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MLS Minnesota United FC

MNUFC Advance to Round of 16 in Us Open Cup

May 12, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Prior to game time, all eyes were on the weather watches and warnings to determine if the U.S. Open Cup round of 32 matchup between your Loons and Colorado Rapids would even be taking place. In spite of the dark clouds hanging above the pitch, the game got underway, as planned.

Just eight minutes in, Franco Fragapane put a beautiful cross between two Colorado defenders where Abu Danaldi stuck a foot out to perfectly chip a beauty into the net.

It didn't take long for Colorado to respond to the Loons early strike, when in the 15th minute Colorado's Gabriel Mesquida Sero was lying in wait to finish off a deflected free kick.

Ironically, it didn't take long for inclement weather to respond to both teams' efforts when play was stopped in the 18th minute due to lightning striking in close proximity to Allianz Field. The Loon faithful waited patiently for the game to begin once again...which it did...the following afternoon at 1 p.m.

With the severe weather persisting throughout the evening, Allianz Field looked more like Allianz Pond, leaving both teams relegated to their respective locker rooms until postponement was the only logical option to continue the game.

After a bit of back and forth between the squads in the earlier going of the second half, Coach Adrian Heath decided to make his move, three of them to be exact. In the 65th minute Heath brought on the Loons offensive firepower, subbing in Emanuel Reynoso, Robin Lod and Wil Trapp in hopes of breaking the 1-1 stalemate.

The Loons saw the fluidity of their passing and possession get the boost it needed. On the flip side, losing defender Brent Kallman to a second yellow card in the 83rd minute, leaving the Loons with only ten on the pitch, wasn't exactly a comforting position to be in with the game still in the balance.

Thankfully, the boys got the Rey of sunshine they needed. After a couple of passing glances around the Colorado box, it was Emanuel Reynoso's quick feet and superior ball control that left the defender grabbing at air and Reynoso booting an absolute laser past Colorado goalie Clint Irwin in the 87th minute. This would prove be the dagger needed to finish off Colorado.

The Loons 2-1 victory gets them a date in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup, which is set to draw for the next round of matchups Thursday evening. Hopefully, the weekday win is an encouraging way to go into this Sunday's primetime game against the newly CONCACAF champions, the Seattle Sounders.

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United: GK Tyler Miller; D Michael Boxall (c), Brent Kallman, Bakaye Dibassy; M DJ Taylor, Joseph Rosales, Kervin Arriaga, Oniel Fisher; F Adrien Hunou, Abu Danladi, Franco Fragapane

Colorado Rapids: GK Clint Irwin; D Auston Trusty, Keegan Rosenberry, Gustavo Vallecilla; M Anthony Markanich, Nicolas Mezquida, Bryan Acosta, Steven Beitashour; F Michael Barrios, Diego Rubio, Max Alves de Silva

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ SEATTLE SOUNDERS

Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington

05.15.2022 | MLS Week No. 11 | MLS Game No. 11

3:00 pm CT (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, 1500 ESPN Radio)

MINNESOTA UNITED QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On the win and the finish from Emanuel Reynoso...

"It was a quality goal from Rey [Emanuel Reynoso]. As we know he can do, as only he can do in those moments. That will do his confidence no end of good. There was a lot of good things tonight, we moved the ball around really well. There were some good passages of play. I thought we had too many balls go across the face of goal without enough people there. I don't know how many times we flashed it across the face of the goal tonight and in the second half we must have done it four or five times. Something we will have a look at, but overall as in all competitions we win and advance and we will go from there."

On what stood out on Reynoso's goal...

"The frustration for me is that he's a really good finisher and he can get himself in those spots and we have said this before, he takes as much satisfaction in beating a player, bringing people towards him and sliding somebody else in to score a goal. Now that's all well and good because we know he can do that. I know he can get ten goals a season as well. That's a little cameo of what he can do. We need to see it more often and we need to see him in those positions. The irony for me is he's in the penalty area when he is doing it. Too many times he wants to come and receive the ball too far away from goal. We have to get him in those spots and we will keep nudging him in that direction and keep showing him video of where he is when he scores those goals. Invariably he is 10 or 15 yards higher when he receives the ball. It's something that we have spoken to him about in the past."

On the weather delay and bouncing back...

"Well it wasn't ideal and I feel for Colorado, they've got a 1:30p.m. start on Saturday and it's not right for them as well. I would've been pissed had I been them last night and they have every right to be. By the time they get home tonight you are virtually preparing for the next game against LAFC. It's not ideal for them and I feel for them, but it is what it is and we would have done the same had we been in their spot."

On Franco Fragapane's performance...

