Minnesota United Falls, 2-1, Against LA Galaxy in Final Regular Season Game
MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Falls, 2-1, Against LA Galaxy in Final Regular Season Game

Published on October 18, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


CARSON, Calif. -- Minnesota United concluded its 2025 MLS regular season, suffering a 2-1 defeat on the road to LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on Decision Day. The No. 4 Loons now turn their attention to the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One, Best-of-3 Series, where they will host No. 5 Seattle Sounders FC in Game 1 at Allianz Field at a date and time to be announced in the coming days.

12' (0-1) - LA Galaxy scored first after moving their possession into the right side of MNUFC's penalty area. Midfielder Elijah Wynder sent a cross towards the center of the box, and though it was partially deflected, forward Matheus Nascimento quickly took a shot at close range that was out of reach of Loons' goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

29' - Joseph Paintsil made a run in behind the Loons' back line and into the 18-yard-box, but his shot attempt was blocked, resulting in a Galaxy corner kick.

32' - Minnesota created their first dangerous scoring chance of the evening when defender Jefferson Diaz drove up the flank and towards the net before he sent a through-ball pass deep into LA's penalty area. That pass connected perfectly with midfielder Nectarios Triantis, who in turn drove closer to the net and fired off a shot that missed wide left of the post.

34' - Galaxy's Gabriel Pec took a shot from long distance atop the MNUFC 18-yard box that was saved by St. Clair.

39' - Just minutes later, MNUFC midfielder Robin Lod found space inside the Galaxy 18-yard box, where he wove around a group of defenders to take a chance at goal. His shot was saved, and a rebound attempt was thwarted by LA goalkeeper Novak Micovic.

41' - Loons defender Morris Duggan was substituted out of the match due to an apparent injury, being replaced by center back Michael Boxall.

45' - In a quick series, the Southern California side saw two very close-range shots be saved and stopped by Minnesota United. First, Nascimento's strike from the left came after he broke past the Loons' defense. St. Clair made the diving save, but the rebound fell in Diego Fagúndez's possession on the other side of the box. His shot towards the opposite post was blocked on the goal line by defender Anthony Markanich.

45'+4' - Minnesota United saw a late-half chance fall short after a corner kick service landed inside the Galaxy six-yard box, where defender Jefferson Diaz's header missed just wide of the post.

52' (0-2) - Paintsil doubled Galaxy's lead after making a solo run towards goal from the center of the pitch. His run beat out the MNUFC back line, where he finished his shot into the far-side netting.

69' - Joaquín Pereyra forced Micovic to make a save and gave MNUFC a second-half scoring opportunity from close range when he dribbled the ball close to the end line, firing off a shot to the near post, but Micovic was there to punch the ball away.

76' - Lod took the ball into the LA penalty area in hopes to create a dangerous chance and a shot at goal, but Galaxy defender John Nelson's successful tackle prevented the opportunity from happening.

83' - Minnesota had yet another shot on target saved. Boxall's long throw-in landed inside the box, where eventually Pereyra gained possession and had space to take a strike near the top of the 18, but the shot was stopped by Micovic.

90'+5' (1-2) - MNUFC scored off a Joaquín Pereyra corner kick to cut the deficit to one goal. Pereyra's set piece curled close to the near post, bounced and then hit off of Micovic and rolled into the net.

90'+7' - Galaxy's Edwin Cerrillo was shown a second yellow-card caution for a challenge on Loons' midfielder Hassani Dotson, and therefore was ejected from the match, leaving LA to finish with 10 men in the final moments of the game.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 LA - Matheus Nascimento - 12'

0-2 LA - Joseph Paintsil - 52'

1-2 MIN - Joaquín Pereyra - 90'+5'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

MIN - Nectarios Triantis (caution) - 61'

LA - Edwin Cerrillo (caution) - 67'

MIN - Nicolás Romero (caution) - 79'

LA - Edwin Cerrillo (ejection) 90'+7'

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Robin Lod

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Anthony Markanich, Nicolás Romero, Morris Duggan (Michael Boxall 41'), Jefferson Diaz (Kelvin Yeboah 78'), Bongokuhle Hlongwane; M Joseph Rosales, Wil Trapp © (Owen Gene 65'), Nectarios Triantis (Hassani Dotson 65'), Joaquín Pereyra; F, Robin Lod (Dominik Fitz 77')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D DJ Taylor; M Julian Gressel; F Mamadou Dieng

LA Galaxy XI: GK Novak Micovic; D John Nelson, Emiro Garces, Maya Yoshida ©, Mauricio Cuevas (Eriq Zavaleta 81') M Diego Fagúndez, Edwin Cerrillo, Elijah Wynder (Miguel Berry 82'); F Joseph Paintsil (Tucker Lepley 89'), Matheus Nascimento (Miki Yamane 74'), Gabriel Pec

Substitutes Not Used: GK JT Marcinkowski; D Zanka; F Christian Ramírez

UP NEXT:

NO. 4 MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. NO. 5 SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

Date TBD | Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs | Round One, Best-of-3 Series, Game 1

Time TBD

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On what lacked in the game tonight...

