Minnesota United Earns 3-1 Victory Over San Diego FC
MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Earns 3-1 Victory Over San Diego FC

Published on September 14, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAN DIEGO - Minnesota United secured a statement 3-1 road victory over expansion side, San Diego FC, at Snapdragon Stadium, fueled by goals from Anthony Markanich, Carlos Harvey and Nectarios Triantis. The Loons now quickly shift their focus from league play to cup action, preparing for a Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup semifinal clash at home against Austin FC on Wednesday, September 17 at 7:30 at Allianz Field.

11' - Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made his first crucial save of the night as Anders Dreyer received a pass from Hirving Lozano. Lozano slipped the ball to Dreyer near the top of the 18-yard box as Dreyer ran into the penalty area. Dreyer found one-on-one with St. Clair, but the goalkeeper denied him with a save using his foot.

19' - St. Clair made another crucial save, this time coming off his line to deny Dreyer in a one-on-one situation. After being slipped through on goal by Jeppe Tverskov, Dreyer was met quickly by St. Clair, who blocked the shot with his chest.

21' - Canadian St. Clair was forced to throw himself to make another save, this time denying a header from Amahl Pellegrino at the penalty spot after an aerial ball played by Luca Bombino, pushing the effort out for a corner.

45' + 3' - San Diego Continued to threaten, as St. Clair came up with another crucial save after Christopher McVeyand Dreyer combined on a quick give-and-go inside the six-yard box, Dreyer's first effort was denied by St. Clair, and on the rebound Dreyer fired again, but Bongokuhle Hlongwane cleared the ball off the line to keep the score level.

50' - The expansion side were awarded a freekick just outside the top of the 18-yard box. Dreyer stepped up to take it, but his shot went wide of the left post, hitting the side netting.

53' - Onni Valakari created danger for the expansion side after receiving a pass from Dreyer inside the penalty box, taking a first-time shot that rolled just wide of the left post.

61' - St. Clair continued to be essential in keeping the match scoreless, this time denying Pellegrino from close range. Dreyer, working down the right flank, sent in a knee-high pass to Pellegrino at the penalty spot. Pellegrino struck first, but St. Clair read the play well and gathered the ball safety into his hands.

73' - After being fouled, Joaquín Pereyra stepped up to take the free kick a few yards outside the penalty area. His shot was headed for the top right corner, but goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos reacted well and swatted it away for a corner.

74' (1-0) - Minnesota United opened the scoring to take the lead. The goal came from a corner delivered by Argentine midfielder Pereyra, which found Anthony Markanich positioned at the top of the six-yard box. Markanich rose to meet it with a header that slipped past Valakari's glove and into the back of the net.

77' (2-0) - Just three minutes later, Carlos Harvey doubled the Loons' lead on a counterattack. Markanich played Kelvin Yeboah through the middle third, and Yeboah switched the ball to the right flank for Nectarios Triantis. Triantis set the ball for Harvey outside the penalty box, where the Panamanian took a few touches into the penalty area before firing a left-footed shot to the far post, finding the back of the net.

90' + 2' (3-0) - MNUFC tripled the score through a spectacular strike from Triantis. After receiving a short pass from Wil Trapp near midfield, Triantis took a few touches forward before unleashing a long-distance shot that caught dos Santos off his line and sailed into the net.

90' + 5' (3-1) - San Diego pulled one back late in the match after Lozano carried the ball down the right side of the penalty area and sent in an aerial cross that Tverskov headed into the back of the net.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Anthony Markanich (Joaquín Pereyra) - 74'

2-0 MIN - Carlos Harvey (Nectarios Triantis) - 77'

3-0 MIN - Nectarios Triantis (Wil Trapp) - 90' + 2'

3-1 SDFC - Jeppe Tverskov (Hirving Lozano) - 90' + 5'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

MIN - Robin Lod (caution) - 14'

MIN - Jefferson Diaz (caution) - 28

MIN - Michael Boxall (caution) - 36'

MIN - Carlos Harvey (caution) - 49'

SDFC - Manu Duah (caution) - 54'

MIN - Dayne St. Clair (caution) - 90'

Notable Stats

1 - Midfielders Nectarios Triantis and Dominik Fitz made their Minnesota United and MLS debut.

