MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Defeats Rival Sporting Kansas City 2-1

Published on April 28, 2024 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota United ended a four-game winless streak against Sporting Kansas City with a 2-1 win at Allianz Field Saturday night. Minnesota (5-2-2, 17 points) moves to fourth in the Western Conference standings.

2' - Minnesota scored within the first minute of the match after a corner was granted for the Loons. Midfielder Joseph Rosales served the ball into the box. The service in deflected off Robin Lod towards the back goalpost where Michael Boxall volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

7' - Sporting Kansas nearly had a goal scoring opportunity after Kansas defender Tim Leibold crossed the ball from the right flank behind Minnesota's back line and found teammate Willy Agada inside the box. Agada fired a one-touch shot off that went over the crossbar.

12' - DJ Taylor nearly scored the second goal of the match for Minnesota United after Trapp crossed a diagonal ball over to the right flank towards Taylor. Taylor took a one-touch shot that missed just wide of the near post going out on the end line.

25' - Minnesota found the back of the net for the second time. Lod played a through ball into the box. Rosales on the left side found Lod's pass and crossed the ball into the six. Tani Oluwaseyi on the opposite side of the six, connected with the cross with a one touch shot on goal.

38' - Sporting Kansas City scored their first goal of the match after a ball was played over the top in behind Minnesota's back line. Daniel Sallói on the left side, ran onto the ball where he one-touched it back near the PK, setting up Alan Pulido for a shot that went past Minnesota's goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

79' - St. Clair made a crucial save after Kansas served a ball into the box from a free kick. Dany Rosero connected with the cross with a header to goal that St. Clair saved to keep Minnesota in the lead.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Michael Boxall (Robin Lod, Joseph Rosales) - 2'

2-0 MIN - Tani OluwaseyI (Joseph Rosales, Robin Lod) - 25'

2-1 SKC - Alan Pulido (Daniel Sallói, Nemanja Radoja) - 38'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

SKC - Andreu Fontas (caution) - 23'

MIN - Devin Padelford (caution) - 31'

MIN - Michael Boxall (caution) - 62'

NOTABLE STATS

1 - Defender Michael Boxall scored his first goal of the season, seventh in 208 regular season appearances. His goal scored in the first minute (1:05) is the second fastest goal in club history.

7 - Midfielder Robin Lod recorded his sixth and seventh assists of the season. He has six assists in four consecutive games.

2 - Joseph Rosales recorded two assists in both MNUFC goals.

2 - Forward Tani Oluwaseyi scored the second goal of the night and his second goal in back-to-back games.

ATTENDANCE: 19,712

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Boxall

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Joseph Rosales, Devin Padelford, Michael Boxall ©, Kervin Arriaga, DJ Taylor; M Wil Trapp, Robin Lod; F Franco Fragapane, Teemu Pukki, Tani Oluwasey

Bench: GK Alec Smir; D Zarek Valentin, Miguel Tapias, Carlos Harvey; M Alejandro Bran, Caden Clark; F Bongokuhle Hlongwane,

Sporting Kansas City XI: GK Tim Melia; D Andreu Fontas, Dany Rosero, Tim Leibold, Kayden Pierre; M Nemanja Radoja, Erik Thommy, Remi Walter; F Alan Pulido, Daniel Sallói ©, Willy Agada

Bench: GK John Pulskamp; D Robert Voloder, Robert Castellanos, Zorhan Bassong; M Memo Rodriguez; F Johnny Russell, Khiry Shelton, Alenis Vargas, Marinos Tzionis

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ ATLANTA UNITED FC

Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Georgia

05.04.2024 | MLS 2024 Regular Season | Matchday 12

6:30 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

On his overall thoughts on the match against Sporting Kansas City...

"It's difficult for me to stand here or stand in front of players after home games that we don't win but we play well in and look like the team that we want to look like. Then stand up here today and say that performance is irrelevant and we've got three points and move on. That's not how we want to win games at home, we want to be the dominant team, we don't want to feel that we're on the back foot for large periods which was the case today. The slight caveat is when you do score as early as we score, it's then suddenly difficult to go again, be the front foot team, and then suddenly we're two nil up it almost feels that we sink and we're in a protect the lead mode which is not the way in which we want to play. We largely benefited in the opening stages in the way we set up but then it became very clear after a half an hour that we were struggling to get to grips with the system defensively. I was glad we were able to hang on until half time and make some changes. We looked far more solid in the second half albeit we didn't have the amount of possession we wanted to have and the control of the game that we wanted to have. When you look back in the cold light of day and pour over the statistics, we did limit them [Sporting Kansas City] to very little. I'm pleased in that sense that we've got a nice default that we can fall to if we're not playing well, we can shut up shop to an extent. Obviously we don't want to be that team too many times again here."

