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MLS Minnesota United FC

MNUFC Falls 1-0 to Atlanta United at Home

March 31, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- On an evening much clearer but no less cold than when last these teams met at TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota United hosted Atlanta United in a match that featured a lot of action but not much scoring. After going down a man just before the half, the visitors held on to a 1-0 lead they got in the third minute off an own goal to walk away with three points.

"I'm really proud of the players," said Head Coach Adrian Heath, who was upbeat despite the loss. "I thought they were magnificent. A really bad mistake in the first minute. After that, I thought we were the better team. Before the sending off, and after the sending off, we could have done much more. Probably could have put a bit of better quality in the box late on. Could have been on the move a little bit more. Overall, I'm absolutely delighted with my players - as pleased as I've been with them, probably since I've been here. Because a lot of the stuff that we asked of them before the game, I thought we carried the game plan out to a T. And I feel for them tonight, because they do not deserve to come out of the game with nothing."

The match had barely begun when two important events occurred. In the first minute, defender Leandro González Pirez was given a yellow card after midfielder Sam Nicholson went down as he was attacking down the left side of the pitch. Then in the third minute, an Atlanta corner kick led to multiple chances in front of net, punctuated by forward Hector Villalba striking the crossbar. As the ball bounced down, it glanced off defender Francisco Calvo's leg and went in, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

It took the Loons a while to regain their footing after that, and the first 20 minutes or so of the match were marked by a swarming Atlanta defense and several cheap giveaways from Minnesota United. But in the 19th minute, midfielder Ibson served up a good ball from the left side and over the next couple minutes, the Loons started to string together possession across the top of the box as they poked and prodded at Atlanta's backline.

But Atlanta plays very wide, with just three in the back and their wingers with their feet on the chalk. The result was that Minnesota got forced into narrow spaces and ended up having to work down the left side because midfielder Ethan Finlay was clearly a defensive priority for the visitors on the right side. With a goal in the hand, Atlanta didn't exactly park the bus, but they seemed content to contain the home side more than press them through the middle part of the first half.

The tenor of the match, though, shifted dramatically when Pirez received a second yellow in the 38th minute after appearing to shove Nicholson in the back and into the boards after he was already out of bounds. MNUFC immediately flashed to life over the final six-plus minutes as they attempted to slide a goal in before the half, but they ultimately couldn't find the equalizer and the teams headed into the break with Atlanta up 1-0, despite Minnesota owning 64% of the possession.

"You've gotta try and obviously be patient, and try and stretch the play and move the ball around," said Heath when asked about the strategy coming out of the half. "Switch it side to side, try and get them out of shape. And I thought [Atlanta] defended the box well. They had a lot of help with that. But overall, other than the final ball, I thought some of our play was excellent."

That possession stat would only rise in the second half as Minnesota played the final 45 up a man. Atlanta responded by dropping everyone back - you could watch their two even rows of four men apiece move up and back almost as one as Minnesota worked time and again to get crosses into the box. The Loons were successful on that front, putting in 50 crosses, but they also notched only three shots on target. Although their possession would eventually creep up to 70%, the final ball was just not there for Minnesota on the night, even after Heath pulled defender Marc Burch for forward Mason Toye in the 81st minute.

Whether it was due to Atlanta's size or initiative in their own box or Minnesota's inability to play fast enough to stretch the defense or how unaccustomed they were to playing with possession instead of on the counterattack or something else entirely, the Loons simply couldn't find the back of the net. Down the stretch and into seven minutes of stoppage time incurred mostly by Atlanta players who went down, Minnesota created a number of chances and Mason Toye even banged a shot off the post in the 88th minute.

Following this 1-0 loss, Minnesota United will get a chance to recover with a bye week, giving them a chance to get a few players healthy and work to integrate new addition Darwin Quintero. They'll head to Portland to face the Timbers in their home opener at the newly renovated Providence Park on Saturday, April 14. The match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CT with pre-match coverage beginning at 9:00 p.m. on FOX Sports North and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.

