These are the moments we play for, right? Winner-takes-all, season on the line, leave it all on the field. Game 3 between MNUFC and Seattle is coming to Allianz Field this Saturday, and it’s going to be tense. After two wildly different games to open the series, the Loons will look to keep dancing with a win against their rivals to the west this weekend, but it’ll be anything but easy.
Minnesota United (16-8-10)
Run of Form: L-W-L-W-D
The Loons ended the regular season with a mixed bag of form, experimenting with lineups and trying new things before the postseason began. After two playoff games, that same kind of form has proven true. A solid Game 1 performance saw MNUFC execute their preferred approach, grinding a win out behind defensive excellence. A slow start in Game 2 eventually made way for some promising pressing moments, but the efforts were too little, too late. The back line is going to need to clean up some of the marking assignments and transition play, but the flare of clinical attacking play at the end of Game 2’s first half should give them plenty of belief.
Seattle Sounders (15-9-10)
Run of Form: W-L-W-W-W
That was almost the perfect game from a Seattle perspective. They got sloppy in first-half stoppage time, but they added a fourth goal in the second half and proved to themselves that they can indeed find space to move through this MNUFC defense. By exploiting the Loons’ left flank, the Rave Green caused havoc with low, driven crosses and late-arriving runs. When the game was in the balance, they were absolutely swarming the visitors, and though they benefitted from some lapses in man-marking, they showed the kind of initiative and creativity that should buoy them ahead of Game 3.
Keys to the Match:
Right Where We Want Them
A few stats to calm any panicking Loons fans: The Sounders finished the regular season with the best home record in the Western Conference, putting together an impressive +18 goal difference and earning 36 out of a possible 51 points. Losing to them at Lumen Field is nothing to get upset over; everyone does it. Their away record, though, is far more encouraging. With just 19 points from 17 away matches, Seattle comes in at seventh in the west’s most effective road teams, and they’ve particularly struggled in the confines of Allianz Field. In 180 minutes (and change) of gameplay here in Saint Paul, they haven't scored a single goal, failed to convert three penalty kicks, and watched the Loons celebrate two wins this season. Obviously, sweeping the series and making it a perfect four for four over Seattle would’ve been great. But, if you’ve got to face them in a winner-take-all Game 3, there’s no place quite like home. If we’re looking purely at numbers here, fate is very clearly wearing a Black and Blue jersey.
Timing is Everything
Across the regular season, the Loons gave up 39 goals in 34 games. That’s a fantastic number: third-best in the league and second-best in the Western Conference. While that defensive excellence could make for a key on its own, it's the timing of those conceded goals that interests me most today. As it turns out, 27 of the 39 goals they conceded came in the second half of their respective games, meaning they conceded in the opening half just 12 times. Of the eight regular-season losses the Loons suffered this season, they conceded in the first half of five of them. Conceding early disrupts the psyche of any defense-first team, no matter how disciplined they are. If you go down right away, you’re always more inclined to stretch the field and stray from the compact game plan that has seen the Loons achieve so much success this season. It’s easier said than done, of course, but keeping Seattle scoreless in the opening 45 is going to be crucial to the Black and Blue’s success this Saturday. If they do give up an early goal, they need to stay the course, trust the process, and avoid getting pulled out of position to chase a goal.
Set Piece Setup
If ever there were a time that set-piece goals would be extra welcome, it would be now. After leading the league in set-piece goals during the regular season, the Loons have come up empty thus far in the postseason, with free kicks, corner kicks, and long throws all failing to pay dividends through two games. If the Loons can maintain control of the game like they’ve already done the first two times they’ve hosted Seattle this season, they’ll need to rediscover their set-piece dominance to establish a credible threat. That means Anthony Markanich needs to stay back when his side is out of possession and wait for deadball opportunities to get forward and put his signature finishing touch on a perfectly weighted pass. The Loons don’t need to rush anything this weekend; instead, they need to take their time, attack with precision, and slow the game down to allow execution to supersede effort.
