Minnesota United Sweep St. Louis City SC in 3-0 Shutout

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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Sweep St. Louis City SC in 3-0 Shutout

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


SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota United secured the club's seventh clean sheet of the 2025 campaign in the 3-0 shutout against St. Louis CITY SC. Tani Oluwaseyi, Joaquín Pereyra, and Julian Gressel all notched one goal in the Loons victory over CITY SC. Next, the Loons will host St. Louis CITY SC in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 for a midweek fixture, before returning to regular season play on Saturday to host Austin FC at Allianz Field on May 24.

14' - Minnesota United created the first dangerous attack as Joaquín Pereyra received possession on the right flank in the attacking third and sent a long ball into the six-yard box to connect with Nicolás Romero. The young Argentinian center back redirected the ball with a header, but Roman Bürki made a crucial save, ultimately sending it out for a corner kick for MNUFC.

21' - Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made a key save off the second-phase of St. Louis CITY SC's long-throw. From the top of the 18-yard box, CITY found the half-volley, sending the ball into the box where Conrad Wallem was able to get a close-range shot in front of goal, but St. Clair was able to capture the ball safely into his hands.

25' - Pereyra took a set piece on the edge of the attacking third, sending a long pass into the 18-yard box. The ball found Romero on the left flank, who headed it across to the far side of the box where Pereyra made a run and connected with Jefferson Diaz near the six-yard line. Diaz attempted a one-touch shot that deflected, resulting in a corner kick.

27' - Carlos Harvey gained possession inside Minnesota's attack, taking the ball up the pitch and ripping a long-range shot that was pushed out by Bürki.

33' (1-0) - The Loons capitalized on a set piece from Pereyra's corner, as he sent the ball to the right side of the penalty area where it found Romero, who headed it directly to Tani Oluwaseyi inside the six-yard box. With his back to goal, Oluwaseyi backheeled the ball into the net to open the scoring.

60' - Veteran center back Michael Boxall made an impressive recovery after St. Louis found the counter-attack with numbers up the pitch, but the New Zealand international quickly recovered, making a clean slide tackle and deflecting Marcel Hartel's shot from the left flank.

62' (2-0) - MNUFC doubled the lead with a finish from Pereyra. After a series of give-and-go passes between Robin Lod and Bongokuhle Hlongwane, they found Tani Oluwaseyi inside the 18-yard box, who laid it back to Pereyra at the top of the box. Pereyra struck it first-time, sending the ball past St. Louis CITY SC goalkeeper Bürki to his right and into the back of the net.

78' (3-0) - Minnesota added another goal to the scoreboard after Trapp and Pereyra made a give-and-go sequence on the left flank, where Pereyra crossed the ball across goal, finding the 76th-minute substitute, Julian Gressel, for a one-touch shot on the right flank, scoring his first goal for MNUFC.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Tani Oluwaseyi (Nicolás Romero, Joaquín Pereyra) - 33'

2-0 MIN - Joaquín Pereyra (Tani Oluwaseyi, Robin Lod) - 62'

3-0 MIN - Julian Gressel (Joaquín Pereyra, Wil Trapp) - 78'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

MIN - Joaquín Pereyra (caution) - 3'

STL - Timo Baumgartl (caution) - 11'

NOTABLE STATS

1 - Julian Gressel notably scored his first MNUFC goal during the second half of the game.

3 - According to MLS Communications, Minnesota United has scored at least three goals in three of the club's last four games, making it the first time the club has accomplished the feat since June 29 - July 13, 2022.

3 - Joaquín Pereyra had three goal contributions in tonight's game (1 goal, 2 assists). He has nine goal contributions in MLS this season (2 goals, 7 assists).

6 - Tani Oluwaseyi has scored his sixth goal of the season. He also recorded his fifth assist of the season.

7 - Minnesota United recorded its seventh clean sheet of the season. It's the seventh of the last 14 games, more than any other team in MLS this season.

12 - Minnesota United has scored 12 first-half goals in 14 games; only San Jose Earthquakes (18) and Inter Miami CF (15) have scored more in MLS this season.