On if there were any disadvantages of scoring early on in the match...

"It was a double-edged sword, I've stood here a couple of times recently and talked about starting the game quickly. We couldn't have started the game better than we did today in terms of intensity, real conviction, and being decisive. I was really pleased in that sense, but we've been on the other side of that when the opposition score early and then we suddenly are allowed back into the game; just by human nature, you suddenly sink a little bit and start to protect, so if there is a disadvantage, that's it. But I was very pleased with the start, that's what we wanted to do here, we wanted to start quick and make teams feel uncomfortable. In some sense it's a big step forward, but in others there's a couple of areas where you look and think it's a step backwards, so you have to be balanced in how you look at it."

On the set pieces...

"We made a big point on set plays over the course of the season. It's something we as a club will be strong on. I suppose we're not the most blessed from the perspective of real height and physical presence from across the team but irrespective of that you can find a way to create chances from set plays and we've done that in the last couple of games. That's been another real step forward."

On the message to the team's performance versus result...

"That has the message at the end. I don't want to contradict myself. When we lose we talk about performance and when we win we only talk about [the] result. I think that is an unhealthy way to approach the entire season. We will look back at where we have taken steps forward. We will make a big point of why weren't the team we want to be at home, which is much more proactive and much more dominant."

On Kansas City getting balls in over the top and what was addressed at halftime...

"We made two changes at half and changed the shape. Big part of it was how well we can get pressure on the ball. After 15 or 20 minutes, we found that very difficult to do. So the nature of playing the way we play with two forwards, sometimes you do find it difficult to cover the width of the pitch, once you get pinned in a little bit, which was the case for us. We fortunately managed to get to halftime and obviously made a couple changes which were to the benefit of the team. We were also the beneficiaries of a phenomenal set of fans that can really drive the team home, which I felt was genuinely the 12th man today. I don't think we would have gotten through it without them behind us. The fact the opposition turned us around in the beginning was probably to their downfall by the end because it did feel like once we bedded in for the last 15 minutes that they were going to drive us home, that was really pleasing."

On Tani Oluwaseyi and Teemu Pukki playing together...

"We got the benefit in some senses early on in the game but then. This is no doing of the players that we ended up taking off at halftime in any way at all. I stressed that to them. It had more to do with the system as opposed to individual performances and obviously as I mentioned sometimes with a front two it's easy to get pinned, and can't cover the width of the pitch well, that was pretty evident after 20 minutes, so we wanted to be proactive and change. Once we made those changes, we were able to get better pressure on the ball, we didn't have our share on it. We did definitely restrict them in the second half and I don't think they created many chances that were of genuine quality and the stats would show that."

On what were your views on the goal that was not called offside...

"I've only seen the replay on the stadium screen and it did look very close. I don't know which way [was] right or which way [was] wrong. I'm sure over the course of the season you'll get an even balance of some that go for you and some that don't so we were fortunate today."

On potentially playing Hassani Dotson or Sang Bin Jeong...

"No. Hassan [Dotson] was a little bit further behind than we would have liked for him to have been [available to play]. And Sang Bin [Jeong], understandably just from a physical and mental perspective just wasn't ready to come into the squad today [after returning from international duty]. So we will welcome him back on Monday."

On the combination play that set up the second goal...

"That was really good, when you play with two forwards and you've got the midfield players that we've got, then you have a tendency to be able to open the middle of the pitch up. You saw that in that goal, it was really well worked, really well patterned. It was a shame that on scoring that second goal we sort of did what we did and found ourselves sank back and were not able to reproduce that more often. That's a frustrating thing for me today because it did feel that after that first 15 minutes that we were going to get a really complete performance which for multiple reasons wasn't the case."

On how you look at the first games you have been in charge...

