Minnesota United Falls 2-1 at Home against FC Cincinnati

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Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Falls 2-1 at Home against FC Cincinnati

September 19, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota United were unable to secure three points at home during a mid-week matchup against FC Cincinnati, falling 2-1. MNUFC conceded two goals in the first half, but couldn't find the equalizer after Kelvin Yeboah scored the lone goal for the home team in the second half. Next, Minnesota travels to face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, September 21.

17' - Minnesota United found their first close chance on goal following a give-and-go sequence between Joaquín Pereyra and Carlos Harvey on the left side of the pitch, allowing Pereyra to cross the ball inside the 18-yard box to Kelvin Yeboah. Yeboah took a one-touch shot to goal, splitting FC Cincinnati defense, but the shot hit the left crossbar.

21' - MNUFC created a goal scoring opportunity off a counterattack from a Cincinnati corner kick where midfielder DeAndre Yedlin lost possession. Minnesota won the ball and quickly passed it off to Pereyra, who took space up the pitch, finding himself one-versus-one with Cincinnati's goalkeeper, Roman Celentano. Pereyra fired off a shot just outside the 18-yard box but did not challenge Celentano when he saved the shot.

29' - Dayne St. Clair made a crucial save after Cincinnati forward Yuya Kubo, on the attack, split two MNUFC players in the Loons' defensive third, allowing Kubo to get a shot off on the 18-yard line. But, the Canadian international made a diving save, hitting the ball out and keeping the score 0-0.

34' - FC Cincinnati took the lead after defender Chidozie Awaziem sent a through ball up the field, finding forward Yuya Kubo while he made an inside run past MNUFC defender Miguel Tapias. Kubo received the pass and quickly took a shot that went around St. Clair.

35' - Yet again, St. Clair kept Cincinnati from scoring after Luciano Acosta took an un-attested shot from the 18-yard line that the Canadian native was able to save.

46' - Cincinnati doubled their lead just before the half-time whistle. Defender Ian Murphy put an overhead cross up field where Kubo flicked it back towards midfielder Luca Orellano as he made a run at goal. After a quick touch past Tapias, Orellano created an open pocket of space where he took a shot that went into the bottom right corner of the goal.

54' - Minnesota scored their first goal of the night after a VAR review check was done, granting MNUFC a penalty kick after declaring Sang Bin Jeong had been fouled inside the 18-yard box. Kelvin Yeboah stepped up taking the penalty and was able to convert the shot into a goal.

83' - MNUFC nearly found the equalizer after a cross from a set piece from the left side found Jefferson Diaz on the opposite side for a header towards goal, but he wasn't able to get it on frame, going over the top of the crossbar.

88' - Subbed in late into the game, MNUFC forward Teemu Pukki almost equalized the match. After a couple of quick passes that shifted the MNUFC forward into the final third, midfielder Hassani Dotson placed the ball into Pukki's path, where he took a curling shot that dipped, bouncing off the top left corner of the crossbar.

90' + 5' - Late into stoppage time, Diaz found a close-range shot after Michael Boxall flicked it back to him for a shot from the center of the box that was deflected out, giving Minnesota a corner kick.

90 + 6' - On a breakout attack, Cincinnati midfielder Yamil Asad and forward Sergio Santos played a one-two play where Santos found himself one-on-one with St. Clair, who came outside of the 18-yard-box. Santos dribbled past St. Clair for a shot on goal, but Rosales intercepted the ball and cleared it out of the dangerous area.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 CIN - Yuya Kubo (Chidozie Awaziem) - 34'

0-2 CIN - Luca Orellano (Yuya Kubo) - 45' + 1'

1-2 MIN - Kelvin Yeboah (penalty kick) - 54'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

MIN - Joaquín Pereyra (caution) - 15'

CIN - DeAndre Yedlin (caution) - 16'

CIN - Ian Murphy (caution) - 68'

CIN - Pavel Bucha (caution) - 73'

NOTABLE STATS

1- Joaquín Pereyra made his home debut at Allianz Field on Wednesday night against FC Cincinnati.

100 - Dayne St. Clair made his 100th MLS career start and game appearance during the MLS regular season since joining the Loons in 2019.

100 - Bongokuhle Hlongwane played his 100th game across all competitions.

3 - Per Elias Sports Bureau, Kelvin Yeboah is the third Minnesota player to score on three or more straight penalty kick attempts, joining Emanuel Reynoso (3) and Darwin Quintero (5).

