Minnesota United Falls in Extra Time to Austin FC in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal
MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Falls in Extra Time to Austin FC in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal

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


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota United fell in heartbreaking fashion in extra time, dropping a 2-1 decision to Austin FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal at Allianz Field. Despite a brilliant free-kick equalizer from Joaquín Pereyra and several key saves from Dayne St. Clair, the Loons were undone by a late rebound finish from CJ Fodrey in the 120th minute. Minnesota now turns its focus back to league play, returning home to Allianz Field to host Chicago Fire FC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT.

5' - Minnesota United created their first dangerous scoring opportunity just a few minutes into the match. The play began with Anthony Markanich, who sent the ball into the middle of the penalty area. Robin Lod gained possession and took a few touches in an attempt to control the ball, before Kelvin Yeboah struck a volley that went just wide of the right post.

12' - The Loons continued to threaten when Yeboah played a through ball to Lod on the right flank. Lod completed his run, took a few touches, and fired a shot, but Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver made a crucial save with his chest to keep the game scoreless.

15' - New Zealand international Michael Boxall took a throw-in on the right flank, deep in the attacking third. The rebound fell to Wil Trapp, who played a quick give-and-go with Boxall before finding Lod near the top of the 18-yard box. Lod took a few touches before unleashing a shot that went narrowly wide of the right post.

20' - Austin had their first opportunity through Myrto Uzuni. The play began when Brendan Hines-Ike won possession in the middle third and sent a long through ball to Owen Wolff on the left flank. Wolff delivered a lofted cross toward the penalty spot, where Uzuni made contact, but his effort flew over the crossbar.

45' + 4' (0-1) - The Verde & Black opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time after Wolff played a long ball from the defensive third onto the attacking third for Osman Bukari. Bukari took a couple of touches as he ran into the 18-yard box before striking a right-footed shot to find the back of the net.

53' - Minnesota created their first scoring opportunity of the second half when Robin Lod, stationed at the top of the 18-yard box, played Anthony Markanich down the left flank. Markanich attempted to connect with Bongokuhle Hlongwane, but Brad Stuver intercepted the pass with his foot. The rebound fell to Joaquín Pereyra, who quickly found Markanich again on the left. This time, Markanich fired a left-footed shot, but it went straight into Stuver's arms.

56' - The Texas side continued to threaten when Zan Kolmanič switched play to Osman Bukari on the right. Bukari struck the ball on the volley, but it bounced up and over the crossbar.

64' - Defender Díaz delivered a curling long ball toward Bongokuhle Hlongwane, positioned near the six-yard box. Hlongwane attempted to push the ball over the line, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.

67' (1-1) - After being fouled, Joaquín Pereyra stepped up to take a free kick just outside the penalty area. He struck the ball cleanly, curling it into the lower left corner of the net to equalize the match.

80' - Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair came up with a crucial save after Wolff played a long ball into the penalty area for Bukari. Bukari took a few touches before firing a shot, but St. Clair stretched out a hand to redirect the effort over the crossbar and concede a corner kick to Austin.

117' - The Loons created their first dangerous opportunity in extra time when Dominik Fitz played a long through ball for Hlongwane. Hlongwane carried the ball into the penalty area and fired a shot as he entered the six-yard box, but Stuver made a crucial save with his legs, sending the ball out for a corner.

120' (1-2) - In the final minute of the match, CJ Fodrey scored the winning goal to send Austin FC to the final. Uzuni rose for a header near the penalty spot, forcing St. Clair to make a diving save on the line. However, the rebound fell to Fodrey, who tucked it over the line.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 ATX - Osman Bukari (Owen Wolff) - 45' + 4'

1-1 MIN - Joaquín Pereyra - 68'

1-2 ATX - CJ Fodrey - 120'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

ATX - Osman Bukari (caution) - 24'

MIN - Jefferson Diaz (caution) - 34'

ATX - Dani Pereira (caution) - 45' + 2'

ATX - Brendan Hines-Ike (caution) - 60'

ATX - Nico Estévez (caution) - 71'

MIN - Joaquín Pereyra (caution) - 114'

ATX - CJ Fodrey (caution) - 120' + 1'

NOTABLE STATS

1 - Midfielder Nectarios Triantis made his first-ever start for Minnesota United, notably in front of home fans at Allianz Field.

