First Touches is back from the late night for the second half of the week’s game experience. The Loons welcome third-place Real Salt Lake to Allianz Field to open their July slate of games, and look to start a winning streak after their dramatic 3-2 win in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Stats and Notes

• Minnesota’s victory at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday evening was their first-ever road victory against the Galaxy.
• Franco Fragapane’s 36th-minute goal was his first goal of the season.
• The Loons rose to 10th in the Western Conference with the victory, trailing ninth-placed Houston by a single point of goal difference (and single goal scored).
• Salt Lake, whose last match was a 0-0 draw with Columbus last Saturday, dropped to third in the West after Austin’s Thursday evening victory.
• Both Minnesota and Salt Lake have scored 20 goals on the season; the Utah club has allowed two fewer goals than the Loons this season.
• Salt Lake has lost four games this season; all four losses have come on the road. They are 1-3-1 in their previous five road matches.
• Minnesota is 0-2-1 in their previous three home matches; their last home victory came against Chicago on April 23.
• The Loons have earned a point in nine of their eleven matches against Salt Lake in MLS; they are 4-2-5 all-time.
• Salt Lake, however, took four of six points last season, winning their 2021 season opener and spoiling the Loons’ home opener with a 2-1 win at Allianz Field in April, with the clubs then drawing 1-1 in Utah in May.
• Robin Lod has three career goals against RSL, including the lone goal in that home loss in 2021.
• Salt Lake has committed just 175 fouls this season, good for fifth-fewest in the league; they’ve also drawn just 167 fouls, which is tied for the fewest of any team in MLS.
• Emanuel Reynoso’s opening goal in Wednesday’s match was a 0.04 xG opportunity.
• Minnesota allowed 3.2 xG on Wednesday, the highest they’ve allowed in a match this season. It’s the second time this season that they’ve won a game in which they trailed by more than 2 xG.
• In their match last weekend, both Salt Lake and Columbus had less than 1 xG; it was the third time this season that they’ve played a match in which both clubs had less than 1 xG.
• Minnesota’s 48% possession on Wednesday was their highest such mark in their last seven games.
• The Loons put six of their 10 shots on goal on Wednesday; it’s the second time all season they’ve had more than 50% of their shots on target.
• Zac MacMath and Dayne St. Clair are tied for the league lead with 60 saves each.
• A Minnesota connection: both St. Clair and MacMath played their college soccer at the University of Maryland.
• Wil Trapp and Justin Meram played together at Columbus Crew from 2013-2017, as did Niko Hansen in 2017.

MATCH INFO

Minnesota United FC vs. Real Salt Lake

Allianz Field | St. Paul, MN

07.03.22 | MLS League Game #18

7:00 pm CST (MLS Live on ESPN+, Bally Sports North, The CW-Twin Cities, 1500 ESPN)