Minnesota United Unable to Break Through in 2-0 Defeat to Houston Dynamo

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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Unable to Break Through in 2-0 Defeat to Houston Dynamo

May 14, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


HOUSTON - Despite a few promising chances, Minnesota United could not find the breakthrough on the road, falling 2-0 to Houston Dynamo FC at Shell Energy Stadium. First and second half goals from defenders Pablo Ortiz and Felipe Andrade sealed the result for the home side, while the Loons were left frustrated in the final third. Minnesota now returns home to Allianz Field for a Western Conference clash against St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday night with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

15' - Houston Dynamo FC were the first ones to create a dangerous attack. Artur received the ball in the attacking third and passed it to Jack McGlynn on the right flank. McGlynn then switched the ball to find Ezequiel Ponce on the penalty spot, who redirected it with his head, but Dayne St. Clair made a crucial save to keep the match scoreless.

41' - Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, MLS veteran Julian Gressel and rookie Kieran Chandler set up to take the free kick with Gressel crossing the ball from the right side of the Loons attacking third. But Gressel overhit the ball going over and out the other side of the pitch.

45'+ 1' (1-0) - Houston defender Pablo Ortiz was the one to open up the scoring. McGlynn took the corner awarded to Houston Dynamo, which slightly deflected off Sang Bin Jeong, finding Amine Bassi on top of the 18-yard box. After a minor deflection off a Minnesota defender, the ball fell to Ortiz who was left unmarked and headed it into the back of the net.

61' - Minnesota created their best opportunity to goal after Gressel served the ball into the 18-yard box from a set piece. Hoyeon Jung gained possession on top of the box after the ball bounced around between both teams, the South Korean midfielder slipped the ball down the left flank for Jefferson Diaz to take a quick one-touch shot near the end line, but Jefferson's shot was blocked and sent out of play.

77' (2-0) - Houston Dynamo doubled their lead, through Felipe Andrade. McGlynn gained possession in the attacking third on the right flank and played a long switch. Minnesota defender Diaz got a touch but ended in the middle of the penalty area. Andrade took a shot that was initially blocked by Morris Duggan, but the rebound fell back to him, and he finished with a one-touch strike into the back of the net.

80' - Diaz had a close-range shot on goal, after receiving the ball from a long-throw. The native Colombian was able to get a one-touch shot on top of the six-yard box, but was blocked by Houston.

90' - In the final minutes, Minnesota United continued to pose a threat inside the box. Joaquín Pereyra received the ball on the left side of the penalty area and sent a one-touch pass to Tani Oluwaseyi in the center of the box. Oluwaseyi attempted a shot but it was deflected by Artur and went out for a corner for MNUFC.

GOAL SUMMARY

0-1 HOU - Pablo Ortiz (Amine Bassi) - 40' + 1'

0-2 HOU - Felipe Andrade - 77'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

HOU - Pablo Ortiz (caution) - 40'

MIN - Robin Lod (caution) - 69'

HOU - Toyosi Olusanya (caution) - 89'

HOU - Junior Urso (caution) - 90'

NOTABLE STATS

1 - MNUFC2 defender Kieran Chandler made his MLS debut when he featured in the starting lineup against Houston Dynamo FC.

2 - Two MNUFC players made their first start for the club, Julian Gressel and Hoyeon Jung.

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Julian Gressel

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Kieran Chandler (Joaquín Pereyra 65'), Devin Padelford, Morris Duggan, Jefferson Diaz (Carlos Harvey 82'), D.J. Taylor; M Hoyeon Jung (Tani Oluwaseyi 64'), Julian Gressel, Wil Trapp © (Robin Lod 64') ; F Sang Bin Jeong (Bongokuhle Hlongwane 64'), Kelvin Yeboah

Substitutes Not Used: GK Alec Smir; D Nicolás Romero, Michael Boxall; M Robin Lod, Samuel Shashoua

Houston Dynamo FC XI: GK Jonathan Bond; D Griffin Dorsey, Pablo Ortiz (Brooklyn Raines 72'), Ethan Bartlow, Felipe Andrade; M Jack McGlynn, Artur ©, Junior Urso; F Amine Bassi (Sebastian Kowalczyk 72'), Ezequiel Ponce (Toyosi Olusanya 85'), Ondřej Lingr

Substitutes Not Used: GK Jimmy Maurer; D Michael Halliday; M Duane Homes, Erik Duenas, Nicolás Lodeiro; F Gabe Segal

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. ST. LOUIS CITY SC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

05.17.2025 | MLS 2025 Regular Season | Match 14

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

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On what was lacking in the team tonight...