ATTENDANCE: 19,643

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH:Joaquín Pereyra

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Nicolás Romero, Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz; M Anthony Markanich, Wil Trapp (Hoyeon Jung 84'), Carlos Harvey, Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Julian Gressel 76'); F Joaquín Pereyra (Sang Bin Jeong 83'), Tani Oluwaseyi (Kelvin Yeboah 83'), Robin Lod

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Morris Duggan, DJ Taylor; M Samuel Shashoua, Hoyeon Jung; F Owen Gene

St. Louis CITY SC XI: GK Roman Bürki ©; D Célio Pompeu (Chris Durkin 71'), Josh Yaro, Kyle Hiebert, Timo Baumgartl; M Marcel Hartel (Xande Silva 71'), Jake Girdwood-Reich, Akil Watts (Rasmus Alm 88'); F Tomáš Ostrák (Simon Becher 46'), Conrad Wallem, Cedric Teuchert (João Klauss 88')

Substitutes not used: GK Ben Lundt; D Henry Kessler, Jay Reid; M Cameron Cilley

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. ST. LOUIS CITY SC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

05.21.2025 | 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | Round of 16

6:30 p.m. CT (Paramount+)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On if that performance is what he looked for with a rejuvenated squad...

"Yeah, I felt like it did justify that decision and I think I saw, I wanted a reserved judgement on how good a decision that was until the end of today, but I feel like we went all in on this game and ultimately got what we certainly deserved, but also planned for. It only validates the way we've planned the week and I'm obviously learning my craft a little bit as in terms of managing MLS and the summer months and some of the things that we're going to have to contend with. So, certainly squad management is one of those things, and yeah, we lost the game on Wednesday, but there's miles in the legs now for players and I feel like hopefully we get a net positive and we've come out this week in really good shape and hopefully this helps us come out of the month in really good shape. It's certainly been a good week."

On the comfortability of the second half...

"It was one of our most complete performances, I would say. We've shown dominance in all phases of the game, which obviously I talk about a lot here, talk about us wanting to be a team that can do more in organized possession, but always with that caveat that I know what suits this group. I know the way in which we are best off defending and attacking, but I feel like tonight when the opposition [St. Louis CITY SC] they're in a bad moment and there's certainly an expectation that at home we would dominate to a certain extent to a team in that position. We've been able to show that and execute it well. If you look back at the goals we score, there's a really good balance there and that's ultimately what I want. We were dominant on set plays. The build up to both goals come from an element of direct play, us being really well set for the second balls and being able to open up spaces as a consequence of that. And when we've got into those positions tonight, we've shown some real precision around the box and some really neat combination play and the players that we expect to show up around the top of the box and breathe life into the game and excite the crowd, they've done that today. We spoke a lot about that prior to the game because the last time we were here in this situation against Vancouver [Whitecaps FC] we didn't show that personality and that spark and that individuality. We need to make sure that there's that connection with the crowd and I felt like we certainly got that, and it was another really good night."

On the defensive domination shown by the squad so far in the season...

"That's huge for us and I don't want to take that for granted because it's very hard to get a team to do what those guys are doing, which is showing an incredible level of resilience and discipline and organization. It's a really workmanlike team that I talk about all the time in terms of being able and willing to carry out a game plan, and I felt like they did that really, really well. So, I'm glad you raised that point because I don't want to stand up here and talk about the bits that we don't always do because ultimately we have a foundation that we set all of our performances on and all our results so far this year have been based upon that real solidity. It's a huge pat on the back again for the players in that sense, and they will certainly hear a lot about that over the course of the coming week."

On Robin Lod's performance tonight...

"I think him [Robin Lod] and Joaquín [Pereyra] had a really good link with one another. They had a really good link off Tani [Oluwaseyi] I would say, that's worth mentioning. I feel like Tani has really improved with this back to goal, his linkup play, the way he uses his body. It's a nice really good example of him being really clean in those moments and obviously the cleaner Tani is in those moments, the more Robin and Joaquín benefit because they're arriving onto good quality sets. They can then add continuity and flow to the game and I think those two did a really good job and Wil [Trapp] and Carlos [Harvey] backed them up really well and Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] was really net around the box in a couple of moments. We needed to take a step forward in that sense and we certainly did."

On the difficulty of Tani Oluwaseyi scoring with his back to the goal and if it is harder than it looked...

"I think it is. Yes, that's not something I want to take for granted. That takes us up to nine goals from set plays in 13 games. That is some going, that's a lot of dedication behind the scenes. It's a real buy-in from the players, Tani [Oluwaseyi] will get the plaudits, but there's a lot that goes into that in terms of the delivery and making sure we get the first contact, making sure we're in a good position for the second ball, and he finishes it really nicely. So yeah, in all sense his back to goal tonight, very, very good."

On his thoughts about the lead up to Joaquín Pereyra's goal

"Yeah, it was really good, again, I've been crying out for that precision around the top of the box and I feel like in the home games that we've drawn this year or the Vancouver [Whitecaps FC] game, we get to the top of the box a lot and we are sometimes lacking that real killer instinct and that ruthlessness, and I feel tonight the base of the structure, the closeness of the players around the top of the box, it gives you first and foremost a really good chance to see that type of thing, but then the players have got to execute. Once we got into our flow, you could feel there was a real sense of confidence, you could feel like we had a chance of it being a really good night in front of goal and Joaquín [Pereyra] was pivotal in most of the moves that take us to the top of the box. And tonight has been absolutely pivotal in all three, I'll say with the corner delivery added to that."

