Minnesota United Narrowly Defeated 0-1 by LAFC

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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Narrowly Defeated 0-1 by LAFC

July 17, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota United was unable to come back from a late first-half penalty from LAFC and fall at home for the third time this season. The Loons turn their attention to Saturday, July 19 when the team faces the Portland Timbers at Providence Park at 9:30 p.m. CT.

7' - LAFC was awarded a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Denis Bouanga stepped up to take the shot, which was headed on target, but Dayne St. Clair dove and swatted the ball away to keep the match scoreless.

18' - St. Clair made another crucial save after Timothy Tillman, on the right flank, delivered a low, driven pass to Artem Smoliakov at the top of the 18-yard box. Smoliakov took a touch before firing a shot toward the top-left corner, but St. Clair dove once again and got a hand on the ball to push it out for a corner.

22' - MNUFC created its first dangerous opportunity through Joaquín Pereyra. After a buildup, Robin Lod, positioned at the edge of the attacking penalty area, played a pass to Carlos Harvey on the right flank. Harvey quickly found Pereyra near the top of the 18-yard box, where Pereyra took a touch and fired a shot that forced Hugo Lloris to dive to his right and concede a corner kick.

33' - Minnesota defender Carlos Harvey registered another shot on target following a buildup between Tani Oluwaseyi and Robin Lod. Lod played Harvey down the right flank, where he found Bongokuhle Hlongwane making a run. Hlongwane returned the ball to Harvey inside the penalty area, where Harvey turned and fired a shot that was collected by Hugo Lloris.

42' (0-1) - LAFC was awarded a penalty, where Bouanga stepped up to take the kick. His shot curled to the right and found the back of the net.

71' - Joseph Rosales made a run inside the box after Lod sent a through ball on the left. Rosales attempted to dribble near the endline past LAFC's defense to shoot a left-footed shot past Lloris, but LAFC's goalkeeper was able to make the save to send it out for a MNUFC corner.

81' - Lloris played a ball out to Bouanga on the left flank, who then sent a through ball to Nathan Ordaz. Ordaz drove into the penalty area and found himself in a one-on-one situation with St. Clair. His left-footed shot deflected off St. Clair's body, allowing the Loons to recover and regain possession.

90' - After a defensive mistake, Bouanga found himself one-on-one with St. Clair after gaining possession in the middle third and driving the ball toward the 18-yard box. Bouanga fired a shot but St. Clair was able to make a crucial save with his feet.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 LAFC - Denis Bouanga (penalty) - 42'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

MIN - Kelvin Yeboah (caution) - 6'

MIN - Robin Lod (caution) - 25'

MIN - Nicolás Romero (caution) - 42'

LAFC - Timothy Tillman (caution) - 46'

LAFC - Ryan Hollingshead (caution) - 55'

MIN - Tani Oluwaseyi (caution) - 78'

LAFC - Eddie Segura (caution) - 90'+3'

ATTENDANCE: 19,774

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Boxall

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Anthony Markanich, Nicolás Romero (Joseph Rosales 61'), Michael Boxall ©, Carlos Harvey, Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Julian Gressel 61'); M Tani Oluwaseyi, Robin Lod, Wil Trapp (Owen Gene 83'), Joaquín Pereyra; F Kelvin Yeboah

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Jefferson Diaz, DJ Taylor, Morris Duggan; F Darius Randell, Sang Bin Jeong

Los Angeles FC XI: GK Hugo Lloris; D Nkosi Tafari, Eddie Segura, Sergi Palencia; M Artem Smoliako, Mark Delgado, Timothy Tillman (Igor Jesus 76'), Ryan Hollingshead; F Denis Bouanga (David Martinez 90' + 3'), Jeremy Ebobisse (Yaw Yeboah 76'), Javairo Dilrosun (Nathan Ordaz 67')

Substitutes not used: GK David Ochoa; D Kenny Nielsen, Joshua Santiago; M Frankie Amaya, Adam Saldana

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ PORTLAND TIMBERS

Providence Park | Portland, Oregon

07.19.2025 | MLS 2025 Regular Season | Match 24

9:30 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On what happened in today's match...

