MLS Minnesota United FC

MNUFC Fall 3-0 Away to Sporting Kansas City

May 13, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


KANSAS CITY, KS -- Minnesota United traveled to Sporting Kansas City for MLS Rivalry Week hoping to earn their first regular season victory at Children's Mercy Park, but was ultimately defeated 3-0 by the Kansas side.

Sporting Kansas City scored first in the 9th minute of the match after Dany Rosero directed a corner kick with a header, sneaking past Dayne St. Clair for an early 1-0 lead. It wasn't long before Sporting KC converted again with a goal from Daniel Salloi in the 22nd minute of the match.

Minnesota United saw their first chance at goal when Sang Bin Jeong earned a penalty kick after goalkeeper Tim Melia tackled the South Korean forward in the penalty area. Jeong struck the ball well, but ended up straight into Melia for the save.

During the second half, midfielder Franco Fragapane had a chance to put MNUFC on the board after DJ Taylor's shot was deflected by Tim Melia . Fragapane attempted to redirect the ball but sent the rebound over the crossbar.

Sporting Kansas City solidified their win with a late goal from Designated Player, Gadi Kinda, chipping the ball over St. Clair, who came off his line confronting the 1v1 scenario.

With the result, Minnesota United moves to a 3-5-2 (W-L-D) record, with 12 points on the season. The Loons look to rebound quickly with a midweek tilt against Houston Dynamo.

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Bongokuhle Hlongwane

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair; D Michael Boxall (C), Brent Kallman, Miguel Tapias, DJ Taylor, Kemar Lawrence; M Hassani Dotson, Kervin Arriaga, Robin Lod; F Sang Bin Jeong, Bongokuhle Hlongwane

Sporting KC XI: GK Tim Melia; D Dany Rosero, Jake Davis, Logan Ndenbe, Andreu Fontas; M Erik Thommy, Remi Walter; F Johnny Russell (C), Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC @ HOUSTON DYNAMO

Allian Field | Saint Paul, MN

05.17.2023 | MLS 2022 Regular Season | Matchday 13

7:30 pm CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On tonight's match against Sporting Kansas City...

"Disappointing. I thought first half we started really, really sloppily. We've conceded three goals again, don't think they've had to work hard enough for any of their goals this evening. A free header, first one. Cheap turnover, second one. Third one, we were stretched, and we were too open but overall, second half was better. Shape looked better. When you come to a place where they haven't won a game at home all season and then you give them something like we did for the free header- nearly every opportunity that they got this evening was with us giving the ball away to bad areas and making poor decisions with the ball."

On how the team competed tonight...

"The way that they played and the way that we started, it gave them the initiative in the game. As I say, we're not going to win games by cheap turnovers and then we don't defend the box properly. The team that we had out tonight has got enough size to cope defensively with anything anybody's got in the league. So for them to have a free header in the middle of the goal is criminal, really. As I've just said, we've conceded three, three, and three. We ain't winning too many games with that. Even earlier on when we weren't winning some of the games at home, we looked tight. We didn't look as though we were going to concede many and now, at the moment, we've got a double-whammy where Sang Bin [Jeong] misses the penalty. It could be a game changer, it puts us back in the game, puts doubt in their mind. But, you miss the penalty and then all of a sudden halftime comes and then we change it, and I thought we played a lot better in the second half. The bottom line is if you concede three every game, I think invariably, we know what the point total is going to be."

On difficulty overcoming obstacles at Sporting Kansas City...

"I'd love to know the answer because I would sort something out and do something about it. We've come in here and that was the message before the game. I said I'm fed up of coming here and never really being in the game, apart from the night when we won in the playoffs. Traditionally, they've been very good at home. Tonight, I don't think they had to be really, really good to beat us."

On his approach at halftime to build up from a two goal deficit...

"We've all played in games two-nil down, and you get the next goal and the game, the whole momentum can change, and that was what we spoke about. Can we get the next goal and put some doubt in their mind. They haven't won here all season. Had we scored, then it would've actually made them a little more apprehensive, but we didn't. As I say, Sang Bin misses the penalty. I think Fraga's [Franco Fragapane] had a good look at one stage, Luis Amarilla. If you get a goal, we could change the whole momentum of the game, and at this moment in time, we're not scoring a goal that gives us something to hang on to or gives us something to work towards. Earlier on we were getting away with it because everybody was defending in a lot better shape. We've got some questions to ask because we've conceded nine goals in the last three games. It's not good enough for me, and we have to see why."

On the attacking ideas he had and responsibilities in different formations...

"I think that the one thing that's been difficult for Kansas at home has been on the counterattack. They've conceded goals on the break, and I thought that with Bongi's [Bongokuhle Hlongwane] pace and Sang Bin's [Jeong] pace, that might cause them some trouble on the break like it did for the penalty. We broke well, and we made a good first pass and then we had people supporting the play and then we ran in behind, but we didn't do enough of that because we didn't have enough of the ball. At the end of the day, to create opportunities consistently, you need a lot of the ball, and you need it in their half of the field, and you don't need to be turning it over. I don't think we did any of them three things well this evening."

On the rhythm of the team with the upcoming matches...