"They've been [first games in charge] really interesting from my perspective, it feels far longer than just that number of games. I've learned loads of lessons in that time in terms of how to deal with the league, deal with our players, who does what well, who works with who well. I think now after six games, I've sort of got no excuses now in that sense. Hopefully we can set the team up more often than not with a real chance to win. When we don't, it won't be for a want of trying, it won't be for a want of being thorough in how we set up and being really proactive in how we use the squad in what we've got available for us. I think that was another pleasing thing today that we managed to get through the game making a number of changes that we've made. You've seen Carlos [Harvey] come off the bench and make his debut and we've again used the squad to good effect. That's probably one of the biggest takeaways for me that we can be proactive in that sense. As I've said, we got a nice baseline level of the group without having loads of superstars, we've got a really good group to work with. You see really honest performances from them more often than not."

On who from the Ramsay family scored the goal at the end of the game...

"That my son. I thought he was going to miss at one point, he was on the line. But he loved it, it was a moment he has probably been waiting for so that was a nice moment for me and my family."

On Carlos Harvey playing in his first team debut and if his performance with the second team helped...

"Of course that [Carlos Harvey's second team success] contributes. You are sort of waiting for people to put their hand up and say it's impossible to not pick me and not involve me from this point on. Obviously that contributes. He has also had a longer than we would've liked path toward finding full fitness. So that's a credit to him that he has managed to do so in the last three weeks or so. He has been training with us more often and we are sort of waiting for a chance to get him in the game and he handled himself really well so it's nice to get the debut out of the way."

On Clint Irwin injury update...

"Clint [Irwin] picked up a bit of a groin strain on Friday, so more precautionary than anything."

DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On satisfaction of the game...

" Yeah, particularly at home, I mean the first, 25 minutes, 30 minutes was kind of how we want to set the tone. When we did that, we started, came out of the gates pretty well. We need to find a way to maintain that. We have a two goal lead at home, and find ways to look after the ball. We kind of handed over the momentum a little too easily. Backwards, passes. The last time we spoke was how we're not putting each other in good positions to move forward and stay on the front foot."

On Kervin Arriaga and the other teammates playing on the back line...

"The last two results kind of speak for themselves, especially tonight with the lack of chances or lack of saves that Dayne [St. Clair] had to make, or big chances that he had to make, I thought Joseph [Rosales] was outstanding. Devin [Padelford] was great. Kervin [Arriaga] obviously a little bit out of position, but he looks like a natural there. DJ [Taylor] obviously excellent again. But, just a lot of work for everyone in front of us when we can't get our wing backs higher and on the ball and play, keep playing how we played in that first 20 minutes, for longer stretches."

On the momentum after the goals...

"What happened tonight is that with that two goal lead, you kind of sit on it and the thought is just about keeping a clean sheet when you're up. But when you give [Sporting] Kansas City the ball for that amount of time, they're a good team with the ball and obviously cause some problems. But as I just alluded to before, with the kind of our keeping things compact and our back five doing the job, it was fairly effective, but obviously not how we want to get things done at home."

On his goal tonight...

"Robin [Lod] gave me a shout and he must have seen me making the back post run and I flicked it. No, I just think when the ball goes and the near post, if it's going to get flicked-on, it's going to end up more or less on that back post. Just make that run. Hit the big size 12 in the way and pretty simple finish from a foot or two out."

On his celebration...

"Everyone was slipping. Apparently my knees had more grip than a few people's football boots. That didn't quite go to plan. You can tell I don't score too often."

On how Tani Oluwaseyi and Teemu Pukki played together ...

"At the beginning it was very effective, when we have the ball and we have obviously Joe [Joseph Rosales] occupying the fullbacks, it's a handful. And then you saw the space that Robin [Lod] and Fraga [Franco Fragapane] were kind of like, the space that they were getting is because of the front two kind of pins. The center backs and the back six. So I thought that was effective. And then once we kind of drop off and the whole lot less assertive doesn't become very effective when they have to press the center backs and the fullbacks which is what the wingbacks is supposed to do, that's when their job just gets a little bit more difficult. I remember seeing both of them coming back and there were five, 10 yards in front of me defending. They ran their asses off, but just wasn't effective when we don't get our wing backs higher."

On Head Coach Eric Ramsay's mood post game...

"The last few games he's more about sticking to our principles and the performance. So he wasn't overly happy. Obviously, you'll never be mad at three points, but he was more pleased with the Salt Lake and Houston performances than tonight."

On Eric Ramsay as head coach the last six matches...

"Everything he's introducing week by week has been effective. He's dealing with a whirlwind of players in and players out, players available and injured, suspended. So with that, again, and with Hassani [Dotson] out, he's been super positive. When we see everything that he's introducing to us kind of comes to light and be effective in the games, it's only going to give us more confidence to keep pushing to that."