"I felt like in, certainly the first half, that was the case. We were really disappointed with how we were in general. I think, lacking real precision. I think we strayed from structure very quickly and found ourselves very frustrated with the nature and the flow of that first half. I think in the second half, we were far better in terms of discipline and dominance of the game. I think we did fairly comfortably dominate large parts of that game. We created a lot of half chances. We had a lot of territory, but we were lacking the real precision around the top of the box that was going to result in anything clean-cut. I do feel as though we made a big step forward in the second half, and we look back mostly on the first half as a source of frustration because I feel like had we reached the levels we reached in the second half, that was a game that was very much there for us to win."

On what Steve Cherundolo's strategy felt like it was...

"I feel like more and more teams are giving us that level of respect. They're obviously making big efforts to defend the space in behind, and that's then for us to adapt. And I don't think we did a bad job of that in the second half. It felt like we struck that right balance between structure and some fluidity within that structure that allowed us to create some, as I say, some half chances but without there being anything clean-cut. And that's going to be the next step of the team's evolution. We're going to have to be a team that can, as I've said up here a couple of times, we're going to have to be a team that can do everything. And I felt like in the first half, we just didn't show that level of discipline, level of connection that was required to break down what was the team content to sit at the top of the box and make life difficult for us in playing through them. We were very loose on combination play. We turned the ball over very easily when we played into the middle and didn't attack the sides enough. But ultimately, I felt that we had the lion's share of the second half, which was pleasing because I felt like we really needed to make a step forward after the first half. I can only say to the players that we have to grab the second half, take it forward, and move into Saturday with some momentum."

On what the team needs to improve on to be able to break opposing teams down...

"There's some very basic individual stuff in that, and there'll be a number of players that on the first half showing will be really disappointed with how cheaply the ball got turned over, how lacking in precision we were at points. And I think combinations often broke down on the third or fourth pass, which can't happen when you have that amount of the ball in the first half. I think in the second half, we were significantly better there, and you could feel that. You felt that we were a team that had energy, energy and momentum. We were able to take the sides well. We got down the sides of the box well. We crossed. We cut back. We created lots of lots of momentum through set play opportunities that that general dominance helped us with. But ultimately, we've come away with very few big chances and nothing on the scoreboard. So we have to look at ourselves in terms of technical quality around the edge of the box. And certainly from the first half perspective, we need more discipline in terms of the spaces that we occupy, and that is something that the team has to work on for sure because I feel like that balance of games, it is something that we will encounter more and more so particularly at home."

On if this game feels like the team has hit its ceiling...

"There's an element of that. Of course, I feel like we can get to two wins. We can get very close to the top of the table, two wins back-to-back, should I say. But we have struggled for that third win and a real run over the course of the season so far that's going to put us right at the top. But there's elements of that performance, particularly given the matchup against LA [LAFC] - one of the stronger sides in the league - that suggests that we're a team that's moving in the right direction. I'm certainly not going to let one loss derail us. It's the nature of the league, and we've lost so few games this year that I'll impress upon the players that we're a team moving toward hopefully a real special finish to the year, and, we have to continue to look at things in a very objective way. We have to learn, we've got to get better as a group, and we have to make sure that we take what was a very good second half and we use that as the base for a performance against Portland [Timbers] come Saturday."

On what has been the main struggle against the top teams and to break through...

"I don't think there's a thread that runs through all of those losses. I think there's particularities to each game. I think obviously focusing on this one with it being the one in hand, I felt like we played like a top team at home today. We dominated the game; when I say that, I mean from the perspective of balance. We were the team that had the territory, we had the ball, we had the half chances, and the chances that we gave up that probably reflect the higher xG [expected goals] for them were the chances that come as a consequence of us going for broke at the end. I'm happy with the balance of the game in that sense. What I'm not happy with is the fact that we've lost the game and we've created very little, and that is the next step for us. We have to get better around the box. We have to be a team that can create from very little space, which obviously isn't always the case for us. Typically, we're a team that attacks really well in big spaces, but we can, and we will get better at attacking in the types of spaces that we find ourselves encountering tonight, and that was this game, and the other losses at home this year have, I would say, got different causes at their root. But, ultimately, we are a very competitive team against every team that we've played this year. The fact that we haven't got over the line against the top teams so far has been really frustrating, but I would also point to other games. Miami [Inter Miami CF], Seattle [Seattle Sounders FC], we can beat the best guys in this league, we've just got to do it more often."