ATTENDANCE: 19,649

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Kelvin Yeboah

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Joseph Rosales, Miguel Tapias, Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz; M Joaquín Pereyra, Carlos Harvey, Hassani Dotson, Bongokuhle Hlongwane; F Robin Lod, Kelvin Yeboah

Bench: GK Alec Smir; D Devin Padelford, Anthony Markanich; M Franco Fragapane, Wil Trapp, Tani Oluwaseyi; F Samuel Shashoua, Sang Bin Jeong, Teemu Pukki

FC Cincinnati XI: GK Roman Celentano; D Chidozie Awaziem, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy; M Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta ©, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, DeAndre Yedlin, F Yuya Kubo, Kevin Kelsy

Bench: GK Evan Louro; D Alvas Powell, Kipp Keller, Teenage Hadebe; M Corey Baird, Malik Pinto, Yamil Asad; F Sergio Santos, Gerardo Valenzuela

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ SPORTING KANSAS CITY

Children's Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas

09.21.2024 | MLS 2024 Regular Season | Matchday 34

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

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On defensive issues in the first half...

"We're really disappointed with the manner in which we given ourselves a huge mindset to climb. It's an odd thing to say, apart from the two chances, we restricted a team that is very creative and very good in front of goal that needs very little space to really open you up to very little. And that's why the manner in which we can see those goals is so frustrating because we've got ourselves into a position and we set up in such a way that those are the types of goals that we certainly shouldn't have conceded. We showed some naivety, particularly on the second goal, to open up at a point at which we really didn't need to. Had we gone into halftime in relatively good shape and having had a number of really good chances ourselves, then the second half becomes easier. If you take the game as a whole, the performance was largely very good. We've gone toe-to-toe and some with some with for sure one of the top three, top two sides across the two divisions. That, largely for me, is really positive and the message I've given players is that has to be taken a positive, we have to use that as a step forward, as a bounce, as continuation of the momentum that we've built so far and certainly not something that in any way dents what we're trying to do because you feel tonight that we're taking one of our early chances and being slightly tighter at the back away from a really big result and it's frustrating that it's not come, but largely I'll wake up tomorrow morning feeling positive, feeling like we've got something very solid to move into Saturday's game with."

On if he feels losing the match is a missed opportunity...

"It was a real chance for us to make a big statement in terms of the result. We certainly left nothing out there as the game went on, we really pushed, and we really had the better of the game in the second half and really used the momentum of the crowd. You can't help but look back at some of the chances we had early on and feel frustrated. I don't think you're going to get loads and loads and loads of chances against a side like that. They [FC Cincinnati] are very good defensively. They're a very complete team, I would say, and that's reflective in what they've done as a club and what they've done this season, and what they do when they play away from home. The fact that we got the number of relatively clean-cut chances that we got in the first half was almost as good as we would have got. I certainly would have hoped for more prior to the game or believed that we could have created much more. So in that sense, yeah, opportunity missed and one that we'll wake up frustrated on but also I know that's a big step forward and I know that's a much closer version to the version that we really want to be particularly at home."

On if he wishes he saw something different from Joaquín Pereyra on his breakaway chance...

"I can't imagine he [Joaquín Pereyra] is going to look back at that and feel any other way about it. I suppose in the heat of a moment like that with him having broken forward with such pace it takes a real cool head and real composure at that point to recognize you have a runner off your shoulder and slide him in for what would have been a tap-in. But I can't level that against Joaquín there. Those are really difficult moments and I would say another step forward, there were some really good moments and it certainly wasn't performance related that he ended up coming off at halftime. We wanted to make sure there was some real energy, something that the group could cling to a really substantial change with three players off and three players on and it was far more to do with that than anything I would level at him around the first half."

On why he changed the tactical formation at halftime...

"We wanted to get Tani [Oluwaseyi] alongside Kelvin [Yeboah] and we wanted to get him into a position where he really thrives playing on the last line and being a real threat alongside Kelvin as another reference point for us and to have Rob [Robin Lod] playing underneath. But obviously [FC] Cincinnati causes you some real problems on the ball with how they build with that very wide back three so it's almost impossible to not defend with a front three of some form. So Tani ends up defending from the right hand side and playing much more centrally when we get the ball and largely it worked. I don't think they had a great deal - minus the moments where we really opened up toward the end. It gave us a different look on top of the pitch and one that I felt certainly got us the number of chances we needed to get level."

On how he looks at the depth defensively...

"We've of course mostly strengthened at the top of the pitch, in midfield, and haven't added beyond Jefferson [Diaz] real cover in the middle of the back line, where we typically defend with three. With Jefferson, Boxy [Michael Boxall] and Micky [Miguel Tapias], I do genuinely feel like on their day when they're at it, the three of them, they can be a really solid base for us, a really solid platform. But of course, we can't look back at those two goals that we conceded and not be disappointed, of course the three of them will be disappointed. At the moment, there are guys that are very willing, very aggressive, very capable and we've got to make sure they get into top teams. We're almost perfect defensively as I've said, that has not been the case tonight, the back line, the goalkeeper will all take a good long look at that. But that for sure, across that back line is more than enough for us to do what we want to do, good players, really aggressive, as I say, a really big part of the team."