"We really lacked a spark and that quality and composure to give us an even foothold in the game in the first half. It's obviously a really difficult place [Houston Dynamo FC] to come, a hot, sticky Wednesday night in Houston and whilst we showed a level of discipline and organization, and resilience from a defensive perspective, I don't think we were able to get the territory in their [Houston Dynamo FC] half that we, ultimately wanted to, and we found ourselves defending low more often than we would like in the first half. To an extent we knew that would be the case. We knew the type of team they are and how they play the conditions well, and we've obviously opted to make eight changes and prioritize fresh legs over the guys that are in real rhythm and had we stayed in it until halftime, that second half might have looked slightly different. So, there's frustration in that sense. There's certainly some positives to take from a number of the performances and I suppose the approach that we took this week was that we were going to play tonight and Saturday, with what is in effect two different groups and make sure that we have real freshness and we're really sensible in terms of how we balance the week, and how we start to think about this month as a whole. So, I'm frustrated, but that there's a really important context of the game."

On if he regrets making so many changes to the lineup...

"No, I don't. I think this is one of those places [Houston Dynamo FC] that you come to where you feel like, even with what is on paper, your strongest team, the team that is in real rhythm, the team that's played the large majority of the game so far, there's no guarantee that you're going to get, spark, energy, and real intensity, particularly after the experience we had on Saturday. So, with that considered, with the conditions here, the context here, the fact that we did what we did, on Saturday against [Inter] Miami [CF]. I think on balance it was a justified way of looking at this game and I don't in hindsight feel like, had I done anything distinctly different, we would necessarily have got a different outcome. I obviously wanted to make sure that we started the game in a certain way and finished the game in another way. And unfortunately, it came just a touch too late. We had a reasonable balance of the game from the point at which we made four changes, but also I'm very quick to provide that context for the players who played the first half for the first hour or so, they for sure were put in a difficult position. It's not a team that's in real rhythm in spite of the fact that sort of reflects the team that's played in the cup [Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]. And ultimately we've got an outcome that is frustrating, but perhaps one that given the context as a whole would perhaps be at least understood if not expected."

On the coaching point for recycled corners...

"We talked to the group a lot over the course of the last couple of days around the pitfalls of taking the approach that we took and players being unfamiliar with one another, and a lot of that was wrapped around set plays because I feel that's one of the first areas that can fall down in a situation like this. I don't look to be honest, I don't look at the first goal and pick fault in any one individual because it was one of those very messy set play goals where we get slightly unfortunate, weren't able to pick up the second ball in the box and DJ's [Taylor] a foot too small to keep the ball out of the net on the line. I wouldn't lay blame on anyone's feet there, and the second phase goal from the second corner is one where I'm sure Jeff [Jefferson Diaz] will feel disappointed with the quality of the clearance and we're obviously a touch lighter in that area than we would be relative to the side that we would normally put out, but I don't think that's any excuse. We were certainly on that goal, at least well positioned to make sure that we didn't concede that. So, it's frustrating and particularly so in light of the fact that's been a real strength of ours so far. But, I'm not suggesting that we had a balance in the game that would need to be sitting here thinking we deserved any more than what we got. We weren't good enough, we didn't have a strong enough grip of what we did with the ball, and we lacked a real threat. So, one that I will not dwell on, one that I won't make too big a deal of with the players, and obviously with the way that we've got about this week, we can have a real fresh focus for Saturday, which is obviously now a very important game."

On Kieran Chandler's performance...

"He handled himself really, really well and it's, as I've mentioned, not an easy place to come [Houston Dynamo FC], playing against them in the way in which they play and the way in which they attack on the right hand side, it's a bit of a baptism of fire, I would say for a young player like him. But, he's made his first steps in MLS, in a way in which he can be really proud of himself, and I'm sure the players around him would leave the pitch saying that he's gained credibility and trustworthiness as a player at this level. It's certainly a step forward for him and I'm sure once the dust settles and we're past this result and the disappointment of the result then that is certainly one of the major positives from today."

