Minnesota United Earns a Point in 1-1 Draw with the Colorado Rapids
MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Earns a Point in 1-1 Draw with the Colorado Rapids

Published on September 27, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - Minnesota United battled to a 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids on the road, with Nectarios Triantis providing the equalizer in the second half from a distance. The Loons will now return home to Allianz Field on Saturday, October 4 for their penultimate regular season game as they host Sporting Kansas City at 7:30 p.m. CT for Fan Appreciation Night.

11' - Colorado Rapids created their first dangerous opportunity from a free kick taken by Rafael Santos. Lining up on the right flank in the middle third, Santos sent his delivery into the left side of the penalty area. Calvin Harris rose to meet it with a header, but his effort glanced just wide of the left post.

28' - After the home side conceded a free kick near the top of the penalty box, Cole Bassett stepped up and drove his effort toward the bottom-left corner. Dayne St. Clair reacted quickly, throwing himself across goal to get a strong hand on the ball and keep the game level.

35' - Colorado continued to threaten after Josh Atencio intercepted a pass and slipped the ball to Paxten Aaronson. After a few touches, Aaronson fired a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, but St. Clair reacted quickly and gathered the ball as he threw himself to secure it.

45' + 1' (0-1) - Colorado conceded a free kick just a few yards outside the penalty box on the right flank. Santos stepped to take it and curled his effort into the far-left post, finding the back of the net.

57' - Minnesota United created their first dangerous opportunity in the 56th minute through Dominik Fitz, who latched onto a quick through ball from Bongokuhle Hlongwane down the right flank. Fitz carried the ball into the penalty area and fired a right-footed shot, but goalkeeper Zack Steffen reacted well to push it away for a corner.

63' - Rafael Navarro created a dangerous chance after carrying the ball from the middle third to the top of the penalty box. He unleashed a right-footed shot that forced St. Clair to throw himself across goal and smother the effort.

65' (1-1) - Minnesota United tied up the game with a finish from Nectarios Triantis after Joseph Rosales and Hlongwane played a quick give-and-go near the top of the 18-yard line. After an attempt from Rosales, the rebound landed to Triantis a few yards outside the goal area. Triantis took a one-touch shot to the back of the net.

74' - Minnesota United continued being dangerous this time through Argentine player Joaquín Pereyra. Pereyra hit a volley after receiving a long switch from Robin Lod, sitting on the right flank. However, the attempt hit the post and was quickly cleared out of danger.

78' - St. Clair continued to come up big in goal. Aaronson found himself one-on-one with the keeper after carrying the ball into the 18-yard box and fired a right-footed shot toward the near post, but St. Clair reacted quickly to push it wide for a corner.

83' - Pereyra created a dangerous opportunity when he received a short pass from Wil Trapp and fired a shot from outside the penalty box, but his effort drifted just wide of the left post.

90' + 2' - Hlongwane's attempt sailed over the crossbar after he latched onto a headed pass from Hassani Dotson.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 COL - Rafael Santos - 45' + 1'

1-1 MIN - Nectarios Triantis - 65'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

COL - Paxten Aaronson (caution) - 8'

COL - Rob Holding (caution) - 54'

NOTABLE STATS

2 - Nectarios Triantis has scored two goals in his last three matches.

9 - Minnesota United is unbeaten in its last nine road games with tonight's draw.

ATTENDANCE: 16,503

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Nectarios Triantis

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Anthony Markanich (Joseph Rosales 46'), Morris Duggan, Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz, Julian Gressel (Dominik Fitz 46'); M Joaquín Pereyra, Wil Trapp (Hassani Dotson 84'), Nectarios Triantis, Robin Lod (Mamadou Dieng 84'); F Bongokuhle Hlongwane

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Kieran Chandler; M Owen Gene; F Darius Randell

Colorado Rapids XI: GK Zack Steffen; D Rafael Santos (Sam Vines 84'), Rob Holding, Andreas Maxsø ©, Reggie Cannon (Ted Ku-Dipietro 73'); M Cole Bassett, Josh Atencio (Oliver Larraz 66'), Paxten Aaronson, Connor Ronan, Calvin Harris (Darren Yapi 73'); F Rafael Navarro

Substitutes Not Used: GK Nico Hansen; D Keegan Rosenberry; M Alexis Manyoma, Sam Bassett,; F Alex Harris

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

09.27.2025 | MLS 2025 Regular Season | Match 33

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

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On the result being fair and the importance of earning a point...