On facing St. Louis CITY SC again Wednesday, does he think it's helpful by beating them in quick succession....

"It does make their week tougher. I don't think there's any getting around that, in the sense that they now go back to St. Louis, or certainly travel, either on the Tuesday or the day of the game, perhaps. I've heard that mentioned in one of their press conferences. So I feel like that's not an easy task. And we've been on, not quite on the end of this exact situation, but I know what it feels like to get another flight, couple of hours in the plane, and then the players' legs, and coming to a place where, over the course of my time here, they haven't had a great deal of joy. And I certainly don't want to tempt fate in that sense, but it's a tricky situation, and it's for us to capitalize on that. And there'll be some pressure around that game on Wednesday, and we talked on Friday about this being the beginning of a three-game week, as opposed to the end of the week that we've had some difficulty in Houston, and the players will approach it in that way, with real freshness and energy. And it's another chance on Wednesday to excite a home crowd and hopefully take the next steps in that competition."

On what are expectations for Wednesday's game and how the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup compares to the FA Cup in England...

"I obviously grew up in a country where these cup competitions are huge, and obviously, the FA Cup final is taking place today, and it's been an opportunity for a team that maybe wasn't fancied prior to the game to win a trophy for the first time. That's what cup competitions provide, and we want to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of progressing. We obviously want to make sure that we manage the squad well and we're sensible about that. But we will certainly try and put our best foot forward. We'll prepare very diligently and professionally for that over the course of Monday, Tuesday, and the guys that play today will have a chance to rest. The guys that are in contention to play on Wednesday will train, they'll train hard and then we'll bring the group together on Tuesday, and we'll see what lineup we come up with. I think everyone in that room will be wanting to play in that game because everyone loves playing at home. Everyone loves the atmosphere. Everyone loves the energy that the crowd brings, and everyone will want a chance to do what they've done today. I certainly won't be short of good options that day."

MIDFIELDER JULIAN GRESSEL

On bouncing back from the loss in Houston...

"I mean, [we] came out and played really well. I think that was kind of the message, right? Top teams don't lose back-to-back games, we're really trying to be one of those and have that type of mentality. So coming home, especially, it's [St. Louis CITY SC] a team that's kind of not really in the playoff picture at the moment that still ask some questions of you. We had to be good on the day, and we were today. And, yeah, awesome, awesome night."

On the goal he scored tonight shortly after entering the match as a substitute...

"It was my first real touch of the ball, which, to be honest, is so poetic in a sense that it happens on a night like tonight where my family's here for the weekend. They're leaving again and getting to Florida. And has kind of transpired over the last months haven't been easy for me personally. To have that also happen on a mental health awareness night means even more. That's what I'm saying; it's so poetic in a sense where family is back, and just the way it's shaped up is just incredible."

On scoring his first goal for Minnesota United...

"Well, last year, I only scored one. So I'm already there this year, and I played 32 games last year. It's good to get that monkey off the back. [I'm] feeling good, and like I said, just a lot of things came together. I'm just happy about the performance, happy about the win, and that's the number one [thing]."

On coming off the bench from playing on Wednesday...

"I mean, obviously, we want to play, but it's part of the process, you know? I think me and Eric [Ramsay] and the whole coaching staff, we've had really good conversations throughout. I haven't played ninety minutes since October last year, so that kind of makes a lot of sense that I can't go every three days right now. But I felt really good on Wednesday, which I think is a good sign in a, obviously, hot environment there and ninety minutes put a good shift in. And today, I felt really good. [I] Felt good recovering. So certainly a positive sign in terms of my fitness and how I'm feeling."

On what he thinks of his teammates so far, after bouncing back...

"Like I said before, I think there's a willingness for us to really do the stuff that isn't the easiest, and that's being really hard to break down, tight defensively and doing the running defensively when we have to. When that stuff is there, then I think it makes everything else a little bit easier. Today, we were much better on the ball. We had a little bit more of the possession, and we were able to still play to our strengths in a sense of set pieces and long throws and kind of like that direct style that we have at times. But at the same time, I thought today was much better in terms of us on the ball and the willingness to kind of show a little bit of a different side, where maybe throughout the year we have to kind of change a little bit or evolve or kind of change it up at times. Today was a really good performance in that sense, where it shows that we can, you know, kind of become a team that's not just one-dimensional, that they can have different types of play."

On playing all these games since his arrival...

