The homestand has unfortunately come to an end, as Minnesota United is hitting the road for the first time since their Independence Day win over FC Dallas. This time, it’s a visit to Rose City that’s calling to your Loons, as a date with the Portland Timbers has got us all wondering what excitement we’re about to watch unfold. There’s never a dull moment in this matchup, so get yourself ready for another edition of one of MNUFC’s most rambunctious rivalries.
Minnesota United (11-5-7)
Run of Form: L-W-W-W-D
Despite a midweek hiccup in a tight loss to LAFC, your Loons are looking quite good at the moment. Prior to Wednesday’s match, they’d managed to score multiple goals in seven consecutive games, booking their spot in a cup semifinal and catapulting themselves within touching distance of the top of the Western Conference. They’ve outscored their opponents 11 to 6 in their last five games, maintaining their steady defensive presence to prove that improving up top doesn’t have to come at the expense of a sound defense. The Black and Blue are among the hottest teams in the league right now — I’d watch out if I were about to host them.
Portland Timbers (9-7-6)
Run of Form: L-L-W-L-D
What an interesting season it’s been for Portland. We’ve seen this squad consistently do just enough to stay relevant in the West, keeping themselves afloat behind their impressive seven-game unbeaten run back in March and April. Since then, they’ve been more spotty, picking up losses to teams they’ve either already beaten once this year (St. Louis, San Jose) or should have beaten on paper (Toronto). While they’ve demonstrated a clear ability to make noise in this league, their recent form will be an encouraging sign for anyone that’s coming up on the schedule.
Keys to the Match:
Scoring by Committee
Every good team has a goalscorer; every great team has more than one. But what’s the secret to spreading your goals out? For the Loons, it’s been creative, crafty set-piece execution paired with talented attackers. For teams around the world, spreading goals out could look like any number of strategies, from center mids that wear their shooting boots a bit more to wingers that invert to cut across the box. However a team spreads goals out, it’s important to find multiple ways to score. Why? Well, if you can hurt a team in multiple ways, they can’t just model their entire defensive strategy around stopping your only strength. We’ve seen the Loons grow into a multifaceted threat across this season, but Portland has found a method of their own. A rotating cast of talented attacking players lead the line in Portland, with the likes of Antony (6 goals, 7 assists), David Da Costa (4 goals, 8 assists), Felipe Mora (5 goals, 4 assists), and Santiago Moreno (4 goals, 5 assists) all proving productive during their opportunities. With that kind of attacking depth, not only has Phil Neville unlocked flexibility in his lineup each week, but he’s also got more than enough impact players to bring into the game when needed. Yes, the Loons are a threatening side, but this Timbers attack is just as dangerous.
Bounceback — It’s What We Do
Across 23 games played in 2025, your Loons have only lost 5 matches. What’s more interesting still is the fact that they’ve not lost consecutive games at any point this season. In fact, the only losing trend one could level at them is the fact that LAFC beat them 1-0 both times they played, but aside from that, it’s been isolated incidents. Whether the loss came from squad rotation, fixture congestion, or some general craziness (remember that San Diego game?), it’s taken some real effort and unique circumstances to get the better of Minnesota United this year. That’s not just a coincidence; it’s culture. This Loons team has proven to be among the most resilient in the league, refusing to stay down for long and always fighting to the final whistle. If history is anything to go on, I don’t think we’re too likely to see another loss this weekend.
Same Partnership, New Look
At the start of the season, Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah started every game side by side in Coach Ramsay’s 3-5-2 system. They found early success, primarily through quick counter attacks and a connection that the league was evidently unprepared for. But teams around Major League Soccer caught on before too long, and then international duty struck. The Loons had to adjust their strategy, and thus the set-piece excellence we know and love was born. Now, another new edition of the Black and Blue strike force is here; welcome to the free-roaming Tani and point-man Kelvin era. With Oluwaseyi pushed slightly back into the midfield, he’s been freed up to express himself even more, dropping further back to get on the ball, drifting wide to take open space, and leaving Yeboah up top to tuck the ball into the back of the net. This has given us a resurgence in their partnership, with the two combining against San Jose and earning themselves two spots on the TOTM. This version of their pairing is more dynamic than anything we’ve seen before, and if it continues to blossom the way it has in its first few tries, it’s going to be a problem for teams across the league.