On if the team needs reinforcements...

"That's an obvious area that we would look at in terms of numbers and variety of profile now for sure. I think that's fairly obvious for anyone that's looking at the squad. We've got a certain type of attack, and certainly tonight brings out, I would say in a fairly obvious way, that craft between the lines and ability to unlock in, as I say, very tight spaces on the top of the box. That is something we've not quite got at the moment, but that's not to criticize the makeup of this squad nor be derogatory in any way to the guys that we got, because they've done a really good job. We've created a lot of chances in general, we've scored a lot of goals, but of course, we would hope and like to evolve in that sense."

On how to get Kelvin Yeboah involved in a game where it's tough to generate offense...

"You have to make Kelvin good chances. I think it's very difficult for him, particularly against the back five, three big center backs, midfield players that are really protecting the space in front. I think that made life very difficult for Kelvin [Yeboah] and Tani [Oluwaseyi]. I think the key is to attack the sides well and to make sure that you can create from the space that they give you on the sides, and I think as the game went on, particularly on the left, we started to do that more. So I think Joe [Rosales] made a really decent impact in that sense. The way in which Robin [Lod] played in the second half really helped us there, and Julian [Gressel] made a decent introduction. So I think it's about taking what the opposition gives you in that sense and making sure that you have the precision on the side of the pitch to ultimately, eventually open up the middle, and that's not something we were able to do. I think they did a good job when the ball went into Kelvin [Yeboah] and Tani [Oluwaseyi],obviously very quick to backwards press, very quick to kill the space in front of them, and take away any possibility of combining. But I think we look back on the first half in that sense with more frustration because I feel like the times at which we did get the ball into them, it came back out, very, very quickly, and the players underneath them Joaquin [Pereyra] Rob [Robin Lod], Will [Trapp] will be frustrated with some of the quality that they gave those to."

On the defensive play that led to the penalty kick...

"To be honest I haven't looked back at the broadcast angle of that in any real detail, but we were frustrated with allowing the cross into the box in the first place. We generally did a good job against [Denis] Bouanga, but certainly it wasn't the aim to let him have that much space on the side, nor take steps forward and deliver. There will be some real frustration looking back at that moment because it's a very predictable moment, one that we will have prepared for. The fact that the ball comes in is disappointing and then what happens, happens. But, for us to have only given that [the penalty] away of any meaningful note over the course of the large majority of the game other than the counterattacks toward the end, ultimately you would have taken that before the game and you'd have expected us to score at home and of course that has been the problem today."

On not being able to take advantage of set pieces...

"We lacked that real aggression and desperation in the box tonight. But also, for sure with the way things are for us at the moment teams will put everything into the preparation for those situations, so it becomes harder and harder as a vicious circle in that sense, but it certainly wasn't for a want of trying. It's probably reflective of the way in which the game was for a whole for us. It was half chances rather than chances of any real note. It's another example of frustration, but certainly not cause for the walls caving in in any way, we will be back to it on Saturday. We've got a group now that feels the same way that I do - frustrated but with a sense of real purpose on the back of that second half."

FORWARD TANI OLUWASEYI

On LAFC choosing to lineup in a back five to start the match...

"It's kind of funny getting a taste of your own medicine a little bit. I think the way we look at things, we can definitely still be better on the ball. That's something that we need to improve on; especially if a team is in a low block like they [LAFC] were for most of that second half. It's surprising, but these things happen in football so you just have to be able to adjust on the fly and make the best of it."

On what he believes went awry in the first half...

"I wouldn't say anything went wrong. I just think we weren't good enough. I think if you look at them [LAFC] other than the penalty, they don't really have much either. It's just one of those [games] where we were maybe a little bit passive, maybe we could've pushed a narrative a lot more, but hindsight is 20/20 and there are definitely things that both first half and second half that we can be better on."

On how the team looks at trying to win consecutive games in a more consistent way...

"Our last loss was San Diego [FC] so it's a good stretch. In a dream world we win every single game, but there are going to be days like this in football. That's just the way it goes. For us it's just a matter of how we respond to it and I think we've done a good job of responding all year. I think we'll do that on Saturday [against Portland Timbers]."

