The Black and Blue have been on an absolute tear from Cali to the Midwest, and now they’re taking that energy down south for a road match against an impressive FC Dallas. Los Toros present a veritable threat on their home turf, undefeated at home so far this season, but don’t worry — it’s not your Loons’ first rodeo.
Run of Form
Minnesota United FC
Run of Form: W-W-W-W-D (All Competitions)
Loons have successfully overtaken California. The state is overrun with lake-dwelling birds. I mean, three wins in a row up and down the West Coast is a pretty impressive run. The Black and Blue took home back-to-back regular-season wins against the LA Galaxy and San Diego, then prevailed in a penalty shootout in Sacramento to advance in U.S. Open Cup play. Then they put the cherry on top back home at Allianz Field with a shutout against the Portland Timbers. These guys have really settled into their newly defined roles under Head Coach Cameron Knowles, and they’ll be difficult to slow down now.
FC Dallas
Run of Form: D-D-W-W-D
Speaking of teams on fire, Dallas is also undefeated in five games and currently just one point behind Minnesota in the Western Conference standings. They’ve scored a whopping 14 goals in their last five fixtures, and with no USOC or Champions Cup on their schedule, they’ve got fresh legs and a one-track mind right now. Eric Quill’s squad is impressing week after week, though their last two matches ended in underwhelming home draws against struggling St. Louis CITY and LA Galaxy sides. In the third of three consecutive home games, they’ll be looking to cross the line with a three-point result this Wednesday.
Keys to the Match:
Don’t Mess with Musa
Dallas is currently home to the leading man in the Golden Boot race, Croatian international Petar Musa. He’s fast, unshakable on the ball, and always in the right place to receive a long pass. He knows how to finish, and he makes it look easy. The striker made an impression last season too, netting 18 goals to put himself in the league’s top 10, but he’s already secured half that total in just eight fixtures this year. His brace in Los Toros’ most recent matchup against the LA Galaxy puts him at nine goals, two ahead of both Lionel Messi and Sam Surridge. Between Musa and Logan Farrington (4g/3a) up front, Minnesota’s back line is going to need to be on lock. The center back trio of Morris Duggan, Jefferson Diaz, and Nicolás Romero has been in fine form, as well as Gene and Triantis as defensive midfielders, but after putting in a lot of minutes over the past few weeks, we may see some squad rotation in these spaces. Whoever ends up in that central back position will likely be seeing quite a lot of face time with Musa, and the midfield may need to fall back a bit more than usual for that extra defensive boost.
An Object in Motion Stays in Motion
While last season’s historic run never saw the Loons lose back-to-back games, it also never saw them win three in a row. In fact, Minnesota’s win over Portland secured the club’s first three-game winning streak in the regular season since summer 2022. That’s a lot of momentum built up with a consistent starting XI who have really settled into an identity that blends last year’s defensive solidity with Knowles’ more intentional press. Kelvin Yeboah has scored in all three of those wins, Tomás Chancalay has logged at least one assist in each, and Joaquín Pereyra has been the midfielder of a coach’s dreams with his key passes in nearly every situation. I’m pretty sure Isaac Newton wasn’t lying about his first law of motion, so I’d say the force of inertia is very much in Minnesota’s favor right now.
Hot Potato 101
Since Minnesotans are just so nice, your Loons often suffer from a case of “No, it’s okay, you can have the ball!” And they make it work, too. Though this year has seen a marked increase in possession, they’re still second to last in league-wide possession with 41.6%. When the Black and Blue do have the ball, they don’t waste a single touch, and when they don’t, they’re constantly working behind the scenes to engineer opportunities. As tried and true as that method may be, Dallas is also in the league’s bottom five for possession this season with just 45%. This matchup is basically a recipe for 90 minutes of hot potato, unless one of these squads takes the on-the-ball initiative. If Minnesota rises to that occasion, Coach Knowles will want to see someone like Pereyra pulling the strings, especially after his impressive distribution against Portland. If a strong midfield presence can drop into that space in front of the double pivot to spray passes, he’ll almost certainly create some serious problems for Quill’s favored four-man backline.
You can tune in from the comfort of your couch when the Loons take on Dallas this Wednesday at 7:30, or you can head to The Loop West End to party with your fellow Black and Blue faithful! Join the official Loons Watch Party starting at 6:00 p.m.