Lineups

Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Matt Lampson; D Tyrone Mears, Michael Boxall, Francisco Calvo, Marc Burch (Mason Toye 81'); M Ibson, Rasmus Schuller, Ethan Finlay, Sam Nicholson, Miguel Ibarra; F Abu Danladi (Christian Ramirez 61')

MIN Unused Subs: GK Bobby Shuttleworth; D Carter Manley, Brent Kallman; M Frantz Pangop, Collen Warner

Atlanta United FC Starting XI: GK Brad Guzan; D Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Michael Parkhurst, Chris McCann; M Julian Gressel (Kevin Kratz 86'), Darlington Nagbe, Jeff Larentowicz (Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu74'), Greg Garza; F Miguel Almiron, Hector Villalba (Sal Zizzo 64'), Josef Martinez

ATL Unused Subs: GK Alec Kann; D Mikey Ambrose; F Romario Williams, Brandon Vazquez

Match Events

Goals

3' - Calvo (own goal) - ATL

Discipline

1' - Gonzalez-Pirez (YC) - ATL

38' - Gonzalez-Pirez (2YC) - ATL

90+1' - Guzan (YC) - ATL

90+3' - Calvo (YC) - MIN

MINNESOTA UNITED QUOTES SHEET

MNUFC HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On his team's effort against Atlanta United ...

I'm really proud of the players. I thought they were magnificent. A really bad mistake in the first minute. After that, I thought we were the better team. Before the sending off, and after the sending off, we could have done much more. Probably could have put a bit of better quality in the box late on. Could have been on the move a little bit more. Overall, I'm absolutely delighted with my players. As pleased as I've been with them, probably since I've been here. Because a lot of the stuff that we asked of them before the game, I thought we carried the game plan out to a tee. And I feel for them tonight, because they do not deserve to come out of the game with nothing.

On Minnesota's strategy heading into halftime ...

You've gotta try and obviously be patient and try and stretch the play and move the ball around. Switch it side to side, try and get them out of shape. And I thought they defended the box well. They had a lot of help with that. But overall, other than the final ball, I thought some of our play was excellent.

On why Minnesota just couldn't find the back of the net ...

Final ball wasn't good enough. I don't think we had enough movement, people trying to get on the end of it. Certainly late on. We must have put seven or eight crosses in the box and I didn't see anybody getting across the front to somebody. So that's something we can be disappointed about. But the way we moved the ball, the way we did it first half, the way we put them on their back foot. Yeah, they were a little bit dangerous on the counterattack, but that's what you get when you pay, you know, millions and millions of dollars for players. But overall, really pleased with the guys.

On the own goal and what he would have liked to see differently ...

I'll have to have another look at it actually, it's too early for me to say. We spoke about they play that corner a lot, under it, one on the near post and try and let it go. First minute. We spoke about it all week, so.

On seeing a gulf in the teams that spend more and the those that don't ...

Well, did you see a gulf in the teams today? No, I didn't think there was. And it's up to us. It's up to every other team to make sure that you do compete. And I thought we did more than compete today. So we're the better team.

On what he wanted to see out of Christian Ramirez in the last 30 minutes ...

Well, you know, I just thought it was maybe entirely made for him because we were getting so many balls in the box. It became pretty apparent that they were just going to defend the box. I thought something might drop for him. Unfortunately, it didn't.

On if more selfish play from his players would have made a difference ...

We got a lot of balls in the box. And as I say, I'd have to see it again. But one thing that looks as though we haven't done enough of is get across the first man and actually show a little bit more determination to get on the end of one or two things. That's the only thing that I would think might be disappointing. The rest, no. I'm pleased.

On where he thinks the grit is going to come from ...

The grit? There was plenty of grit out there tonight. This group can be proud of their efforts this evening.

On deja vu giving up the early goal and thinking about last year...

No, I didn't because I've got a lot more belief in this group than I did last year. I know what I've got, I know what I'm dealing with. When you consider, and you look at the two squads, and the two teams on the pitch and what's been paid for them. They can be really pleased at what they've done this evening.

On coach and player frustration over Atlanta running out the clock ...

No. Because I'll get in trouble if I do. We got people to sort that out.

On the weather and conditions ...

It was cold. I know that.

On if it the team's game plan at all ...

No, it didn't. Should have made you run around a little bit more, I would think. I don't think I've known it as cold for a long, long time. If ever.

On if this is the right time to have a weekend off, given back-to-back tough results ...

One or two can do with a little bit of a rest. We've got one or two that are a little banged up. For people like Christian, it'll be good for him to get a couple of weeks. He's had a bad ankle for a couple of weeks. It will do him good to maybe get a week's training under his belt and let his ankle settle down a little bit. People like Abu [Danladi] and one or two others, it will give us some time to get some work into them. They haven't played enough football.

On his big-picture thoughts about Minnesota United after five games ...

