Loons never say die. Or was that Goonies? Why not both? Minnesota United put on a resilient performance tonight, erasing a two-goal deficit to take down the Columbus Crew by a final score of 3-2. A brace from Kelvin Yeboah and another goal from the world’s most prolific defender saw the Black and Blue put together a truly remarkable second-half comeback, rediscovering some of that set-piece magic that we got used to in 2025.  

It was immediately clear that this Columbus side would offer a different kind of threat than the Loons had faced in 2026, with their unique movement and extremely fluid passing wreaking havoc in the opening minutes. By utilizing overloads and keeping the ball moving, the Crew were able to cut through the disciplined visitors, putting together a dominant first-half performance that saw them take the lead in the 31st minute. 

The goal seemed to wake up the visitors, though, as the Loons proceeded to step up the intensity of their press. The hosts continued to move the ball well, and though Columbus was still firmly in control, the Black and Blue were starting to show signs of shifting tides. In the 45th minute, some silky combinations from the Loons earned them the first of several late first-half corners, and Columbus’ fatal flaw was exposed. Chaos in the box seemed to suggest that set pieces would be the best way to beat this Crew resistance — remember that for later. 

The dominant hosts continued to shine in the early stages of the second half, doubling their lead in the 56th minute via Hugo Picard. Again, it was the overload on the right side of the field that pulled the Loons out of position, leaving a pair of Crew forwards free in the box. Just minutes later, a long break in action reset the pace of the match, slowing things down and breaking Columbus’ rhythm — and awakening the Loons of 2025. 

Kelvin Yeboah capitalized on a corner in the 59th minute, cutting the lead in half and putting the hosts on edge. Then, just seven minutes later, he made it a brace, rising above his defender on yet another corner and shifting momentum fully in favor of the visitors. The Crew continued to try and play their game in possession, but an increasingly desperate edge to their play was foiled by the growing confidence of the Loons. 

The shift came to a head in the 74th minute, when the Loons’ second-leading goalscorer Anthony Markanich got on the end of a pinpoint Nectarios Triantis cross, making it three balls from wide areas to give the visitors the 3-2 lead. Columbus didn’t go quietly, generating a few more half chances before the final whistle, but the Loons were able to close the match out with a little extra energy after coming back from the brink. 

While the comeback was impressive enough on its own, tonight’s match had some cherries on top for the Black and Blue. Club captain Michael Boxall made his long-awaited return to action as a 76th-minute sub, and he looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Columbus’ fourth Homegrown signing Wil Trapp came onto the pitch with Boxall in the 76th, adding some fresh legs to fully shut down the Crew’s attempts to equalize. On top of that, Yeboah brought his 2026 goal-tally up to eight, tying him for third in the Golden Boot race. 

There’s more than one way to win a game, and when scoring from the run of play proves too difficult, it’s awfully nice to have a team that’s so effective from set pieces. The Loons got it done tonight, earning their fourth road win of the year and reminding us of what made the Black and Blue so effective in 2025. With those three points, MNUFC now sit at 20 points, fifth in the Western Conference and sixth in the Supporters’ Shield standings at the time of writing. They’ll be back in action at Allianz Field next Saturday, May 10, when they’ll take on Austin FC for the second time this season.