ATTENDANCE: 14,621

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Joaquín Pereyra

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Anthony Markanich (Dominik Fitz 60'), Nicolás Romero (Morris Duggan 84'), Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz (Darius Randell 91'), Bongokuhle Hlongwane; M Joaquín Pereyra, Wil Trapp (Owen Gene 84'), Nectarios Triantis (Julian Gressel 60'), Robin Lod; F Kelvin Yeboah (Joseph Rosales 28')

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir

Austin FC XI: GK Brad Stuver; D Žan Kolmanič (Guilherme Biro 83'), Brendan Hines-Ike, Julio Cascante, Mateja Djordjevic (Oleksandr Svatok 104'), Mikkel Desler (Jon Gallagher 64'); M Owen Wolff (CJ Fodrey 104'), Daniel Pereira, Ilie Sanchez © (Besard Sabovic 83'), Osman Bukari (Diego Rubio 96'); F Myrto Uzuni

Substitutes Not Used: GK Stefan Cleveland

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. CHICAGO FIRE FC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

09.20.2025 | MLS 2025 Regular Season | Match 31

7.30 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On his reaction to the ending of the game...

"It's difficult and I'm not going to lean into my frustration too much because you can imagine how it feels inside the dressing room. You can imagine how the staff feels. So I can talk about it as objectively as possible, but I think it's ultimately the worst way we could have possibly lost the game. I think the nature of losing the game in that way, the nature of some of the stuff that goes with it is obviously very, very difficult to swallow. But, as is always the case, as I think I'm as a person, the staff are as people, we will live to fight another day. We'll make sure come Friday when we have to pick up the group and go again, we'll be positive. But, I think that will go down as one of the tougher ways to lose a game, I suppose."

On what he meant by saying "the stuff that goes with it" as mentioned in the opening question...

"Well, obviously Kelvin's [Yeboah] injury early on in the game, the fact that the game goes 120 minutes, the fact that we obviously concede two goals that are almost entirely avoidable and almost entirely of our own doing, which is hugely frustrating and I think you weigh that up against 120 minutes of really hard work, getting ourselves back in a game, the game being very even as it wasn't the classic. I don't think either team will write home about their performance. But we were in the game, and sometimes cup games are like that, and then I think there's possibly an element of us looking at the clock and it being 120 [minutes] and just switching off in a really unforgivable way. So it's really frustrating and we've only got ourselves to look at in that sense."

On if he looked at Joseph Rosales or Owen Gene on the last conceded goal...

" I think the thing you look at, you look at Jo [Joseph Rosales] first. I'm not someone who pins an entire result on one individual of course, but because it boils down to more than that, and we've had chances to win the game. I'm sure if I look back at passages of play leading up to that goal, there'll be various bits that we could correct in hindsight, but ultimately, at that stage of the game, we have to deal with that run off Jo's shoulder better. It's something that is very basic to the way that we defend, it's something we talk about a lot, and at that stage of the game, it's a case of one player running more than another player, and obviously, at that stage of the game, that can't happen. That is a case of us really letting ourselves down as a collective after what an effort it is to get to that point in the game. So that will really hurt Jo. It will hurt the group. It'll hurt us as staff, but we've got to get on with it."

If Kelvin Yeboah's injury affected the team's strategy and tactics...

"Yeah, obviously, we're light in that position in general after Tani [Oluwaseyi] left. We're light in particular for this competition given that the [Mamadou] Dieng is Cup-tied, so it throws a spanner in the works and we had a couple of goes at sort of making it being really pragmatic with how we put players in that position, and when you put Rob [Robin Lod] there, you're going to get a certain type of connection with the players beneath him. Rob is much more of a linker. He's not going to give you the threat on the last line, and we opted for Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] from 60 minutes onwards, and obviously Bongi's had a couple of really good chances. So I think it's sort of not for want of trying, it's not for want of that working to an extent, but it ties your hands, and I think that's not a position at this point that we can afford to be much lighter than we are. But again, that sort of points to the fact that we've encountered circumstances like this previously. We will find a way of making it work, and there's definitely enough versatility in that group to cover that for sure. So, I'm sure when we look at it come Friday, we'll find the positives in it."

On the officiating decisions throughout the match...

"Again, I'm not one to stand up here and often talk about refereeing, but I feel like, particularly with the Bukari [Osman Bukari] one, the rationale for him not being sent off is he's not kicked him [Anthony Markanich] hard enough, and as far as I'm concerned, that action nine times out of ten results in his sending off and I think it was as clear as could possibly be. I feel like that's one that we will re-question, we'll, I'm sure lose some sleep over that one tonight, and then obviously the other points you alluded to are, of course, frustrating when you add it to the context in which we lost the game, but ultimately we're in the game, penalties are there, and it's our own doing and it's not one that I'm going to pin on the referee."

On the immediate reaction being to learn something from a game like this or to bury it and move on...