1 - Midfielder Nectarios Triantis recorded his first MLS goal and assist in his debut.

15 - Midfielder Joaquín Pereyra tied Robin Lod's single-season club record of 15 assists, set in 2024.

12 - Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair set a new personal single-game high with 12 saves in a single MLS match.

54 - Minnesota United set a new club record by reaching 54 points in a single season surpassing their previous high of 53 points (2019).

8 - Minnesota United tied its road record set last year with eight road wins, following tonight's 3-1 victory.

ATTENDANCE: 27,158

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Dayne St. Clair

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Joseph Rosales (Anthony Markanich 63'), Morris Duggan, Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz (Carlos Harvey 46'), Bongokuhle Hlongwane; M Robin Lod (Dominik Fitz 63'), Owen Gene (Nectarios Triantis 63'), Wil Trapp, Joaquín Pereyra; F Kelvin Yeboah (Mamadou Dieng 88')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Nicolás Romero, D.J Taylor; M Julian Gressel

San Diego FC XI: GK CJ dos Santos; D Luca Bombino, Paddy McNair (Willy Kumado 82'), Manu Duah (Alex Mighten 81'), Christopher McVey; M Luca de la Torre (Pedro Soma 81'), Jeppe Tverskov ©, Onni Valakari; F Hirving Lozano, Amahl Pellegrino (Corey Baird 63'), Anders Dreyer

Substitutes Not Used: GK Pablo Sisniega; D Ian Pilcher; M David Vazquez, Aníbal Godoy; F Emmanuel Boateng

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. AUSTIN FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

09.17.2025 | 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | Semifinal

7:30 p.m. CT (Paramount+)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On if the win is how he drew it up in his mind...

"Maybe the second half was certainly more how we wanted it to look, and I think a couple of adjustments we made in the first half really helped in that sense. We had a rough period in the first 10-15 minutes, I think, as you'd expect here with the form that they have, and the type of team they are, the environment that you're a part of here, and with them attacking their supporters' section. Certainly not an excuse. We could have handled the opening stages better, but I think from 20, 25 minutes on, in our way, we found more control of the game, and I felt the second half was relatively comfortable in that sense, and each team playing in their own way, each team trying to find control with, I suppose, the tools that they have at their disposal, and very much in line with the way the season's panned out so far. But, I felt like the second half was a really accomplished performance, and I was immensely proud with the level of effort, the level of discipline, the cohesion, the selflessness, because that is what is required to win games on the road in MLS in general, I would say, but certainly when you come to one of the top teams in this division, I was really pleased that we were able to grow in momentum as the game went on, and show what our competitive side we can be, and that was really important, given the stage of the season we're at and what's to come."

On the adjustments that were made to allow the team to have a strong second half...

"We defended. Different needs to how we set up without going into too much detail. We, I think we struggled to get pressure on the ball, build pressure over the course of the first 15, 20 minutes or so, and I think as the game went on, we were able to take away certain spaces that, that were more open than we would have liked in the opening stages, and as the game went on, I felt like we built pressure better, we were able to hold a line at a certain height, and we were able to win the ball back in areas where, from pieces of quality deep, we were able to open them up much more so than we were in the first 15-20 minutes. I think what was lacking at that point was some subtleties of the way that we're defending, but also how we use the ball on the transition. We were really wasteful, and obviously against a team like that, who is desperate to dominate the ball at all costs, you have to use the ball well when you have your chances. I feel like, as the game went on, we certainly did that, and I think there were spells in the second half where we showed some real composure, some real maturity, and certainly closed the game out more comfortably than we have done previously, and there weren't those mistakes that we've seen let teams get back into games when you've got your foot on their neck. So I was really pleased."

On the road record and how to translate that at home...