Pleased. Pleased with them. I thought we certainly should have taken something from the game this evening. So when I look back from where we were, we could have conceivably been on seven, nine points after tonight's game, if we had got something from this game. Which we fully deserved. So it's a big improvement from where we were this time last year. It gives us something to build on.

MNUFC DEFENDER FRANCISCO CALVO

On how he looks at this game big picture ...

I mean, they don't deserve their win. One-hundred percent. Even when they have 11 players on the field we were better than them. Since the beginning of the game. So, I think they have luck on the goal. And then I think if we were to still play two more hours, the ball wouldn't be going in. You know? It's the kind of games that you play, play, try, try, and then the ball don't go in.

On his view of the own goal ...

Yeah, I just hit the ball and then the ball goes to ... I just hit the post, I think. I wasn't expecting that, you know. Unlucky.

On the difference in the team over the past 12 months ...

We are so much better. I mean, from last year. You can see the commitment, the effort. Everything in the team is different. The atmosphere in the team is different. We know each other a lot. I mean, we spend most of the time together. So, we want to run, we want to fight for our teammates. We used to be like a family in this locker room. That's the difference between last year and now.

On if he can see that new team vibe playing out on the field ...

Yeah, for sure. You can see it. I mean, we should have nine points tonight. But, well. It's how it is. It's how it is. The ball goes once in for them. And then we try, I don't know. I had two chances, Ibson has. Mason [Toye]. Christian. It's incredible how the ball doesn't want to go in. It's the kind of games that you try, and you're not going to get a goal.

On if he has ever played in a match where his team has been up a man for an hour ...

Yeah. I've been in that kind of games. You feel frustrated, you know. You feel frustrated because the team is in the same page, and yeah.

On if it is good to go into a bye week coming off back-to-back unlucky results ...

Nothing is good. We have the free weekend because it's how it is, not because we won. It's good for space, and the guys who, they're not playing, they try to get in more shape. And more shape. And the competition is better.

I know you're not asking me this, but I want to say this. I'm tired of how Major League Soccer give a little credit to Atlanta or LAFC. Because it's weird how Minnesota wins and Major League Soccer, okay, Minnesota wins. Alright. But Atlanta wins, or LAFC wins and they make a show. They make a show and I don't know why. So, I think we deserve more respect in this league. Alright. I'm tired of that, because I think we are, we are 23 teams in this league. So, we deserve more respect in this league. That's what I want to say.

On when he felt like Minnesota wasn't getting the respect it deserved ...

Since, I mean, last year. Our first season, you can say whatever you want, but LA Galaxy get worse than us last year. I don't know. I mean, we were one of the last teams who beat Atlanta in Atlanta. You know? So, I think we, what I want to say, we deserve more respect in this league. And now, I think this year is going to be different. This year is going to be different. And the people who is talking stupid things about us, they're gonna shut their mouth off and see how Minnesota is going to do it in this year.

MNUFC FORWARD CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ

On whether he's played in a match like that before, where the team has so many chances that don't go its way ...

No, I've never been a part of one. It was pretty wild to see and compared to them, I mean they must have some sort of game plan after that because they were 30 yards from their goal the whole time. Just defended for their lives. We came in here and we said it could have been another hour and a goal just wouldn't come today for whatever reason.

On the instructions he got upon entering the match as a second-half substitute for Abu Danladi ...

To stay in the box. I just didn't get on the end of any. I thought I was in good positions, the ball just sometimes doesn't come your way. I know on Mason's half-volley that Ethan [Finlay] played him, I thought Ethan was aiming for me and mishit it. So, I don't know, I'll have to go back and look at it, because if that goes square across the goal it's a tap-in. But we were there, we had chances and it's just tough to go down without a goal.

On playing with an underdog mentality and whether Minnesota gets the credit it deserves ...

Definitely. I think we're still looked at differently. It's tough because you see so many -- I think this might be our first time playing up a man, or we played up a man last year in Atlanta actually for a little bit, for I think 15 minutes. So I think, whether or not it's our fault that we don't do a good enough job with refs or what, but we just come to play and we'll see. We'll go back and look at it and there were some plays that were questionable, but yeah. It's always an underdog mentality.

On what it's going to take to get that respect ...

More wins. I think that starts to build on that. Winning fixes a lot of things.

On starting the game on the bench ...