"I thought he looked a bit more like his old self. He got himself in good spots, he got in the box and that's when he's at his best, when he can create - and we know that. That little angled run he made in behind the centerback last night it was he's all about He's got really quick feet and he's got good movement in the box and he's difficult then because people are afraid to have a bite at him because he has such quick feet. It was a really good ball and for Abu [Danladi] it was really positive. I actually thought Abu looked really sharp the last night - well the last two days, it sounds ridiculous (due to weather delay). I thought Abu has looked really sharp in the last couple of games and I just sense that he's got his confidence coming back. For him to have the last couple years he's had, when he hasn't played regular, consistent football, eventually you start to doubt yourself. I just feel him coming back to what we know he can be.

On playing with a back three...

"I thought it worked well, it really did. Obviously, BK [Brent Kallman] is good on the ball and he can use it well. I've got probably more confidence [in Brent] than he has himself sometimes. He's a really good football player. He's got quality on the ball. Being the center of the three [in the back] he can dictate where we start the next attack from, so I thought he's done really well. I don't think it's a sending off because I don't think the first one is a foul. He gets the ball."

On Tyler Miller in goal...

"He's done everything we expect him to do. [He's a] good goalkeeper. He used the ball well when we had it and kept the goal and looked reassured all evening."

On preparing for the Seattle game on Sunday...

"Well one thing I do know, you don't feel as tired when you win. Hopefully, you know we fly out tomorrow and we will get a couple of days to relax and do a little light session on Saturday because it's a big game on Sunday. It's never easy going to Seattle for sure."

On the goal conceded...

"We should have done better in the second phase. We spoke to DJ [Taylor], I think he and [Oniel] Fisher are still coming this way when the ball is coming that way. We should have done a better job at that. The wall did their job, we've got a big wall with the guys we've got, they jumped and stopped the initial shot, but we have to do better with the second phase."

On the formation change and the reason for it...

"I wanted to try it at the right moment and obviously the fact that we knew we were going to make changes, we knew we weren't starting with Rey [Emanuel Reynoso], we weren't starting with Robin [Lod], we weren't starting with Bongi [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] we thought we would give it a go because it helped us against their shape. The one thing about Colorado and the way we play - which is similar to the way we play - they do drag you out of your shape. The decision your fullbacks have to make, of when to leave the back four to go out to their wingback is crucial. We felt it was nearly man for man and it mirrored up with us and that helped us."

On dealing with the rain delay...

"At the end of the day it's not easy. I know what it's like after a game trying to sleep. So then it's lack of sleep, and they eat too late, but they need food because they've not eaten since lunch. It's all those little things adding up. Obviously speaking to the players just to prepare as well as you can do and then the kickoff is at one o'clock which is unusual, you have a breakfast, you have a prematch meal all those little things. But when you win it looks as though you've done a decent job. Fortunately we've won the game and everything is good."

On using a back three moving forward being something to expect...

"Yes, at some stage, yes."

GOALKEEPER TYLER MILLER

On the ability to get a win after a long delay and restarting the next day...

"I feel like most of the times when I've had these types of delays they have been down in Texas where you can kind of anticipate them, but here, this is my first time experiencing this. With our ability to stay here until 10:30 last night when the game was officially called off, and then pushed to today to then show up, we really just kind of managed the first few minutes of the first half to really get through it and then once we came out for the second half we looked a lot sharper, a lot cleaner, and you really saw a lot more energy, especially when our subs came on. Yeah, we went down to 10 guys, but they made a huge difference."

On Emanuel Reynoso's game-winning goal...

"I see that every day in training. For me, it's normal. He's got a special talent, a special ability to take guys on and change the game. When we can get him the ball in those dangerous pockets, he's a very special player that can create something out of nothing. So for him to beat three guys and put a clean finish in a game where we really needed a win and in the 90 minutes too is huge going into Sunday for guys to stay fresh and healthy."

On the team's mood during the three hour delay...

"I think everybody was relaxed. It's a weird moment because it really doesn't happen that often so you don't really prepare for it, but we were obviously aware of the possibilities. Guys were relaxed, just kind of waiting to see. We all had a realistic mindset that most likely we were not going to be getting out onto the field even if the lightning stopped with the status of our field.

On the status of the field this afternoon after all the rain...

"Overall, it dried up really well. It was impressive, actually. I give credit to the grounds crew because they did a tremendous job in preparing the field. I really thank all of the people that showed up today because on Thursday afternoon most people are working, but a few people in Minnesota are not and they came out to show some support."

On what the team did during the three hour delay...

"We watched some basketball. Played a little soccer-tennis. Guys were on their phones. Just staying loose, staying relaxed because it's a long time to be sitting in the locker room. Everybody was in a good mood."

On what he feels he has shown during his two U.S. Open Cup games...

"It's obviously a difficult time period, but for me, myself, I just show up. I do my job. I approach training every day because in this game things can change all the time. It changes very rapidly. My situation is what it is and I can't control that. I can only control how I prepare myself and every time I get an opportunity it's an opportunity to show my ability. Whether it's for this club or for somebody else watching, it's an opportunity for me to show up and enjoy the game that I love."

