Minnesota United Falls On The Road Against The La Galaxy

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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Falls On The Road Against The La Galaxy

July 8, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


CARSON, Calif. - Minnesota United fell to the LA Galaxy, 2-1, Sunday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. Minnesota United will travel to face Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, July 13 before returning home for a two-game homestand before Leagues Cup 2024.

15' - Minnesota United had their first close opportunity to goal after the service into the box by Joseph Rosales was cleared out to Sang Bin Jeong. A few yards out from the 18-yard line, Sang Bin put a ball over-the-top and in-behind LA Galaxy's back line where the ball was hit away by LA goalkeeper John McCarthy before Hassani Dotson could get his head on the ball.

25' - LA Galaxy scored the first goal of the match after a long-ball over the top found Miki Yamane on the right flank where he one-touched a driven ball on the ground to teammate Gabriel Pec just outside the six-yard line for a one-touch to goal.

30' - Michael Boxall nearly equalized the score after Rosales served the ball into the box from a set piece. Boxall off the volley tried to find the back of the net but went straight to the hands of McCarthy.

31' - On the counterattack, Bongokuhle Hlongwane took open space up the pitch where he laid it off to Sang Bin in the middle third and made a run to the right flank where he regained possession. Bongi's cross was deflected off a Galaxy defender and out to the Costa Rican international Alejandro Bran for a one-touch to goal. But after VAR review, the goal was called offside and not given to Minnesota United.

35' - The Honduras international Rosales found space in the middle third of the pitch and fired off a wide-open long-range shot to goal that missed just wide of the right post.

55' - Minnesota United found their first scoring opportunity of the second half after a one-two sequence between Sang Bin and Bongi inside the box but the South Korean international wasn't able to get a shot off.

69' - Alec Smir made a crucial save to keep the score 1-0 after Miguel Berry laid it back to Gabriel Pec for a one-touch driven shot to goal but Smir dove and saved the shot.

73' - Minnesota equalized the score 1-1 after Teemu Pukki, who returned to the field after being out to injury, took space up the pitch and fired off a shot just outside the 18-yard box and found the back of the net.

85' - Yet again, Minnesota had another chance to goal after Franco Fragapane took space up the middle of the pitch where he took a shot just outside of the 18-yard box but was deflected out by McCarthy.

90' - LA Galaxy took the lead after Riqui Puig had possession in Minnesota's final third and passed it off to Cuevas, who took a touch over Minnesota's defense allowing him to cross the ball from the right flank where Pec took a one-touch from inside the six-yard box, slipping the ball past Smir.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 LA - Gabriel Pec (Miki Yamane, Riqui Puig) - 25'

1-1 MIN - Teemu Pukki (Hassani Dotson) - 73'

1-2 LA - Gabriel Pec (Mauricio Cuevas, Riqui Puig) - 90'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

LA - John Nelson (caution) - 20'

LA - Riqui Puig (caution) - 22'

MIN - Sang Bin Jeong (caution) - 89'

NOTABLE STATS

3 - Teemu Pukki scored his third goal of the season and first goal since March 10, 2024 against Orlando City SC. Pukki has scored six goals and recorded one assist in four games against the Galaxy.

3 - The Loons have scored in their last three road games.

1 - Hassani Dotson recorded his first assist of the season.

10 - Minnesota United has scored 10 goals via substitutes in MLS this season, more than any other team.

ATTENDANCE: 19, 302

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Teemu Pukki

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Alec Smir; D Devin Padelford, Miguel Tapias, Michael Boxall ©, DJ Taylor; M Joseph Rosales, Hassani Dotson, Alejandro Bran, Bongokuhle Hlongwane; F Robin Lod, Sang Bin Jeong

Bench: GK Francesco Montali; D Zarek Valentin, Morris Duggan; M Carlos Harvey, Moses Nyeman; F Franco Fragapane, Caden Clark, Jordan Adebayo-Smith, Teemu Pukki

LA Galaxy XI: GK John McCarthy; D Miki Yamane, Martín Cáceres, Maya Yoshida ©, John Nelson; M Mark Delgado, Diego Fagúndez, Gabriel Pec, Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil; F Dejan Joveljic

Bench: GK Daniel Aguirre; D Carlos Garces, Eriq Zavaleta, Jalen Neal, Mauricio Cuevas; M Edwin Cerrillo, Tucker Lepley; F Miguel Berry

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ HOUSTON DYNAMO FC

Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas

07.13.2024 | MLS 2024 Regular Season | Matchday 26

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

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

Thoughts on the game...