"I think this is a combination of both in that I think you've got to have a pretty short memory at this stage of the season where you make an argument on Saturday, we're playing for another trophy in the sense that we're still right in the hunt for the Supporters' Shield, but slip ups at this point in the season are going to be really costly. So, I think Saturday is another defining game. We're playing a lot of defining games at the moment. But I said to the players at the end, it can't go untouched. I can't come in and gloss over the fact that we've lost the game on the basis of a mistake or two mistakes that are entirely avoidable, entirely of our own doing, but they've got to then mean something when we go forward. So I think if there is a silver lining, if it's something that we can grab onto, it's that, that we've got to take that pain, we've got to take that real difficulty that comes with losing in that way, and we've got to learn from it, and I said that if we see this again, we might as well give up because we've conceded goals in a way in which as I say, you use the word unforgivable. They're unforgivable because it's controllable. There's so much about these games that you can't control. There's so much over the course of 120 minutes that you can't control. But in those two moments, there's a lot that we can, so I think we have to go forward, and we have to take that as a lesson, and we also have to take the pain that comes with losing a game in that way, and make sure that it means something on Saturday, and as we move forward."

On addressing the team after the game...

"I said something very similar to what I've said up here. There's no magic set of words that I can say that makes that situation disappear. I think everyone's got to suck up a bit of pain and hurt there. I think when you lose in a way that smacks you in the face at the end and is so obvious, it's very difficult to gloss over or put any spin on the situation. We have to take a hard look at ourselves. We have to make sure we learn, we have to make sure the individuals involved really learn, and we have to make sure that we move forward. I think that's the fine line you're treading at this point. Yeah, it really has to hurt, and we have to know why it hurts, and we have to know why we lost the game, but also we have another massive game in two days' time, and we've got a lot to play for between now and the end of the year. We've had a phenomenal season up until this point, and we've lost another 120 minutes against a decent team. So, there is no disgrace in general, but the manner of losing the game in that way is obviously hard to swerve."

On Kelvin Yeboah's injury possibly being a hamstring...

"It looks that way, I'm not sure of the severity of it. It wasn't obviously so serious that he immediately had to remove himself from the pitch - he felt like he could give it another go. So, by the time we get the imaging tomorrow we will have a good idea."

DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On the emotions after this match...

"Just huge, huge disappointment. First of all, I just want to thank our massive support that showed up tonight. They were huge. I think even pushing us on later on when, obviously, fatigue was kind of getting to us. But I think just to lose and the kind of lack of concentration in the dying minutes in extra time, but also in the first half as well. So much of that was in our control. And to just have it come down to two lapses of concentration in the dying moments, it just hurts a lot."

On if there is a silver lining that it's correctable or is that more frustrating...

"Every mistake is correctable, but to be coming down to, what, have we played almost 30-40 games this year, where what we do is pretty black and white on the defensive side of the ball. So we need to find ways to see those games out, see the half out, especially in games like this. Been here far too long, seven, eight years, and we've been in that position what, three times? Doesn't come around too often, so it sucks."

On Osman Bukari deserving the red card...

"I haven't seen it at all, but if it's that far off the ball and he's kicked him [Anthony Markanich] then - right in front of the linesman... But I haven't seen it at all, so I can't really comment."

On the mood in the locker room...

"Thirty guys about as down as I am now. I think we [in the] first created chances where we can go up, and then it puts us in a good position. But to lose it at the death is...that's tough."

On playing an MLS game two days from now...

"I don't know, we're going to have to find a way. I think typically, on the back of tough results, we find ways to get wins, so obviously the league is our only focus. By the time our heads hit the pillow tonight, we need to find a way to move on and recover and get ready for Saturday. We've got to keep pace with the teams at the top and take our business on our end, and you never know what happens."

On how this match compares to the 2019 Open Cup Final and 2020 Western Conference Final...

"Well, I feel like the other two we were a little bit closer to [winning a trophy]. It's because it's fresh, and I think to host the final at Allianz [Field] would have been pretty damn special."

On how he recovers from this match mentally...

"I don't know. I've had a bunch of setbacks professionally in my life. You just start by showing up tomorrow with the right attitude, and it's doing the little things to get everyone [to be] positive and move forward and refocus because we're out of the [Lamar Hunt U.S.] Open Cup, but that is not the only silverware that we are in the running for at the moment. So we will find a way."

On the moves Head Coach Eric Ramsay made after Kelvin Yeboah's injury...

"Obviously in the [Lamar Hunt U.S.] Open Cup, the roster is a little bit smaller for the game day, and then it's kind of just where our squads are at the moment. We do a bit of shuffling, and we've got a lot of versatile guys who can do well in different positions, but not ideal. But, hey, it's just the hand we've been dealt."

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