On how it feels to have Miguel Tapias back...

"Great. I mean it's kind of a tough back line to break into when you've got Devin [Padelford] stepping up as he is. But I think competition's great. It's going to keep everyone on their toes and keep pushing, make sure we pick up a few more clean sheets. But honestly, it's great to see him back after being out for a few weeks with an injury."

FORWARD TANI OLUWASEYI

On playing together with Teemu Pukki...

"It's the first time and it's one of those things where the more you do it, the easier it's going to become. The biggest emphasis today from Eric [Ramsay] was that we try to stay as close together as possible and kind of play off each other and we did that pretty well at moments. And even on the other side of the ball, the way we pressed, we pressed together. Again, it won't be perfect overnight but we did a pretty good job for the first time around."

On his goal...

"A lot of credit goes to the guys before me from Rob [Robin Lod], to Will [Trapp], to Joe [Joseph Rosales] or even [Teemu] Pukki stopping and not getting that ball, realizing he's offside. Big credits to them, and for me it was harder to miss than to score there so I just did my part and put it in the back of the net."

On his goal taking time to be reviewed...

"You're always a little bit nervous. Especially in the age of VAR, you never really know what's going to stand and what's not. While it's going on, you're not realizing if you're offside or not in the moment, you're just kind of playing so you kind of just have to wait, put it in the hands of the ref and wait from there and clear it."

On the push-up celebration...

"It was a reference to a Drake song, 'Drop and give me 50' ['Push Ups']. So yeah, it's a Drake reference."

On Head Coach Eric Ramsay's thoughts on tonight's performances...

"The biggest thing for him is that he wants us to put our best foot forward. We would all agree that we probably didn't do that today, we got the win. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from today's game, that's the biggest thing for us. The three points are incredible, but we want to get better, we want to play better. Going forward next week, we're probably going to watch a lot of film. We're going to go into training and do the things we need to do to be a team that not only wins games but we're controlling games, especially at home in front of our fans, that was kind of the biggest emphasis."

On the message at halftime...

"For us it was just, we needed a bit more energy. When you get two goals fairly early, the energy tends to dip a little bit. The biggest thing going into the second [half] is that we needed to come back with some renewed energy and we have to be on the front foot a little bit more than when we finished the half. We started out really well, but in moments like that when you're up and the team is pushing for a point, pushing for a goal, it's always going to be tough. We did a great job to kind of sit in and manage the game the best way we could. There's going to be games like this; football isn't always pretty, so there's always going to be games like this. They [Sporting Kansas City] didn't really have any clear-cut chances other than the goal they scored. Credit goes to our defenders, our backline and our midfield. Everyone who played today defended really well and credit goes out to everybody."

On scoring early not always giving the team a lift...

"There's probably a lot of scientific things behind it, but the biggest thing is just that the other team feels like they need to get back in the game as much as possible. So they [the opponents] are probably going to work more, they are going to be more intent on keeping the ball. That's just one of those things, the game ebbs and flows all the time. There are high points and low points and the game's never the same throughout the 90-minutes. So it's more [about] that then the opponents just giving more effort. I know on our part, our effort does not dull at all. So it's just a bit more pushing from the opponents and just how the game goes."

On the first six games played under Head Coach Eric Ramsay...

"So far it has gone well. I've said it before, it's never easy to come into the situation that he [Eric Ramsay] came into. So, he's had to deal with a lot and he's done an incredible job so far. We're just going to keep learning. Every week is a new opportunity to learn and to get better under tutelage. And for him, this being his first job [as head coach], he's also growing as a coach and trying to figure out who he is as a coach. We're seeing that every week in the way he's putting us out there, the way he's making changes or whatever it may be. Every single guy in the locker room, we're behind him and we're happy to have him here. The sky's the limit for us and for him moving forward."

On Assistant Coach Cameron Knowles' impact on the team in this new role...

"Credits to Cam [Cameron Knowles] coming in [when] he had the first four games and he did well. The transition has been good so far. Just having him as a voice there as well - a credit to the work he did before the year started and then just having a familiar face considering he's been here longer than just this year... he's been here ever since I've been at the club. To have somebody like that who is very knowledgeable, who knows what he's talking about and is able to provide insight and whatever it is that we need, that's definitely always a plus."

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