"I can't pretend it's anything but gutting for the staff and the players because I feel like today from the perspective of performance was relatively good. Were very competitive against a very good team, in moments we did look like we were nearing, where we were, say, a month or so ago but in really important moments of the game they've been able to score with roughly the same number of chances twice, we've only been able to score once from. We've not been nearly clinical enough when we've had the opportunities to defend our box with real conviction and a real ruthlessness. It has come down to exceptionally fine margins and what is tough at the moment, I suppose, for this group of players is that the performance so much in itself, isn't too big a problem. Obviously adding that to a really difficult month and that only adds insult to injury in that sense. It's not an easy one to sum up and I'm sure the players will really be reeling in that."

On if the team has forgotten how to win games...

"In some sense, you feel like we've had opportunities to maybe win that game ourselves tonight without a shadow of a doubt. There is sort of no less opportunities than they've had this evening, but they've been really ruthless and clinical in moments that they've had around our box and we haven't been able to do so. So that's of course a problem. It's a very obvious thing to say, but that is the nature of tonight and largely the situation we find ourselves in over the course of particularly the last three games where we've looked a little bit toothless and maybe we've been relatively good value for a number of points and haven't come away with any unfortunately."

On his coaching moments in the two goals conceded...

"We were really disappointed with the first goal because it comes after half an hour of them not having a shot and Jo [Joseph Rosales] switches off on defending the ball that [Riqui] Puig plays over the top, which is a really disappointing one to concede because it's pretty textbook of them, I suppose. And obviously, the way in which we want to defend it means that we have to be really tuned into those moments and we have to execute at a really high level and we have to defend the spacing behind so that's a really tough one. As the game goes on here tonight, we definitely looked tired. We definitely looked like a team that has obviously been grinding through a very difficult situation in terms of player availability and that tells at the end where suddenly the game becomes stretched. As a consequence, we get a couple of chances, but then the moment that we open up toward the end and they have a chance to attack our box with good numbers, we look really sluggish in defending on the switch of play and unfortunately we leave space in the box where you absolutely can't. So that's a tough one."

On Teemu Pukki returning from injury and players returning from international duty...

"It's exactly that. We have been playing without a number 9 since Tani [Oluwaseyi] has been away and Teemu Pukki has been injured. It does tell sometimes, for all the good stuff that Sang Bin [Jeong] has done when he's been there. That Bongi [Hongwane] has done when he been close to the last line. I don't think you can replace that natural instinct of a goal scorer. A number 9. The way they move, the way they smell chances and that was a big pleasing moment. If there is a silver lining tonight it's that one [Teemu Pukki scoring], because that's what we have been crying out for one over the last month. Difficult situation, but we are nearing the light at the end of the tunnel. We are getting players back from Copa America. More depth equals fewer minutes spread across more players. Less injuries. Less susceptibility to some of the stuff we have been really exposed to in the last month. That is at least a small win tonight."

On the team's 5-4-1 formation...

"It would be really naive to not expect that they [LA Galaxy] are going to have a lot of the ball. You are going to have to defend, you are going to really restrict the spaces that their front players have and you're going to have to make sure that you don't leave players isolated one v one all that often. It's a shame that when we were at our best we were working really well and you saw that from periods tonight. The first half of the game was as we wanted it to be for a half hour or so. Then in the one moment they open us up and we switch off and we are not clinical enough, we don't defend the box well enough. It's one of those nights you are relatively happy with 80 percent of the performance. That is in some senses a decent step when you come here and play against this side. Our problem at the moment is that you are adding that to what has felt like a long month of almost relentless disappointment for the players and the guys involved. That's what makes this tough to swallow. It makes the Portland one as an example very tough to swallow. It makes Vancouver last time out where we were probably decent value at least for a point, if not for a win. It feels like we can't really get a break at the moment. That's tough for me, it's tough for the staff to pick the players up because it's one thing after another."

On how to keep the positivity up during this difficult stretch...

"I only take it one day at a time, one training session at a time and one game at a time and try not to let the big picture loom too large and that's a really important thing. We are in a difficult period, we obviously have to alter what would have been our expectations relative to where we were a month ago. There is no getting around that. It's pointless putting that into the background and forgetting about as a context because it has been very influential. I'm a young coach and this is the first time I've been in this situation. It's a good learning curve for me. It's a really good test of my ability to keep the group positive and try and be constructive and keep rolling out a competitive team every game which is what we've done largely and make sure the results don't influence too much how it feels day to day. Which is what we have achieved relatively successfully. It hasn't felt like a group that is on a run like we are on. They are aware of the context. They are looking forward to the point where we have some reinforcements in. But they are also grinding away day to day to try and put the situation right here and now and that's been a really fine balance to strike."

On DJ exiting the game in the first half...

"It looked [the injury in the first half] a bit of a recurrence of the injury he has had recently which would be a real shame."

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