The field is narrowing! Just eight teams remain in contention for this year’s bragging rights, and just 270 minutes stand between each of them and an MLS Cup trophy lift. The next stop for your Loons is a Western Conference Semi-Final in California, a sentence I remember writing last season as well. This time around, though, the stage is quite a bit different, with the youngest team in MLS playing host to the Black and Blue to fight for a spot in the conference final.
Minnesota United
Run of Form: W-L-W-L-W
This MNUFC team is gritty, aren’t they? Their style of play makes them inherently patient and disciplined, and that mindset has been coming through down the stretch. Two shootout wins to take down Seattle came after two wildly different draws: one a controlled, cagey affair, the other an explosive goalfest. Whether the shots are flying both ways or they’re opting to hunker down and weather the storm, the Loons have proven that they can keep pace with any kind of game, and with an extremely dynamic, creative San Diego side up next, they should be confident that they can handle whatever comes next — no matter how crazy it gets.
San Diego FC
Run of Form: W-L-W-W-W
I’ve lauded LAFC and Vancouver as the league’s most in-form teams recently, but that might be unfair to San Diego. Mikey Varas’ side has been on a tear of late, outscoring their opponents 16-5 in their last five matches. Now, four of those five were against Portland and the other was against Houston, so take that helping of information with a few grains of salt. If we look further back, specifically homing in on their home form, San Diego did start to show some cracks toward the end of the regular season. Their last three regular-season home games saw them lose to both San Jose and your Loons, as well as a 0-0 draw against Portland, who they evidently play every other week it seems.
Keys to the Match:
Stylistically Statistical
Watching about two minutes of these teams will tell you everything you need to know about how they approach the game, but in lieu of a video, let me feed you a couple stats. During the 2025 MLS regular season, San Diego attempted 20,646 passes, the most in the league by nearly a thousand. They finished at the top of the average possession chart as well, keeping just over 60% of the ball in most of their matches. Minnesota United, on the other hand, attempted just 11,923 passes — the least in the league by nearly a thousand. The Loons averaged just under 40% possession across the whole season as well. But, while those stats go a long way toward telling you how each team plays, let’s include some results to finish filling in the picture. San Diego’s goal difference was +23 in the regular season; your Loons managed +17. San Diego earned 63 points; your Loons earned 58. San Diego won 4-2 at Allianz Field; your Loons won 3-1 at Snapdragon Stadium. Thin margins, especially across an entire season. If ever two soccer styles were the Yin to one another’s Yang, this is it. There isn’t a more compelling stylistic matchup in the entire league; how lucky are we that we get to see it one more time?
Runners, Take Your Marks
In each of their previous matchups, San Diego has swarmed the Loons in the opening minutes. Their style of play, mixed with the energy of fresh legs, made for a pair of nervy starts, with Dayne St. Clair being called upon to keep the games from getting out of hand. Throughout the year, we’ve seen the Loons absorb pressure better than any team in the league. They don’t flinch when they’re pinned back, and they almost seem to relish the challenge. But, if Seattle were considered creative in possession (they are), we’ve got to find a better way to describe what San Diego does. Their passing and movement is fluid and natural, like a team that’s been playing together far longer than a year. Jeppe Tverskov’s ability to control the midfield, paired with Anibal Godoy’s experienced presence in the pivot spot, keeps the team connected and dangerous, with short passes constantly forcing the opposition to shift and leave spaces to work into. The Loons don’t normally bite when teams try to bait them that way, but in the early stages, when the passes are crisp and the runs are fast, they need to pay close attention to their spacing if they want to keep the hosts quiet.
Finish Your Dinner
When the Loons last played in San Diego, they found most of their success late in the match. After they went up a goal, the hosts stepped forward, leaving space behind and allowing the Black and Blue to attack the space with some very promising through balls. Only one of those counters led to a goal, though, and in a high-pressure, single-elimination playoff game, converting chances is going to be the difference between advancing or not. It feels too simple to say you need to hit the target, but … you need to hit the target in these moments. None of the near misses, shots into the stands, or bangers on the training ground count between the whistles that bookend this match. Whoever’s leading the line for the Loons — whether it’s Kelvin Yeboah, Robin Lod, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, or someone else — they’re going to have to rise to the occasion. This game may very well hinge on a single shot.