On the decision to make substitutions at the end of the game...

"In some cases that will be par for the course between now and the end of the season. I have made it quite clear across the group that we have a genuine sense of starters and finishers and as that game goes on you feel like someone like [Franco] Fragapane has got a real eye for unlocking the back line. Teemu [Pukki] had a couple of good chances and did relatively well with both and has obviously got a real eye for goal. In those two cases, they are going to be really important players for us when we are chasing a game. I don't look back and regret those three in any way because they have really contributed to the momentum and we had some good chances as a consequence of their involvement. Those two [Fragapane & Pukki] are a couple of guys that are good examples of a couple of players that in a particular situation such as that can make a real mark for us."

On Kelvin Yeboah's penalty...

"You have a real sense of confidence when he is in those situations. It was a real good matchup for him [Kelvin Yeboah] today. He got very little change out of their backline. But, when a moment presented itself he was calm, composed and ruthless and that's what we are going to need from him and an all-around performance, willingness, energy, aggression, defensive discipline. It was another really good step for him."

MIDFIELDER WIL TRAPP

On his thoughts on the match...

"When you dig yourself in holes it's tough, especially against good opponents like them [FC Cincinnati]. I thought we were a little bit braver in the second half, pressed a little bit more and created more turnovers for them, and ultimately some chances. It was good for us to score early in the second half and then be able to try and put more and more pressure, and you saw by the end of the game, there was a lot going on. They obviously had a couple clear ones on the counter attacks. But for the most part, we did a good job of trying to put the pressure and trying to score."

On if he can take a lot of positives from the game...

"Yeah. Eric [Ramsay] talked about it after the game. He said it's very clear the elements that were good in this performance are what are going to take us forward. The intensity, the pressure, the bravery, and consistency of trying to win the game and pushing forward. Like I said, if you start the games that way and play the 90 minutes with subs coming off the bench, we have a great chance of winning the next five games."

On the defensive issues in the first half...

"They [FC Cincinnati] are a good team. They risk. They look to play balls beyond our lines, and when we're not tracking runners or communicating very clearly with how their movements are, they can exploit you. Certainly the first goal was that way. The second one, similarly, it plays where if we're late, they exploit gaps and they can finish. They have quality. There's a reason why they're one of the best teams in the league. I thought we were just a little late on communicating and a little bit late on executing those plays."

On the changes tactically at half time...

"A little bit of freshness. Sang Bin [Jeong] for Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] is not a huge change, like-for-like. Carlos [Harvey] and I, similarly. It's also three games in a week, which is busy, so it's really just getting fresh legs to keep the energy high. Ultimately, you bring Tani [Oluwaseyi] on and that's more of a forward-thinking approach in the sense of two strikers. You could see it very clearly, we were going to try and push to try to tie the game."

On the message at half time when three substitutes were planned to be made...

"No, I don't think anyone was shocked by it because if you think about what we're trying to do, if you're changing shape, if you're adding different pieces, it's good to do that at half time, where you can talk the most about it. Again, I don't think anything was performance based. It was more just, here's freshness, rotation, and let's give it 45 minutes of all you can do."

MIDFIELDER HASSANI DOTSON

On the defensive issues in the first half...

"We did a good job of stalling them [FC Cincinnati] a little bit, but we didn't quite get building the press as well as we wanted to. That was the difference in the second half and obviously, as the game goes on, they'll get a little bit more complacent."

On Wil Trapp and him directing traffic from within the midfield...

"It's just a communication piece. We are trying to lead the guys in front of us and keep pushing the tempo, keep pushing the belief in the team. I think that goes all the way from Dayne [St. Clair] all the way to the front guys. I thought the mentality was good to keep pushing to stay in the game."

On what he felt was instrumental in the second half, aside from the penalty kick...

"Even though the first half wasn't quite what we wanted, we still had a couple good opportunities. I think just the energy in the locker room was pretty positive and we knew that we needed to keep pushing the envelope and keep bringing the energy in order to get a result."

On if it feels like there was an opportunity given Cincinnati's quality...

"Yes, they [FC Cincinnati] are one of the best teams in the league and they have been for a little bit now. It was a pretty close game, and obviously we feel not great not picking up any points, so we can take the positives and use that for the game on the weekend."

On the biggest differences between the two halves on what the team was trying to do...

"As the game starts, both teams are trying to feel each other out, and the goals that they [FC Cincinnati] scored are just a couple of little mistakes [on our end]. And like I said, we had to push the envelope, and in that type of game, it is our responsibility being the losing side. I think once we started doing that, we put them under pressure a little bit and they started sitting back deeper and deeper."

On what the message was when within the team on the field during the first half...

"I think that's the thing that has been pushed by the coaching staff is to make sure you are using your communication, be vocal, and hold everyone to a certain standard. We had a great atmosphere, so we also have to be yelling a little bit to get the message across."

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