Under that spacious sky, across the amber waves of grain, just east of those purple mountain majesties, the Loons are set to play FC Dallas on July 4! It wouldn’t be America’s birthday without a dose of the world’s favorite sport, so naturally, your Loons are stepping up. This week’s preview is all about merging soccer, MNUFC, and America into one heck of a patriotic setup for this Western Conference showdown, so put on your red, white, and (especially) blue, fire up the grill, and get your fireworks ready: It’s MLS on Independence Day.
Minnesota United (9-4-7)
Run of Form: D-W-L-W-D
The Black and Blue are different this year, aren’t they? Where we’ve seen streakiness in the past, we now see a resilience and composure that keeps the level from dropping. Regardless of international absences, fixture congestion, or the last result, these Loons come ready for every kickoff, and they’ve been rewarded with a respectable eight points out of a possible 15 in their last five games. If you throw out the craziness of the San Diego match — just like the boys seemed to do when they lined up against Houston — it’s been an impressive run, particularly given the international absences they’ve dealt with for a portion of that stretch. They’re coming into the next one with plenty of positives.
FC Dallas (5-6-8)
Run of Form: L-L-W-D-D
While the Loons have just a single loss in their last five games, Los Toros have only picked up a single win. That’s a tough stat to swallow for any fanbase, but considering the stretch of games they’ve had, even a single win is somewhat impressive. Their last two losses came at the hands of the San California boys, with Diego and Jose both taking three points in high-scoring affairs. A 0-0 draw with Supporters’ Shield leaders Philly and a 3-3 shootout with Cincy were points hard-earned, and a win over SKC showed that this Dallas side just might be a step above the rest of the West’s bottom dwellers. Their colors are literally red, white, blue, and silver, which, regardless of form, feels like an omen that they were meant to finish second on July 4.
Keys to the Match:
Star-Spangled Form
Oh! Say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, of course, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Yes, I’m referring to the Loons’ last result, of course! We cover the run of form at the beginning of every preview, but it warrants another look ahead of this one. The boys in Dallas have proven to be plucky underdogs as of late, bagging plenty of goals (11 in their last five) against quality opposition, but they simply can’t find the results to match their efforts. While that never-say-die attitude is admirable and should put the Loons on notice, it’s also incredibly demoralizing to put in so much effort for so little reward. With every high-scoring loss, the will required to put in another solid shift only increases. Right now, Head Coach Eric Quill needs to find a way to keep motivation high; otherwise, the Loons could run away with this one, giving the rocket’s red glare a much sadder feel for the Dallas fans.
This League is Your League
Your Loons have faced opposition from all over the country in the last few weeks, from California to the New York Island. As they walk that ribbon of a highway down to Dallas (they’re probably flying, but you see what I’m doing here, right?), the Black and Blue should draw confidence from the mere fact that they’ve played most of the league’s best squads already this season. Sure, Dallas has been capable of scoring in bunches recently, but they’re far from the most efficient attack that the Loons have faced thus far. In fact, Dallas has only scored 26 goals this year while giving up 35. It’s always hard to win on the road in this league, but the visitors are entering this match as the deserved favorites. There’s plenty of history in this matchup, but remember this: from Redwood Forests to Gulf Stream waters, this league was made for you and me. Calm those nerves, Loons-faithful.
Party in the USA
As legendary composer Miley Cyrus once said, there is a party in the USA, and I call it Minnesota soccer. When do we ever play on a Friday? Never. How often do we have an international friendly the Monday after? Never. Add in a USOC quarterfinal matchup with Chicago on — wait, is that right? On TUESDAY?! We’re at the start of a Minnesota soccer marathon, and it might have these players feeling a little daunted by their holiday plans. It would be great if we could just tell Coach Ramsey to put that Jay-Z song on that always makes the butterflies fly away, but I suspect calculated squad rotation might be a more effective remedy for avoiding a holiday-weekend hangover. Expect to see the two strongest lineups on Friday and Tuesday, and enjoy what is likely to be a very fun, fresh-faced lineup against our visitors from Germany. The soccer party is just starting; put your hands up, they’re playing our song.