"I think there was a distinct difference between the first 60 minutes and the last 30 minutes, and not necessarily to do with changes from a tactical perspective or personnel, but just certainly some of the characteristics that we showed as a team that meant that in the last half an hour we were the dominant team, we had a really good number of chances and a lot of territory. The root of that was some real calmness and precision around the box that we really lacked in the first half. The first half felt like we were very rushed, desperate to score off every attack that we had. And, we took chances that were less than half chances, and that meant that we ended up surrendering the ball really easily around the top of the box, as opposed to building some momentum when we weren't able to attack quickly. So, there were definitely two distinct sides of that. I felt we took more risks than we would do typically when it comes to how high up we try and win the ball, the extent to which we went to press man-for-man. Sometimes it worked well for us, sometimes we were able to turn the ball over in very good areas and prevent them [LA Galaxy] from progressing. But, there were a number of occasions where we were repeatedly late, we lacked the physicality to cover the distances that we really needed to at that point and we lost a lot of duels, which was really disappointing because that's not a characteristic of this team. That's partly to do with the distances that we were covering and the lateness in terms of how we pressed and the triggers that we chose to go after, and then mentality. So, that unfortunately is something that we're carrying into next week that we haven't typically carried into many games. What we have to do now is make sure that that really counts for something tonight. There's a sour taste left in our mouth that will ultimately put us in a better place for the playoffs, which is the most important thing. I think there's some good that goes with that bad in a lot of senses, and I've said that to the players. I think a very comfortable performance against a team that was already on the beach wouldn't have suited us tonight. I'm really glad that we played a team that is far better than their position suggests. As you guys well know, if you look at their form in the second half of the season, they're [LA Galaxy] a team that is sixth, seventh, eighth and certainly on their day at home with the wingers and a couple of other players that they've got, they're a really tough team to play against. In a lot of ways, I'm thankful for that, and that was the level of game that we needed to prepare for next week."

On if the team feels like it's going in the wrong direction...

"No. I mean, you guys know the circumstances that we're working with at the moment. We look very different as a team from the perspective of what we have available at the top of the pitch, and you'd be hard pushed to find a team that would deal with losing its two number nines at a crucial point of the season and comfortably waltz through the rest of the season. We're a team, unfortunately at this point in the season, that is in transition to an extent, and we've got to make sure that we find some solutions to the problems that we've got. I thought we did really well against Kansas [Sporting Kansas City] last week and tonight we had more difficulties. But, I think that's to be expected, and, in spite of that, I thought we made a really good go of the game in the second half today. I was really pleased with the response, and that certainly gives us a feeling of momentum moving into next week. There's for sure elements of the game that we really need to push, work on, find solutions to without the profile of a player at the top of the pitch that we've had for the large majority of the season. But, we are a group of people that are able to do that and really relish the challenge in that sense. So, the next week will be a really constructive one, and we'll continue to try and find a way of putting ourselves in the best position to be really competitive."

On facing the Seattle Sounders in the Best-of-3 Series...

"Without, obviously having seen any of their games tonight, they're [Seattle Sounders FC] a team that is in mixed form. They have players of real quality returning at the right time, which I think is a really crucial thing for them. But we've had two very good games against them this year. We have beaten them twice. But in both of those games, the games have been very even and they are a really good team. They're a team that wins consistently for a reason. They got players that come into form at the right points. They're a team that can handle bad. They're a team that can handle poor periods of form and bounce back well. If you look across their squad, they've got real depth and real quality and that will for sure be a tough matchup. But we take a lot of confidence into that game based upon what we have done over the course of 34 games and the two games against them."

On the importance of getting Kelvin Yeboah back in shape following injury...

"Of course, I would love Kelvin [Yeboah] to be in great shape and to be coming into this on the back of a flurry of goals and real rhythm. But unfortunately that is not the case, and it coincided with us losing Tani [Oluwaseyi], and obviously gives the team a very different look. The nature of Kelvin's injury and the nature of his profile as a player and explosive forward means that it's not an injury that you can really force the recovery from. It takes what it takes. You have to build gradually, and you have to make sure that they take the appropriate steps to playing a certain number of minutes because it can be really counterproductive to not follow that protocol. He obviously took his first steps tonight. He had a couple of good moments, a couple of moments where you got a real sense that he is lacking that match sharpness. Again, it is just something that we have to overcome at this stage of the season. We've had a really good record this year from an injury perspective, and unfortunately, we picked up a couple at just the wrong time of the year, but that's not something at this point in the season to feel sorry for yourselves over. It's all at this point about solutions, being constructive, being positive and making sure that we as a group of staff place the players in the best position possible for the games and the players have a really good go."

On the defensive issues with the four-man backline...

"We have that luxury, given what we've done over the course of the first 30 games to be in a position for the last four where we pretty much know our fate in terms of having controlled home advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which was something that at the beginning of the season, for sure, we would have snapped someone's hand off for. So we were really pleased with having gotten to that position, and I think with some of the struggles that we've had personnel-wise, the last two games have given us a real chance to look at something different, and I think largely that's been positive. I think it's been refreshing from a coaching perspective. It's been good to give, and I'm sure from the players' perspective, receive some different messages, and I'm hoping that the versatility that we've shown signs of building over the course of the last couple of games will stand us in good stead over the course of the playoffs. I think a team where we are in the food chain, in the pecking order, has to show adaptability and flexibility and be able to solve problems when you don't have the depth that some of the top teams do, so the way in which we've operated over the course of the last two games feeds that and it's asked some questions of players that probably haven't been asked over the course of the season. The two games will have and will give us some serious food for thought when it comes to how we look in that opening playoff game. So, I've enjoyed the last two games, and I enjoyed tonight. I enjoyed the players' reaction, I enjoyed the fact that we were able to overcome some difficult circumstances and finish really well, and I'll enjoy watching that game back and making sure that we take the best of it."

On Morris Duggan's injury...

"I'm not so sure. I mean, it's not one of those that without a scan, without getting our eyes on some images, we're going to be able to deal with any certainty. So we'll reserve judgment on that one and hope for the best. [Morris Duggan is a] really important player for us. Someone that has come on leaps and bounds over the course of this year, shown incredible progression and a real ability to carry out some difficult roles and difficult moments for us. So I'm very hopeful for the best, and for sure, if that isn't the case, it'll be a big loss for us."

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 18, 2025


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