On what Hoyeon Jung struggled with in the match...

"He [Hoyeon Jung] had some good moments for sure. I certainly wouldn't look at him and think the performance was poor in any way. I just think the team in the first half struggled to meaningfully progress the ball. We struggled to make possession stick, we struggled a little bit in counter-pressure moments to make up the distances and sustain possession in the opposition's half. We looked a little bit like when we went from bottom to top. We as a team have to solve those issues. They certainly don't fall at the door of any one player. Hoyeon, making his first start in MLS, he certainly had some good moments and I wouldn't be quick to single him out in any way. It was a much wider issue than any one player who is responsible for at all."

On what he thinks Sang Bin Jeong is struggling with this season...

"I wouldn't be able to put my finger on one thing in particular. I think you are seeing a lot of the things that Sang Bin [Jeong] typically does well from an application, willingness, athleticism, perspective. He is really in the game, he is dialed in, he's defending with a real level of concentration, willingness and discipline. Sang Bin's big threat is his transition threat - the way he attacks space in behind. There's been moments where I am sure he would look at himself and say that he'd want to have handled the ball better between the lines and linked with more precision and been cleaner in combination play. But, Sang Bin typically is a player you see at his best when he is attacking a big space and he is running in behind in deep. He didn't a load of those moments today and I would again make the same point I made around Hoyeon [Jung], I don't think it falls on any one individual player, as a team we struggle to really meaningfully progress the ball in a way in which those players at the front had really good quality chances, a real closeness and link up around them a way of really meaningfully impacting the game. Every player who was on the pitch over the course of the game contributes to that and when we get back in on Friday and we debrief I will be at pains to make that point."

On if there was any hangover from Saturday's match...

"I've tried to guard against that in the way we picked the team today. With that in mind, with the conditions here in mind I wanted to make sure that there were no excuses, there were no question marks in our mind as to whether or not we were going to be able to approach the game with a real energy. We had the necessary freshness to tackle the heat and humidity here. I can't say that Saturday would have influenced that in any real way and we sort of protected the players that played on Saturday from that effect. Now our focus is on making sure there is no hangover from tonight for Saturday's game and I will very likely take a similar approach in that sense and I will be expectant on Saturday of the team that plays to show a real desperation to put tonight right and they will be well placed to do so given the way we managed this week."

DEFENDER KIERAN CHANDLER

On making his MLS regular season debut...

"I mean, it's something I've been dreaming of since I was a little kid, and it felt absolutely amazing. I'm really happy to have made my debut and to have my coaches blessing me with this opportunity."

On having his first game feel like a quick pace...

"Yeah. I mean, it's a whole other step from college last year, and then now coming to the you can, quote-on-quote, say big leagues, it's definitely a whole different step, and I'm ready to take on that challenge as my career goes along."

On Eric Ramsay hand picking him due to his physicality...

"I always think of it as just another game, and I just do my stuff. Doesn't matter what team I'm playing for. I just want to play my game as defensive as I can. That's great, but I have to be playing both sides of the ball."

On receiving any pre game advice...

"I had some very good players around me on my left side, Wil [Trapp] and Julian [Gressel] and also Devin [Padelford] on that side. They really did support me all throughout the day, just giving me tips and also having to tell me where to go, and also playing balls when I needed to play balls. I mean, the support from my teammates really did help me today."

On having any friends in the stands...

"I did. I had some friends of friends at the game today that I got tickets for."

On showing off his skills in front of players like Ethan Bartlow...

"It feels great. I always want to impress, but also do the simple things right too. But, I mean, it felt really good."

On how playing with MNUFC2 has helped him to prepare for MLS...

"Like I said before, just playing my game and doing what I need to do and getting my job done. The better I'm doing, the better I get at doing that, then it just comes naturally."

On playing in MLS this early in his career...

"I still think I need a little bit of learning to do, but I think I showed myself tonight. Just to learn the game and then also, like you said before, the pace of the game, I just need to get used to that, and I think I'll be alright."

On the feedback he received after checking his phone...

"Just a lot of people were telling me congrats-friends from home and from college as well."

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