"I don't think there's a big difference between the home record and the away record. I think it's fairly balanced. Don't quote me on the specifics, but it's certainly not as skewed as it was last year. And I think when people ask me about the difference between our approach at home and away. I couldn't put my finger on anything distinct, but what we do have is players that are very willing, disciplined, coachable, show real maturity and conviction in how they execute a game plan. And I think that's helpful at home in the same way that it's helpful away [on the road]. I've been immensely pleased that we were able to continue with what was exceptional form on the road last year with exceptional form on the road this year and what we've done better is we've matched that to an extent at home and as a consequence we find ourselves in the position that we're in."

On Nectarios Triantis' style of play and his debut...

"He's obviously a player I know a lot about his qualities. I've watched him a lot prior to coming in. I know the level he's played at. I know what he's been through over the course of pre-season. I know the level of a Premier League pre-season and for him to have done that over six, seven weeks and be a part of very competitive, very, very competitive teams, in friendly games, you know he's going to be somewhere near match ready for this level and he couldn't have had a better debut in my eyes, showed real maturity for someone of his age. He's played a lot of games and immediately you saw the calmness, you saw the involvement in organization and communication, and pushing people and pulling people, and that's before you get to how composed he was on the ball, and obviously the big moment for the third goal. So he'll be a player that for sure will make a big difference for us. And I was very pleased that what I saw today confirmed what I've seen up until this point. And I think you'll find the level comfortable, isn't the word, but certainly you'll be able to contribute to a really high degree."

On Dayne St. Clair's performance...

"I think there were, of course, moments across the game, but certainly in the opening stages where it's difficult to put it any other way than the goal lived a bit of a charmed life. But Dayne [St. Clair] also played a real part in that. He's a man for the big moment and produced a number of them at a really important point. And I think him and the backline over the course of this season, the combination of both has led to a decent number of clean sheets and obviously very few goals conceded relative to the rest of the league. And Dayne isn't always called upon to make a lot of saves in games, but I would say more often than not, when he is, he makes some saves. And as I've said, when Dayne hasn't been here, what you miss is the quality, but you also miss the desperation to win, the desperation to keep the ball out of the net. And I was really disappointed for him at the end that he wasn't able to walk away with a clean sheet because, for multiple reasons, we've dealt with that situation poorly. And again, that's before you get to the fact that it probably shouldn't have been anywhere near a corner in the first place. So I was very disappointed for Dayne because he certainly deserved the clean sheet."

On starting Morris Duggan and Owen Gene in tonight's match...

"I really trust both of those guys. I think they've shown over the course of the season that they can handle big occasions, big games, pressure, playing against the top players. Obviously, I didn't take the decision lightly to put Morris [Duggan] on [Anders] Dreyer's side there, and I think he did what I wanted him to do, and you picked Morris on the basis of athleticism, competitiveness, willingness and ability to carry out a game plan, and that's certainly not a reflection on Nico's [Romero] qualities, but in a lot of senses, Morris is a really good match up for Dreyer on that side and I think he played really, really well. And obviously over the course of the coming weeks, we're going to need to work through the options that we have in the back line, certainly if we're going to progress on Wednesday night. So I think it was really important. Morris had rhythm and he did really well. And the same for Owen [Gene], I think Owen had a really, really good 45 minutes. I think certainly one of the top performers in the first half and he didn't come off for performance reasons in any way. You just got a sense that in the number of minutes he's played recently, he probably wasn't going to last the 90 [minutes]. So I think it was a justified change, but both of them did really well. And I think if you look at the games Owen has played, there's been some big results. Seattle [Sounders] away [on the road] comes to mind. And obviously, tonight, he's really well suited to playing in these games where you're likely to see less of the ball and it's about breaking the play up and showing some composure when you have it. So both of them took big steps forward. And obviously, we want that sense of squad. And I think tonight with [Nectarios] Triantis performance, with [Dominik] Fitz making his first steps onto the pitch and then with Morris and Owen and the guys that came off the bench, you're getting that sense of real solidity across 16, 17 players, which is so important."

On what made it difficult to play against San Diego in the first half...