I don't like to adjust to it. I never want to. But, that was coach's decision today. He had the game plan and went with it. We came up a little bit short but, yeah. It's not something I enjoy. The guys put in a great shift and I tried to come in to help get one away. It's always tough, especially in this cold, to figure out how to stay active, stay warm. You come in at halftime and get on the bike. I know I came out a little bit late for the second half because I was warming up my shoes. It was tough. I mean, subbing on for those last 30 minutes you can really feel anything. So I was just trying to be an active body in the box to sneak away at some point.

MNUFC MIDFIELDER ETHAN FINLAY

On how the weather, coldness and wind effected the play...

You know, both teams are playing in it. It's cold. It doesn't really effect the players as much as it affects the ball obviously. You know, you kind of have to know how the ball is going to change. You didn't see many long balls tonight. The balls don't travel as far in the cold. So it's just those kind of things. But I mean, both teams are playing with the same conditions. I thought it makes crossing the ball a little bit harder, it makes attacking the ball a little bit different. And that doesn't, it didn't dictate the result tonight.

On his perspective of the result...

It's disappointing. I even felt like, before they go down a man, we had the better of the play. Obviously they get one chance and it's an unfortunate bounce for us, and they get a goal. A play I feel like we probably could have prevented, but sometimes those bounces just go against ya. Unfortunately the bounces didn't go our way this evening. And I don't know if we didn't do enough to get three points tonight, but I do think we deserved a point out of this game. We deserved something out of it. It's tough to break down a team when they start to sit back like that. I think we ended up having 70 percent of possession. But it has to be possession with a purpose. And I don't think we did that enough to break the team down. We had moments this evening, but not quite enough. So, it's something tough to do, and make changes within the game, and adjustments. But you have to do that. On the fly.

On Francisco Calvo saying that Minnesota doesn't get enough respect in the league, and if he and others echo that...

Well yeah. Because I think as I said, before they even have the red card, we were already dictating the play. We were already putting them on the back foot. And we heard plenty about Atlanta at the end of last year, and we've heard plenty about Atlanta heading into this year. So, it's a very good team, don't get me wrong, but we've proven that we can play with some of the better teams in this league. And tonight is disappointing, because we think that we are a good enough team to beat them. I think it puts us behind where we'd like to be. We wanted to stay undefeated at home, and it's disappointing to have our first loss here. But we've got two weeks to regroup, and we've got a tough stretch ahead of us. Not the way we wanted to end March, but I think we've gotten more points than we've had in the past, so we're moving forward.

On if there was a time or point on the origin of the grit that this team shows came to be...

I thought that, I really thought the whole night. We're fighting for the last minute, that last seconds of the game. And you gotta see that. And everyone is buying in. Like I said, I really feel like we didn't get the bounces tonight. Guys are putting in the work. It's cold for everyone. It's cold for the fans. Everyone is feeling that. I was proud of how the guys responded throughout the game. We put the work in. It's just something that we're going to have to figure out. I think, in the past, I don't know if we were that team that was dictating the play nearly as much as we did tonight. Obviously we were a man up. But I think this whole year we've dictated play a lot more than we have in the past. And we have to continue to work at that. And we've obviously added new pieces, and we'll continue to develop the offensive movements in that. We'll get there. We'll get there. We're on a good path right now.

On if it is good to go into a bye week coming off of two unlucky results...

You get right back to work. And you'll want to kind of stay, keep in the same routine. And I think we'll do that obviously this week. We'll have a pretty normal training week, which I think is important for us. It will be nice to rest the legs a little bit, and not have a full game. But it's a tough stretch ahead of us. At Portland. At Seattle. Those are going to be two tough games. Both teams really looking for points. I'm not even sure how the Portland result ended up today, but both teams are on the lower side of the Western Conference right now, and are going to be needing points in the next couple weeks. And we need those points as well. So they're two tough games. I'm looking forward to it. I think this group is looking forward to it. I think we've performed well on the road this year, and we hope to continue to do that.

On what the Darwin Quintero signing shows him...

Well, it's a guy, like tonight, that can help you break down a team. With some 1v1 ability. Combination play. And stuff like that. That will take time. You've seen it in plenty of his highlights were he can break a guy down, or break a few guys down. And create for himself, and indirectly create for other guys, create other spaces. He's going to help all of us up front, because he'll draw a lot of attention. And his quickness and ability to pass and move the ball, I think will open up more spaces for myself, Christian [Ramirez], Abu [Danladi], Sam [Nicholson]. All the guys up front. Miguel [Ibarra]. So, I think it will be great. And I think continuing to add offensive weapons is important for us. Depth is extremely important. And then more we have to fight for positions week in and week out, the better we will be.

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