MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota
07.03.2019 | MLS Week No. 18 | MLS Game No. 18
7:00 p.m. CT (FOX Sports North+, FOX Sports GO, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)

2019 Records:
SJ: 7-6-4, 1-3-3 on the road
MIN: 7-7-3, 4-1-3 at home

Minnesota United begins a busy July with a midweek game against a surging San Jose Earthquakes side who are unbeaten in their last six MLS matches. Coming off a seven-goal shelling of last-place FC Cincinnati, the Loons will be looking to leapfrog San Jose in the standings. A single point separates the sides in the Western Conference as San Jose sits in fifth place with the Loons right on their heels in sixth. A win on Wednesday would go a long way to securing Minnesota’s playoff berth in a competitive Western Conference. MNUFC did well to take three points from San Jose earlier in the season, but since the 3-0 win, the Quakes have drastically tightened up their defense and are freely scoring against some of the best teams in the league.

The game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. CT with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North+, streaming on FOX Sports GO and on MNUFC Radio on SKOR North. A number of special events are planned as well for Minnesota United’s annual Salute to Freedom, presented by Xcel Energy. From 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the Red Devil Rock Band, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, will be performing on Shields Avenue outside the stadium. Players from both teams will be wearing special Americana procession tops when they take the field and the National Anthem will be performed by Jones Boat, a male quartet curated by Vocal Essence. There will be a pregame flyover of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules conducted by the Flying Vikings of the 934^th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve Command. In the game itself, MNUFC players will sport kits with special star-spangled numbers and after the game, there will be a special Salute to Freedom lighting program on the stadium façade.

Against FC Cincinnati, MNUFC turned in one of its most complete performances of the season, handing the visitors a shocking 7-1 loss. Each foray from the Loons into Cincinnati territory spelled danger for the expansion side. Two goals from Ike Opara and goals from Ethan Finlay, Angelo Rodriguez, Mason Toye, Kevin Molino and Hassani Dotson meant that Minnesota United finished with six different scorers on the day. With the attack firing on all cylinders, the Loons were also organized on defense. They held a strong defensive shape, snuffing out almost all of the FC Cincinnati attack, in turn creating chances for the MNUFC attack to flex its muscles. One of the key moments in the game came early on, when Vito Mannone made an acrobatic stop to tip a shot from Rashawn Dally onto the crossbar and keep the game tied at zeroes. The save gave the home side the impetus to score the first goal which then paved the way for an onslaught. From Vito Mannone to the backline to the midfield and the attack, Minnesota sent a resounding message to the rest of the league — the Loons mean business.

“The one thing that came from the game, and I spoke about this to the players, is that goals change games in football,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “We started the game really well, then we had a 10-minute spell where we continually gave it away and they had an opportunity to score a goal. The one that hits the bar, if it goes in, the game is completely different and I think that was the important message from the game. Overall, I’m delighted with the attitude of the players. We are starting to take a really good percentage of the chances that we are creating in this moment in time and that bodes well for the future.”

Among Saturday’s six MNUFC goal scorers were Mason Toye and Kevin Molino. Both came on as second half substitutes, replacing Darwin Quintero and Angelo Rodriguez. The pair were exceptional in using their pace to get at the Cincinnati backline. Toye’s goal was his first MLS tally for Minnesota United, demonstrating the progression the young forward has made with the Loons. Molino’s goal also comes at an opportune time for the Trinidadian – his second in the team’s last two MLS home games – as he begins to make a push for the starting lineup.

“Mason is working really, really hard to develop himself into a top player,” said Heath. “We know he’s got all of the athleticism. What we need to know now is: Is he picking up all of the stuff that we work on Monday to Friday? It looks like it at this moment in time. As for Kevin, I think he’s one of the better players in the league. Now he’s got himself fit and healthy, got a goal for Trinidad, got a goal again on Saturday, so it’s going to be a nice problem for me moving forward in terms of selecting the team.”

Facing a quick turnaround – from Saturday to Wednesday – the Loons will have to refocus and come down from the high of scoring seven goals in preparation for a resolute San Jose side. The two games in five days begins a hectic spell for the Loons with seven games in 22 days. Young players such as Hassani Dotson and Chase Gasper — who have ascended to the MNUFC starting lineup — will look to the veterans for guidance on handling the grueling schedule.

“I think it’ll definitely be hard especially with how quick the turnaround is in terms of just time,” said defender Chase Gasper who made his first MLS start on Saturday. “We’ve got some great professionals on this team. [We have] some of the veterans in the league who make it [the turnaround] a lot easier when you can look up to guys like Ike, Ethan, Vito, Jan, that prepare so well physically and mentally. Seeing what they do, seeing how they prepare, it helps us younger guys out a lot and it definitely helps me personally.”

