Just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get better, another U.S. Open Cup match comes along … AND YOU CAN BARELY CONTAIN YOURSELF! Sure, the unbeaten streak has snapped, but what is an ending if not a chance for a fresh start? And what better competition to start fresh in than the greatest cup competition known to mankind? Your Loons are headed back to California for their fourth game in the Golden State this month, their unofficial secondary home state at this point, to face an earth-shattering San Jose side for a spot in the USOC quarterfinals.
Minnesota United (5-3-2)
Run of Form: L-W-W-D-W (All competitions)
We all know that the six-game unbeaten run is over — but the good form continues on the field. The Loons saw solid shifts from each of the players who took the pitch this weekend, with James Rodríguez impressing in his first league start in Black and Blue. A loss is never what you’re hoping for, but Saturday’s performance may have shown us more good than bad, as more players across the roster got meaningful minutes. Multiple players jockeying for minutes in the same position always pushes training to another level, and with so many players proving that they’re ready to play, Head Coach Cameron Knowles has a good problem on his hands.
San Jose Earthquakes (9-1-0)
Run of Form: W-W-W-W-W (All competitions)
I was watching Jeopardy the other day, and the prompt that came up read “the 2026 San Jose Earthquakes through (at least) the first 10 games of the season.” The answer was, of course, “What is excellent form?” Aside from a 1-0 loss to Seattle in mid-March, the Quakes have a spotless record in 2026, winning every other game in dominant fashion. They’re finding goals all over the place right now, hitting the back of the net at least twice in each of their last six games. They scored four against the LAFC side that just took down the Loons and followed that win up with a four-goal performance in Austin. Everything is clicking in San Jose at the moment: It’ll take something groundbreaking for your Loons to shake this form.
Keys to the Match:
Spreading the Love
Let’s start this key with a little perspective. MNUFC’s leading scorer in 2026 is Kelvin Yeboah with five goals. It’s a respectable tally, similar to the team high on many other teams — including San Jose. The difference? The second-leading scorer for your Loons is Anthony Markanich with just two goals, followed by a four-way tie for third at one goal. The Quakes top scorer chart looks a bit different: Preston Judd leads the way on six, Ousseni Bouda is just behind him on five, Timo Werner has four, three players have two, and three more have one goal apiece. They’re tied with Vancouver for the highest scoring team in the entire league (25 goals), and while cup competitions are separate from league stats, this all-MLS matchup will feel like familiar territory to this insanely in-form San Jose side. How do you stop a team like this? Well, you should pray, then you should decide if you want to pack it in or embrace the chaos. If the Loons choose the former, we’ll see something akin to last season’s approach, with numbers behind the ball to limit the Quakes’ space. If they opt for the latter, we might get to see the highest-scoring game of the season, as these two teams play out an end-to-end barnburner. With Seattle being the lone side to get the better of Bruce Arena’s side, I’d say your Loons’ best bet is to keep the ball as much as possible, utilizing similar tactics to what we saw against Dallas and LAFC.
Too Many Tens?
It’s Year 10. James wears number 10. Tomás Chancalay and Joaquín Pereyra both play best as free-roaming 10s. The Loons have played 10 league games in 2026. I’m stretching now, so I’ll get to the point: Coach Knowles has got some seriously talented creative players at his disposal. All three of the aforementioned players are good enough to be the first option at CAM for just about any MLS side in the league, but they’re all in Black and Blue. It’s an embarrassment of riches, and as far as problems go, not a bad one to have. That said, it almost certainly puts strain on the starting lineup selection ahead of every match. We’ve seen the 3-4-2-1 setup get the most out of a dual-10 strategy with Chancalay and Pereyra, allowing the Argentinian duo to stretch their legs and take over the game together. Against LAFC, we saw how effective James can be in a 3-4-1-2, dictating the game with his undeniable quality on the ball. There might be too many cooks in the kitchen, but if they can find a way to get all three players on the field together, we could potentially see the most fluid soccer ever played in Black and Blue history. Maybe a 4-2-3-1 with three interchangeable attacking mids? Is that too chaotic? It’s hardly an exact science when you’re trying to make room for these kinds of players, but with so much talent in that area, the Loons have got plenty of options to explore.
Cup Magic
When it comes to the U.S. Open Cup, it can be hard to tell which teams will be going full bore. Ever since the MLS participation in the tournament changed (teams in CCC don’t play in USOC anymore), it stands to reason that the teams competing in the domestic competition would care more about winning it, as it gives the victor an automatic spot in the following season’s continental competition. And, while it’s by no means easy to win the USOC, it only takes five good performances for an MLS team to lift the trophy. If you’re in this tournament and you’re not putting your best foot forward, you’re throwing away what could be your club’s best chance at lifting meaningful silverware and elevating it to international status. I would expect both teams to put out full-strength — or very nearly full-strength — lineups tomorrow, as the allure of that trophy gets stronger every round. A bit of squad rotation may still be on the cards, but I wouldn’t bet on too many changes for either side ahead of this one.
