What goes up must come down. It was a tough night for Minnesota United, falling by a score of 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium. Though the home side dominated the stat sheet, this wasn’t far off from a normal Loons performance; it simply lacked that extra quality we’ve gotten so used to seeing in big moments.
The Loons came out with a much different lineup, with just three of the starters from this past weekend’s win over Miami retaining their spots. Wil Trapp, Jefferson Diaz, and Dayne St. Clair were the holdovers in today’s 3-4-2-1. MNUFC2’s Kieran Chandler earned his MLS debut, while Hoyeon Jung got his first MLS start next to Trapp. Morris Duggan, Devin Padelford, and DJ Taylor returned to the lineup, Kelvin Yeboah led the line, and Julian Gressel and Sang Bin Jeong rounded out the starting group.
With so many changes to the lineup, it was always going to be a different product on the field from the visitors. The first half saw the Black and Blue defend as we’ve grown accustomed to, looking comfortable sitting in and defending for long stretches. Some key interventions from DSC kept the hosts off the board, while the dynamic play of Houston’s Jack McGlynn continually threatened to break the deadlock throughout the opening 45.
The Dynamo kept possession effectively, using the wide areas that MNUFC were willing to concede to send in 17 crosses in the first half alone. Though the visitors defended crosses from open play quite comfortably, it was the second phase of a late corner kick in first-half stoppage time that saw La Naranja take the lead, much to the visitors’ chagrin. After what had been a solid defensive performance, a chaotic sequence saw a short clearance sent back into the mixer, where Houston center back Pablo Ortiz was able to loop a headed shot to the back post.
Despite being down and heavily rotated, the Loons came out of the break without making any changes. More of the same play defined the first few minutes, though some moments of quality from the likes of Hoyeon Jung and Kieran Chandler made things interesting before Eric Ramsay sent the cavalry in in the 64th minute.
The addition of Robin Lod, JoaquÃn Pereyra, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane saw the team shift once again into a 5-3-2 formation as they chased the game, bringing a jolt of energy and creativity. Just 13 minutes after they joined, though, the hosts doubled the lead from yet another second phase of a corner kick. The Loons continued to fight, but their efforts were simply too little and too late to make any difference in this road matchup.
When fixtures stack up like this, rotation is a must. It’s up to the coach’s discretion to decide who to rest, how many players to rest, and in what capacity the regular starters will be involved. A lot of changes to the starting lineup can give reserve players a chance to shine, while leaving regular starters to clean things up if needed. A strong starting lineup can signal that a team wants to get their work done early, then rest starters afterward. Coach Ramsay opted for heavy changes up front in this one, and while the rotated players that stepped in did their part in executing the defensive plan all but perfectly from open play, two lapses in set-piece transition came back to haunt them. We’ve seen the Black and Blue win games with stat lines similar to this one this season, but a lack of creative spark for much of the match kept Ramsay’s side from finding the difference they needed in order to play as effectively as they’re used to.
A very promising showing from Hoyeon Jung saw the South Korean midfielder complete several impressive dribbles, connect some effective passes, and break Houston’s pressure more than once. Julian Gressel continued to grow into this team, providing a couple of moments of quality from dead balls and showcasing his ability to play in the middle of the park. Lastly, Kieran Chandler rewarded his coach’s decision to opt for a player with positional familiarity over first-team experience, playing with an intensity that proved he was up for the challenge.
Despite the loss, your Loons remain in second place in the Western Conference at the time of writing, though several games have yet to finish tonight. They’ll be heading home for three consecutive matches now, with their first of two games against St. Louis set for 7:30 p.m. CT this Saturday at Allianz Field.