"I'm always concerned. We've got a huge game now on Wednesday. We've got to get a win at home, we've got to play the way we can and try and give the players confidence to do what we know they're capable of. At the end of the day, this is on us. We've put ourselves in a little bit of a hole. We've got to get ourselves out of it, we've got to dig out of it. Somebody's not going to wave a magic wand. It's going to be hard work, people doing their jobs, sticking together and doing what is asked of them. And if we do that, we'll give ourselves a chance of winning games like we've proved we can. But at the minute, this is not a time for feeling sorry for ourselves. We're back late tonight. We've got a regen day, and then we're back in again for another game on Wednesday, then we go again on Saturday then it's Tuesday. There's no time to feel sorry for ourselves. This team has proved this year, only a few weeks ago, that we can play against anybody, and they've got to get back to that."

On personnel availability and Emanuel Reynoso's return to the group...

"No. At this moment, Rey [Emanuel Reynoso] is still suspended by the league. He's training. He's doing two and three a day sessions. I don't know when that will be cleared and then it's a case of how long is it going to take him to get up to speed to play a game. I don't know the answer to that, but he's got to get cleared first before we can start integrating him in the group. We hope that will be sooner rather than later. In terms of who's available, we'll see where everybody is tomorrow. I think there's only a couple of people unavailable, so we might have to freshen it up again on Wednesday because some of these guys have played a lot of minutes and some not so much. The games are coming thick and fast for everybody, it's not just us. It's a year where we've got so many games with the Leagues Cup and then you're trying to fit the midweek games in. We've got to get on with it."

On Doneil Henry's status with the first team and Bakaye Dibassy's progress...

"Doneil [Henry] has trained for the last three or four weeks and is available. [Bakaye] Dibassy is still an ongoing process. We think he's about 70-80 percent maximum strength in his leg and that's getting better by the day, but it's still a while."

On switching the formation at halftime...

"Obviously it wasn't working. We weren't playing out the back. Their three front men were pressing and at that time, we couldn't work our way out. Poor decisions on the ball. I felt like we were a man short elsewhere, so we went back to our formula that we've had in the past, and I thought it was better. People were in their better spots. As I say, second half was a lot better, but we gave ourselves too much to do."

DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On overall reaction to the result tonight...

"Coming here you know the way they move the ball it is going to be difficult, but a little bit of the way we set up, we were just asking a bit too much of our midfield and the wingbacks with the way they move the ball from side to side. You are going to be doing a lot of running and you are finding players defensively that are kind of in half spots. So we had numbers behind the ball, but i don't think we got pressure on the ball. End of the day, that's not really what led to them scoring the goals. Again, just simple... a set piece right in the middle of our six, and we expect to get on the end of that. Transition from my giveaway for the second and when you are chasing the game in a place like this it makes it very difficult."

On being frustrated after conceding goals...

"We have slipped away from how we started the season, the back four, back five, it starts with us setting the tone. We can help going forward where possible, but I think we need to set the tone and it's been leaking due to our own lapses and not necessarily from amazing play from the other guys. That's where it's frustrating. If a team plays through you and has great movement and outplays you, then you applaud them and move on, but when its coming from errors from our own team, that's where the frustration comes from because it's so preventable."

On finding resolve after a disappointing first half...

"From the bits and pieces that I saw they [Sporting Kansas City] were kind of letting us play a little bit and we were able to play through them and get towards their end of the box. That's where the positives were that I saw. So if we are just more consistent with that, where obviously as you alluded to that's something that we haven't been moving forward. That's still a work in progress. We can't not have that while also letting our defensive standard slip. It's not just tonight, the last couple weeks or so where it's been schoolboy stuff that is costing us and we are dropping points. We are finding ourselves in a position where we are going to have to find a little run and turn it around very quickly. The good thing is we have the opportunity to do that at home very quickly. We need to come up with something to get back to where we were defensively but also find a way moving forward."

On what it will take to change the results on the road in Kansas...

"I don't know exactly what it is here, but on the road in any stadium away in this league it is difficult to win. Sometimes when we come here we are a step off of it. They are very well drilled in what they do but it hasn't changed in all the years we have been here so we should have been able to figure it out by now. We have come out with different formation, but if that is going to be a step off and make mistakes like we do then that is going to keep happening and we aren't going to be able to turn things around. We will fly home and go to sleep very disappointed with how tonight goes, and wake up Sunday and Monday and try and make things try and push us back up the standings."

On whether or not there is an issue with energy and effort...

"With the turnaround from the recent game that doesn't help, but sometimes when it comes to the effort part, I don't think it's a lack of effort. On the field we can communicate a bit better about when we press, because we have got guys working hard, but at the wrong time. Or we are just not on the same page as we were earlier in the season. We are not set, or closing the gaps as much as we should and if you do that at Kansas City then every single one of them wants to play so they are going to pop up into space. They are all comfortable on the ball. So as soon as one person is half a yard late then they break the press and they are good at that, especially at home. We saw a ton of effort [against Philadelphia Union] three or four days ago. I don't think it's effort, it's just understanding of the game and then down the stretch it could be tired legs from recovering from the Philly game, but we can't make any excuses for ourselves.

On the formation shifts in the middle of games contributing to lack of sharpness...

"When we switched back to the 4-2-3-1 [formation] in the second half, that's our bread and butter, it felt it bit more comfortable in the second half. We started in the 3-5-2, which was the perfect formation against how Philly plays with their front two. But then when you play it against Sporting KC - just how it matches up and the pictures you see are just way different. Obviously with the quick turnaround and not having a full training week that makes things a bit difficult. Every time you get the ball the pictures are just so different from how we matched up against Philly."

Check out the Minnesota United FC Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from May 13, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central