"I think games against San Diego [FC] are difficult for everyone in the sense that they are very capable of dominating the ball. The players are, as you'd expect with a team that's in its first year, that has had a clean slate to build off, the players are perfectly suited to the way in which they want to play. And then they've got some very, very good players at the top of the pitch. I think it's not a stretch to say that [Hirving] Lozano and [Anders] Dreyer are the best pair of forwards that you've got in the league. I would say I think the goal contributions between them probably show that. And it's not an easy task to keep that level of forward out. Certainly when you put that in the context of the team that typically will have 60/ 65% of the ball. So I wasn't pleased in any way with how we dealt with the first 15-20 minutes. We were our own worst enemy in a lot of senses with how we used the ball and how easily we gave it back to them. But I think once we were able to get past that 20-25 minute mark, we dealt with what they had to throw at us better. And I think the longer the game went on, the more we were dialed into the types of problems that they could cause. And I felt we did a really good job at restricting."

On the contrasting style of play between San Diego and Minnesota United...

"I think it's arguably the biggest contrast in styles that you see in MLS. And I think it's a really interesting game. I said in the build up to this game, I enjoyed preparing for San Diego games. I think they're very high level games from a tactical perspective. I think we're two teams that, yeah, we have contrasting styles. Both coaches, I would say, are relatively pragmatic in the sense that they're matching style to player profiles or we're matching styles to player profiles. And I think what you get is a really interesting game. And I think if you're a football purist and you're watching it from the perspective involved tactics, strategies, match-ups, changes as the game goes on. I think it's a really good game and I've enjoyed it and obviously I've enjoyed it more tonight because we won the game and certainly over the course of 180 minutes we played, I think it's been MLS at its very best, I would say."

On Dayne St. Clair being down in the first half...

"No, I don't think so. I'm actually not sure what the nature of it was, but he was certainly okay as the game went on."

On if weathering being out-shot by the opponent is a positive...

"No, I don't think so. I think it's as you pointed out at the beginning of the game, I think the game spanned out roughly as you would expect in terms of the balance and the look and feel of the game. I don't think that would have come as a surprise to anyone. But also, we've won in the way that we've won a lot of games this year. And it's not by coincidence. We've picked up incredibly good results on the road against some very, very good teams. And that is by design and certainly not by luck. I don't know how you feel watching it back home on the television, but certainly in the second half, we felt comfortable with how the game looked. And yes, there were a lot of shots from distance, but we've also won away at Salt Lake recently and conceded 50 odd crosses, but defended the box very, very comfortably. We're a very good team in that sense. I've not seen much better. I've really enjoyed coaching that side of the game with this team because we, as the season has gone on, have really settled into our way of playing. I think the players feel like it suits them really well. I think it brings the best out in a lot of their qualities. In the second half, we were able to show that real resilience from a defensive perspective. And then obviously we scored goals in the way that you'd expect us to score goals. I think when you play in the way that we do, it is very important that you are able to show your teeth with the ball and also show a real threat. And obviously we carried that in the second half and we ended up with three goals. And on top of that, a number of really good chances when you look at Mo [Mamadou Dieng] and Kelvin [Yeboah]. So, yeah, we had to suffer a little bit, but I think once, as I said, not to repeat myself, but once we got past the awkwardness of the first 15-20 minutes, I felt like we grew into the game really well."

On being three points back from the Supporters' Shield...

"I think it's going to be tough. I think, with the number of games that we've won relative to other teams without being the decider, but all we can do at the moment is focus on the games that we've got to come. We've got some big games, we've got some great opportunities, we've got two home games, we've got a [Lamar Hunt] U.S. [Open] Cup semifinal and we've got a group that's in a really good place with a lot of confidence. So I couldn't ask for much more at this point. And to be here with four games to go to break the club's points record and to be in such a positive position on so many fronts, I think is a credit to everyone involved. And I think everyone will look back at this hopefully as a really pivotal moment in the season, but the important thing is that we now follow that up."

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 14, 2025


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