"On the balance of play that tipped further in our favor in the second half, I would say a point is a good one. A point here [in Colorado] in general is a good one when you weigh in how difficult a place it is to come for the obvious reasons. With how we fell behind just before halftime, it is a literal mountain to climb in that sense, particularly here. The fact that we were able to make some adaptations at halftime and really respond well to those and [re]start the game with a real energy and real life, which I think set the course for the second half. That was really important. The fact that it allows us to preserve that record of not having lost back-to-back games, with only two remaining is no small achievement in any way. That's what I want to leave here with: that sense of pride in the group's reaction and that's certainly the final thought that I want to be in players' minds as they leave here. As much as it wasn't a performance to write home about, there was a lot that we would love to correct. There was a lot that we would love to correct, there was a lot that we will certainly talk about in the coming days and weeks. It's a really good point and it allows us to keep chipping away, and hopefully keeps us in touch with the top two and makes the last group of games really interesting."

On Nectarios Triantis scoring from a distance...

"I'll just pick up on probably the way I described [Nectarios Triantis] post San Diego [game] when I got asked a lot of questions about him. He is very physical, very athletic, really helps us in that sense, which is something that we've been relying on up until this point, and I've obviously lost a little bit of that with Tani [Oluwaseyi] having left, and Kelvin [Yeboah] being in the position that he's in. So, the combination of that that Nectar brings, plus the calmness on the ball, plus the ability to drive from deep, plus the ability to strike the ball very cleanly from the edge of the box, it really helps because, I think, obviously, with the situation we're in with the squad at the moment, we have to find goals as a group, because that certainly won't be an easy thing for us between now and the end of the season, so I think the fact that he's chipped in tonight and has shown that real desperation to get on the score sheet and that real will to win, which I was desperate for the group to show in the second half, is another big step forward for him, and it shows his importance to the group."

On the nine-game unbeaten streak on the road...

"A lot of it is to do with mentality and character and togetherness, and we are a group that always feels like we can turn a situation that is seemingly against us very quickly. And I don't think we're now at a stage where that's necessarily reliant on moments of individual brilliance or individual quality, it's a collective mentality that means that there's, number one, the grit and determination to stay in a game, which is something that we've done really well over the course of this year. I haven't checked all that recently, but I think for the large majority of the season, we've been a team that's been behind the least, and if that's the case, then you're always giving yourself a chance to do what we've done tonight and do what we've done on a load of occasions. And as much as I was bitterly disappointed walking in at halftime with the manner in which we conceded the first goal, I always had that sense in the second half if we responded well to the way in which we change the shape and the personnel that we have a really good chance, and we got ourselves back in the game. But then we also showed that determination and will and discipline to keep the ball out the back of the net at the end of the game, which was tough, and certainly from their perspective, they are a team that is fighting for their lives to stay above that playoff line, and the closing stages of the game felt that way, and we really had to put bodies on the line in certain instances and show, as I've said desperation, I use that word a lot, but I think we're at that stage where that is what the group needs to show. I didn't talk a great deal over the course of this week, or before the game, from a tactical perspective today. I just wanted the group to get back to doing what it does well, and I think if we're a good version of ourselves moving forward, then I know we can be competitive against anyone."

On the impact of Dominik Fitz in the second half...