On losing at home to multiple top teams in the Western Conference...

"If you look at LA [LAFC] today, we lose, but they don't really do much. I think the other two games against Vancouver [Whitecaps FC] and San Diego [FC] you can definitely say that they were the better team on the day. I don't think you can say that about LA today, but at the end of the day we weren't good enough and they got the win so I think it's just a matter of recognizing that there's another level. Teams are at another level that we need to get to and it's just a matter of improving."

On if there is anything he appreciates about playing against top players like Denis Bouanga...

"I always appreciate great players, and he's a great player at the end of the day. Really comfortable on the ball, really comfortable running in behind. He's one of the best players in the league and you can always learn something from those guys."

On how to break out of a pattern of both teams heavily passing the ball...

"I think you need something special. You need somebody to grab the game by the horns and take it to them. I don't think any of us did that today. But, we see it every week with us. It's a hard lineup to break down. It's hard to score when a team is in a low block like we do so well. We've seen us do it countless times this year, and teams haven't been able to break us down this year. They [LAFC] just did a good job today."

MIDFIELDER WIL TRAPP

On the difficulty that LAFC presented today...

"We talked about it at halftime. We were just really a little impatient in the first half in terms of trying to score the goal to win the game. Then you saw in the second half there's more structure, there was more calm, connecting plays, cleaner, all that stuff. And then granted it wasn't anything clear but the game was in their half the whole second half. Chance after chance with like throw-in set pieces, all that type of stuff. Things that we wanted to see and it all just stemmed from being a little bit more disciplined, a little bit more calm and staying in our positions."

On what the team needs to improve on to break teams down...

"What I just said, because you saw that when we did do that well and executed on the ball, we were able to get into their half in advantageous positions. When we're trying to maybe do it all too quickly or trying to make the home run play every time, then it starts to kind of unravel because they're a team on the break. I mean, they have [Denis] Bouanga basically, right, so the ball turns over and they're going to stretch as much as possible. So I thought we were just better suited to win the ball back and then also just [more] stable in possession."

On if the team needed more precision, less tactics in the game to break down LAFC...

"I wouldn't say less tactics. I would just say more organization and then also just more cleanliness."

On the play that led to the penalty kick...

"It's one where it's probably, after seeing it back, a foul. [Referee] Pierre[-Luc Lauziere] was pretty convinced that it was, so you defer to his judgement there. But it's just one of those plays where it's unfortunate because, by and large, they weren't doing a whole lot. So you kind of let them off the hook five minutes from halftime and allow them to get their fifth penalty in five games, or whatever it is, or four-for-four, or whatever it may be. So they're a team that they're always going to try to play the margins on that type of stuff and they're good at it, right? And you're always worried about the danger of guys like [Denis] Bouanga, and in this case, we just got a little bit sloppy with the marking on the run in the box."

On what he said to head referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere at the end of the first half...

"For me it was more, I mean, you could feel the crowd starting to pile onto him and I just said 'hey man, this place is going to erupt if we don't kind of get a reign on it'. So just basically letting him know that the more this goes on, the more it's going to pile on. It was a little bit of how to create a riot for dummies sort of thing, but that was just what I was saying in the sense of 'hey, like just be smart'. I know he's for the most part trying his best to level it out, but there were some moments where you felt like this just doesn't feel like it's making a whole lot of sense to us. But teams that lose games are always going to feel a little bit hard done by that."

On losing against the top three teams in the Western Conference at home...

"I don't think that I see a trendline really. You win games in moments. We were able to go to places and win games in moments and this is one where we are going to want that first half back. In the second half it was more of the identity we want to be and that identity in the second half is a team that is going to win a lot more games especially against teams like this."

On if the team has hit a ceiling after tonight's game...

"I wouldn't say hitting a ceiling. It's the way we play, we have to get eights-of-out-tens, sevens-out-of-tens. That type of stuff. When you have the condensed fixture list like we do right now, getting that motivation and freshness in the body to do so it's not easy. It's not an excuse, but for us to play the way that we want to play it just takes a little bit more mental stability and strength to pull that out every single game."

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