' physicality and the level of aggression, dominance that he typically shows. I think that's a goal that he'll look back on and be really disappointed around. But I would also say Klauss is very good in those situations, one of the best in the league. We do a lot of preparation around him and his threat when we play against them. So I think that would probably add to Morris' frustration in the sense that he knew what's coming in that situation. I would let him off the hook slightly in the sense that we have to do more to keep the ball out of the box, and that's been a running theme of ours over the course of the last couple of weeks. We're defending the box far more than we need to, and we have to be much better toward the side of the box. We have to be more aggressive in defending one-v-ones and stopping crosses coming in. But, ultimately, it is going to come in against them because that's the way they play. And when it does, you have to deal with a big physical threat. So, we got away with that official, and that is something that we'll pick up on."

On Wessel Speel's performance tonight in goal...

"He's [Wessel Speel] a very commanding presence for someone who hasn't played a load of senior games. He for sure has the obvious physical attributes that are very helpful against a team [St. Louis CITY SC] that plays in a direct way. I don't think he was necessarily able to sort of show those [attributes] to its fullest extent, but he is one of those goalkeepers that has set plays that you look at and feel like he can really help you, his kicking distance is very good and was good tonight. He made some good decisions around, when to play short and not. He obviously starts the move off that leads to the first goal with a really nice clip pass out to the left hand side. He's shown multiple elements of his game tonight and we're obviously making that decision tonight with in mind Dayne [St. Clair] going away to the Gold Cup in the coming month, and we want to make sure that between him and Alec [Smir] we've got some really good competition there. That's certainly the case because as you remember last year we really suffered over the course of those months for not having goalkeepers in the rhythm that they might be. Again, given how the game has panned out, I'm able to look back at the decision and feel like it was a really good one because now he's played a number of games in this competition [2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup] and across the second team [MNUFC2] games as well, he will be in as good a rhythm as possible to really push Alec for the coming month."

On Kelvin Yeboah showing a sense of calmness when scoring the opening goal tonight...

"I was really pleased with him [Kelvin Yeboah] and he worked really hard tonight, which is the main thing I feel like if you're in Kelvin's situation, you're desperate for a goal and he's someone that's very self-critical and really pushes himself, then first and foremost you've got to keep doing what is required from a team perspective and defending with real discipline and diligence and he did that. And then he took his goal really well so I know that will be for him, just knowing the character and knowing how he thinks, he's a goal scorer and a high profile number nine relative to our situation, he will really benefit from that tonight and I know everyone will be pleased for him. I will also say actually on that, I think him and Tani [Oluwaseyi], they showed a real level of maturity when they were playing alongside one another to finish because they made good decisions as to when to look to one another and not, and that's obviously something that they're probably out of rhythm of at a really high level based upon the fact that we've sort of gone away from playing with the two of them. But, I felt like they had that connection that was immediately very visible."

On the changes to the lineup quickly after St. Louis CITY SC scored their first goal...

"We had those changes in mind for a situation like that where we felt like we wanted to finish the game strong with a real attacking intent, and you felt like it was a very open game, open from start to finish, I would say they [St. Louis CITY SC] had a couple of good chances, we had a couple of good chances. But, open games suit Robin [Lod] and Joaquín [Pereyra] when they come on and they play as a pair. You feel like they're only a moment away from creating and when you add to that a threat on the back line with Sang Bin [Jeong] and Anthony [Markanich] as he showed, and then you're adding to that Kelvin [Yeboah] and Tani [Oluwaseyi], you feel like you've always got a good chance in an open game. Unfortunately, Joaquín does what he is in the habit of doing at the moment, which is unpicking the defense with a really good pass to Anthony, and then, we've got players making the box there that are absolutely desperate to score. So, I always felt like having that in our back pocket would stand us in good stead in that situation, and I'm pleased it paid off."

On feeling more confident in the squad depth of this team...

"Yeah, I think we've obviously kept that period [International break in June] in mind when we've made these changes over the course of the last couple of weeks, and I know there will be players that will really benefit from that. And I would also add that we've used the second team [MNUFC2] as strategically as we possibly can over the first couple of months, and we've put players in some awkward positions where they're flying midweek to play a game in Colorado and other situations of that type. I feel like that's paid dividends because there's no players that have got four or five 90 minutes' worth in their legs and as we get into June and the inevitable difficulties at that period will bring, we are at least as well set as we can, bearing in mind the parameters of our squad and the depth we have. But, this week has been really pleasing in that sense."

FORWARD KELVIN YEBOAH

On what it meant to score today...

"Yeah it felt good. Felt good. It's always good to contribute for the team, so I'm glad that we ended up winning the game."

On trying to get himself back on the scoresheet and what factors play into achieving that objective...

"After the injury it's been quite difficult physically to come back in top shape, but thanks to the guys, thanks to everybody, they've been winning and contributing and making my life even easier, right? I'm happy that the team is performing and I'm happy to help whenever I feel one hundred percent."

On how the team is working to turn Anthony Markanich into a goalscorer...

"Ant [Anthony Markanich] has been scoring in training since days... I'm just glad that he got his opportunity and is taking all of it, so really glad; we might just put him as a striker. I'm just going to give him my No. 9 if he keeps scoring like this."

On what it meant to persevere as a team after falling behind in the first half...

"To be honest, I was really glad in the attitude and the confidence that my team and everybody on the pitch had. My teammates were great, everybody was really calm, just focused on the input and we got it back-to-back-to-back and then we just made Anthony [Markanich] do his work."

DEFENDER ANTHONY MARKANICH

On what it means to score goals in recent games...

"It's awesome. I always thought if I score one, the goals will keep coming so it's come true so far, and I hope it keeps going."

On what's gotten into him to cause the goal scoring...

"That's what everyone's saying right here, like, 'what are you eating?' and stuff. It's been good. I don't think I've done anything differently than I have since the start of the year, so its luck coming my way, I guess.

On if it means more scoring against St. Louis CITY SC, the team that traded him last year...

"Yes, of course. I have respect for St. Louis, but of course it's always nice to score against your old team. But, it's all with respect."

On how it feels being the player that helps advance Minnesota United into the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup...

"It was awesome, especially with a brace. I think that was my first time professionally, and since I was a little kid, that I scored a brace. I definitely didn't want to go to overtime. I was tired, so happy."

On comparing his goalscoring to his brother Nick Markanich...

"I have more goals than him this year, so it's good."

On the last time he scored two goals in a game...

"I would say high school. High school... yeah. That was a long time ago. It feels great. I've never felt like this before."

On the story behind the hat in his locker with his last name embroidered onto the front...

"That's my fiancé's. Z [Zarek Valentin] took it from her when she was in the stands wearing this. Stole it off her head and came in here wearing it and it was funny."

On whether or not it was Zarek Valentin...

"Yeah... just jokes."

On where Anthony Markanich's fiancée got the hat...

"She made it. Yeah, she made it. Pretty cool."

On when he's going to start selling the hats...

"Everyone's saying that everyone needs one now. The whole team needs one."

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 21, 2025


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