On how he personally navigated the long delay...

"Once we were able to get the all clear and leave, I went home and watched the end of the Seattle-San Jose game, which was an exciting game. 11 shooter's going to PK's. Part of me always wants to take a PK in a game like this, so I was just waiting for my opportunity. I thought today might have been it, but we thankfully didn't get there. We won it in regulation. But I had a tough time sleeping. I was up almost every hour, three or four o'clock. We only played 17 minutes, but in my mind I was replaying every single minute of the game. For me, it was just a moment where I knew when I woke up this morning and I felt really good. I had a test run yesterday and got to get used to the pace of the game again and all those little things that you don't have when you're not playing because it takes a little bit of time to get back into it. Today I showed up and I was like, 'I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to keep things simple.' Really just focus on myself and what I need to do. Because I didn't feel happy when I left the stadium with those 17 minutes that I played yesterday. I feel much more satisfied with how I played today and my mindset."

On the difference between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon...

"Just going in and not trying to overplay the game. Really trying to keep it simple and do the things that I know make me a good goalkeeper. Not trying to be something that I'm not. When I showed up here I just felt like I was in a good headspace and a really good place to put in a performance that I can be proud of and that's what I did."

On looking back at the goal conceded...

"I don't think it was a foul to begin with. But with how our team responded...I think the wall does its job, but once the ball bounces out there, there are little things that you can't do and prepare for in training and it's those deflected balls and the scrambles, and that's kind of what it was. When I go out to approach a shot, I need to do a better job just making myself big rather than getting small in that moment. Those are the things that come from that sharpness of playing week in and week out that sometimes you don't have, but that's something that I have to deal with and try to get as many game-realistic opportunities that I can in training."

On his perspective about the change in formation and back-three...

"I don't play with a back-three on most occasions, so when I was getting a lot of pass-backs, finding the right outlet ball was a challenge at first, especially yesterday. Today I went into the approach more of knowing they were three-for-three in the back as well that I can hit them with longer balls and we can win second balls rather than force passes out that might not be on. The guys took a more aggressive positioning also. Our wingers stayed a little bit higher which affected the game. It forced their outside wingers to stay back more. It allowed us to win the ball higher up the field and take the game to them rather than being a little bit passive yesterday, I felt like."

DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On switching to a three-man backline...

"Brent [Kallman] comes into the side and he's done fantastic for us all year. Every season, when he's asked to step up, he does the job. With our personnel in the back, it definitely suits us but we need to....it took us a little while to get settled. We were a little bit stretched in the midfield, so it's our front three against their back three. We weren't getting our wingbacks as involved as we would like to. For the most part, we performed fairly well. A few lazy turnovers were the only things that brought them into the game. It's a formation that we're comfortable in with the players that we've got."

On a strange 15 hours between last night and this afternoon...

"We were all here until about 11 o'clock last night. Every ten minutes, you're waiting, are we playing. But you're looking at the report, looking at the field and it's the first time I've seen a swimming pool here. It was the right decision to postpone until today. It affects [Colorado] a little bit heading into the weekend, it's kind of the hand we're dealt and you have to roll with the punches and show up when the whistle blows to do your job."

On Emanuel Reynoso's winning goal...

"We would have liked to get the job done before he came on to the field but, when you bring him on you see so much class, composure and a lot more creativity in the final third. I could see that cut happening about three steps before he did it. At then you know he's going to find a way to get back to his left. He's turned our whole team inside out plenty of times so for someone who hasn't seen it, it's tough to defend. He's a magical player. Very special for us. Us as a team, we need play in a way that we can win games that don't rely on him producing something special all the time. I'd like to see it every now and then but as a team, I think we can certainly improve on that side of things.

On adjusting once Brent Kallman gets sent off...

"It forces us into a formation that we typically play; with the four-three-three, missing the one up top probably. That's the formation of the players that we've had all season long. It's natural for us. It's hurts, only ten men but when we've got a player like [Emanuel] Reynoso who can play for two, it certainly helps."

On going to Seattle Sounders and not being successful in Lumen Field...

"We need to freshen up after today and we need to stick to what we're really good at. We need to be a little bit more clinical with our passing all over the field, and certainly in the final third. It's one of the places where if you don't go, play really well and finish off your chances, it's tough to get a result. When we went there the beginning of last season [season opener], I thought we played par for par for about 50 to 60 minutes, and they score a bomb out of nowhere and then a few mental lapses and the game is done. It's not good enough to do it for 60 minutes, you need to show up for the full 90. There's been a few appearances where we've been in good spots against this team and they come back very late. They're a team that never gives up. We need to be on it for 90 minutes."

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