"We're trying to just keep it rolling. I think we're in a good spot. Obviously, the Houston [game] kind of hurts a little bit, but at the same time, we're in a good spot. We have another two home games now this week. That's going to be really exciting to play here, and then obviously a couple tough ones on the road before the big break in June. So, we want to keep this rolling. We want to keep collecting points and be in a really good spot when June comes around."

FORWARD TANI OLUWASEYI

On what went through his head during his goal...

"Not much, I guess [I'm thinking] get the first touch and I'm thinking, well, there's no way off in front of me. So the best thing I can do is just kind of back-heel it in. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but it worked out that time, so pretty cool."

On if the goal is a representation of the confidence he's playing with...

"I haven't been scoring goals, but I think I've been playing some of my best soccer that I have since I've been here, so it's good to add a goal to that as well. It was cool in the fashion that it came as well, but I think the biggest thing is that contributed to a win. So that's cool."

On if he feels that his play has been clicking with Robin Lod and Joaquín Pereyra...

"For us, playing with both of them means that I don't really have to drop in as much because they're both so mobile and they both are players who can get on the ball and make things happen and we see Joaquín [Pereyra] and Joaquín loves being on the ball and he's so clever on it. It gives me the ability to stay up high and just focus on making runs in behind and just making life difficult for the center back. It's been a good balance to even get Robin [Lod] a little higher or get Joaquín a little higher and you see what they're doing in those positions when they get it."

On if it feels comfortable playing as a single striker...

"We were doing pretty well with the two up front as well. I think we hit a little bit of a tough run there with the two, but I think playing with two or playing with one, we'll always find ways to win the game. So either way, I think there's something pretty good with it."

On if staying up high is the biggest change with being the only striker...

"I mean yes, there's less of an emphasis to drop-in as much to try and connect play because I think that's one thing that we struggle with sometimes, connecting passes and moving it one side to the other. Having me just stay up there means that whether it's Carlos [Harvey] or Wil [Trapp] or Joaquín [Pereyra] or Rob [Lod], they all just move so well and they're all really interchangeable so it makes it - you can see today, we're playing some beautiful football - and that's just because they felt free to play and they were so close to each other. They were able to play off each other really well."

On if he saw the play open up in the second half...

"To be fair, I don't even think most guys knew they [St. Louis CITY SC] were winless in nine. For us, it was just a way of responding to how Wednesday went. We weren't really satisfied with the effort that we put in on Wednesday. So today, the coach's message to us was just make sure you respond, and Wil [Trapp] said before the game that, 'Teams that win championships find ways to win these games.' So the onus was on us, especially being at home, to come out here and take the game to them and not fall into that lull that we did against Vancouver. I think from the first minute, we did that and even in the first half, we could have had a couple of goals, and in the second half, it just worked out well for us."

On if the loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC is something that stuck with the team...

"We probably showed them [Vancouver Whitecaps FC] a little too much respect and didn't back ourselves enough and going into this game, a lot of people might think, 'Okay, we're not a possession team so we might wait for them to come to us and go from there.' But, I think from the first minute we know we can play when the opportunity presents itself, and you can see today, we played really well and we moved the ball really well."

On whether or not playing the same team back-to-back impacts the team's overall level of motivation...

"Not really, to be honest. I think both of us, if we had a choice, you don't want to play the same team back-to-back. So I think Wednesday is going to be a completely different game. I think it's going to pose different challenges and there's a trophy on the line so we're going to put our best foot forward for sure."

On if there was a different level of fitness shown by the team after starting a rotated lineup against Houston Dynamo FC...

"I think so. I think a lot of us played only 30 minutes on Wednesday, so probably had a little bit more legs to go today, but I mean you see they [St. Louis City SC] too, they made a couple changes. [João] Klauss doesn't start this game so you can see they changed a couple things up as well, but I just think we wanted it more today."

On how it felt to play a complete game and issue a dominating performance...

"These are the games that you play for, to be honest. I think we work so hard every day in training and even in the games and when you're able to put together a quote-unquote 'perfect game' with the clean sheet, you know score in multiple games, multiple goal scorers and just feel like you played from minute one to minute 90, I think these are the ones you look back on, see things over and you remember it pretty fondly."

On how before tonight, his most recent goal was against New York City FC in April...

"The more I play, the more I try not to let it bother me as much when I go [through] stretches where I'm not scoring. Because like I said before, I thought I'd been playing really well even without getting those goals so you know the thing for me is what do my coaches want from me. Every time after games I'm getting good feedback from them. They're telling me I'm playing well and that the goal will come and, you know glory to God it came today and you know if I don't score, it is what it is. As long as we win games that's the most important thing for me."

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