"I think if he [Dominik Fitz] were to look back I'm sure he would be disappointed in the number of turnovers. It's a shock to the system playing here, from the physical perspective and that's something that I'm not too sure he would have dealt with previously in his career. The physical level of MLS is very high, I don't think it falls far below some of the top levels in Europe. I think there will be an adaptation in that sense, the demands on players from a defensive perspective and the spaces we want them to be able to attack in, on the transition. The demands from the defensive set play perspective, it's tough to play on this team, but it's also tough to play in the league from a physical perspective. So, that will take some time for sure and we will do our very best to work with him in that sense."

On shifting to a back four in the second half...

"We struggled in the first half to get really good pressure on the ball and missed a lot of the cues that we would normally pick up on that allow us to work our way up the pitch. We are not a team that presses high constantly, but when we press we press properly typically, when we are at our very best. And I didn't think that was the case in the first half. More often than not, when we tried to build pressure, we ended up being late in the first instance, and then we followed that up with more lateness, successive lateness, and then it puts you in a really poor position from a defensive perspective. Obviously, if you change shape, then it gives you a better chance of building pressure, it gives you another player to connect with higher up the pitch when you turn the ball over. But the game, obviously, at that point, also becomes more open than we would like, and it was a trade-off that I was willing to make at halftime and given the situation that we're in in the league without getting ahead of myself, the comfort, I suppose, in the position that we're in at the moment. I think it was worth the risk and obviously one that paid off."

On rotating the players up top...

"I think Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] played really well. I want to say he played really well. If you know the demands that we put on a person who plays in that position and some of the stuff they have to work towards off the ball and level of relentlessness it takes, then he does a really good job there. Bongi is not someone that you have to ask to defend. He is not someone that you have to ask to run back to stay connected to the team to spot press triggers. He is an incredibly honest player and we're drawing on his versatility at the moment. And I said to him at the end, I think he did really well for the team. Of course there is a difference between Tani [Oluwaseyi] and Bongi. There is a difference between Kelvin [Yeboah] and Bongi. There is a difference between playing with Tani and Kelvin. And then playing your wingback, of 30 games this season, as a number 9. It is not going to feel like it did feel when we were probably. at our most competitive, at our best a couple months ago. We will have to be a team that really works at finding a solution to some of the problems that we have at the moment. But tonight was a step forward in that sense. And if we take anything from it, it is that we can find a way to pick up really good points and make no mistake, this is a really, really good point here. And Bongi will play his part, whether that is something that we go with next week remains to be seen. It will definitely give me some food for thought over the course of this week. And we will see what we settle on come Friday."

On trying to play through the Colorado Rapids' press...

"That's another phase of the adaptation that we're going to have to go through at the moment in the sense that the squad does look very different to how it looked when we were at our, as I say, very competitive best and threatening to really make a push for the Supporters Shield and everything that went with that. We don't now have two powerful, athletic, aggressive number nines at the top of the pitch. So that is going to require us to look slightly different in certain moments of the game. I think we had some success. We had some moments where we turned the ball over very cheaply, but there was more good than bad and we are a team that can handle the ball in the first third but in order to be a team that does that and then be one of the top teams, that's another question that we have to answer because if you look at us over the course of maybe the first 28-29 games, we were elite at doing what we were doing and that got us into the position that we were in. Are we elite at the moment at building up and playing through the position's pressure more often than not, probably not. So we are going to have to really work at that. But we're also going to have to make sure that we don't lose, or we try our very best not to lose a lot of what made us such a competitive team over the course of most of this season. So, I think we've always been a group of people and a group of players that respond well to setbacks. We stay level. We're constantly trying to find iterations to the way we play, to deal with what gets thrown at us. And obviously, at the moment, with the size of the squad and some of the setbacks we've encountered in that sense and some of the periods of adaptation that are fairly obviously required across a couple of players, then we are going to be that team, I think, between now and the end of the year. But that in some senses excites me because I enjoy that as a coach."

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 27, 2025


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