Coming off a gargantuan 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the “California Clásico,” the Quakes are unbeaten in their last six games (4-0-2) for the first time since 2013. In their last 11, they are 6-1-4 — the best record in the Western Conference and tied for second best in MLS in that span — and the Quakes have only trailed once – for 72 minutes – during that run. That is 918 minutes or 92.7 percent of the time holding the lead or tied.

This has begun to speak volumes for an organized and resilient San Jose Earthquake defense that started MLS in shaky fashion. In their first four games, they conceded 14 goals but have since righted the ship, conceding 13 goals in their last 13 games. San Jose Earthquakes Head Coach Matias Almeyda has brought in a man-marking system that seeks to tightly defend each member of an opposing team. While it can be risky and takes time to perfect, the system can pay dividends, as shown by their recent record.

“[They are] probably the one team in all the league that actually has a real identity to what they are going to do,” said Heath. “It’s different than most teams but they’ve all bought in. You can see that with the players now. They’re obviously very, very confident and they believe in what the coach is trying to instill in them.”

With Minnesota’s second half schedule full of Western Conference opponents bunched up around the playoff line, Wednesday’s game is an imperative three points for the Loons.

“I think it’s our most important game of the season,” said Heath. “I just think that it’s another Western Conference team that’s in and around us. Were we to go and get another three points, go up to 27 points, probably put us in third or fourth in the league [and] maybe a little bit of a gap between the people below the red line. I know it’s going to be difficult but as I always say, I’m more than confident in this group. If we play anything like [Saturday], we’ll win the game.”

INJURY REPORT
Minnesota United FC

• OUT: F – Abu Danladi (right hip)
• QUESTIONABLE: M – Collin Martin (right ankle)

San Jose Earthquakes

• OUT: M – Anibal Godoy (abdomen surgery 6/25, out 6 weeks)

FIRST TOUCHES

• Minnesota joined elite company in its 7-1 win over FC Cincinnati, becoming just the seventh team to score at least seven goals in a game in MLS history.
• It was Minnesota’s first league win since May 25.
• Six players had multiple points against Cincinnati: Ike Opara (2G), Jan Gregus (3A), Ethan Finlay (1G/1A), Darwin Quintero (2A), Angelo Rodriguez (1G/1A) and Mason Toye (1G/1A)
• Gregus set a new club record with three assists in a single game.
• Gregus now leads the Loons with seven assists on the year, passing Romain Metanire who has six.
• Toye’s goal was his first-ever in MLS. He scored his first goal for the club on June 18 in the Open Cup against Houston Dynamo.
• Toye is the 24th MNUFC player to score in MLS.
• Prior to last week, the most goals the Loons had scored in an MLS game was five, coming back on July 22, 2018 in a 5-1 win against LAFC.
• The eight assists by MNUFC last week set a new single-game club record.
• MNUFC also set a new club record for goals in a single half, scoring four in the opening half against Cincinnati.
• Chase Gasper made his first MLS start against Cincinnati.
• Michael Boxall made his 75th career MLS appearance last game.
• Angelo Rodriguez’s next goal will be his 10th in his MLS career.
• Minnesota had just 38% of the possession against Cincinnati.
• The Loons defeated the Earthquakes 3-0 in their first meeting of the year on March 9.
• That game was the first time Minnesota had beat San Jose since joining MLS.
• Miguel Ibarra’s last goal came against San Jose.
• San Jose is undefeated in its last six games.
• The Earthquakes’ Tommy Thompson scored his first goal of the year in the club’s 3-0 win against LA Galaxy last week.
• This is the second of seven games in 22 days for MNUFC.
• This is Minnesota’s first midweek league game since May 29.
• Jackson Yueill is a native of Bloomington, Minnesota. He was a teammate of Abu Danladi’s at UCLA from 2015 to 2016.
• Ike Opara was drafted 3rd overall by San Jose in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. He played three seasons with the Earthquakes.
• There are four Minnesotans combined on the Loons’ and Earthquakes’ squads. Yueill (Bloomington) is joined by Eric Miller (Woodbury), Brent Kallman (Woodbury) and Ethan Finlay (Duluth).
• Minnesota assistant coach Mark Watson has held multiple coaching positions with San Jose. He was an assistant from 2010 to 2013, then took over as interim head coach for the latter part of 2013. Watson was named head coach for the 2014 season.
• Shea Salinas and Michael Boxall played for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2011.
• Jimmy Ockford and Osvaldo Alonso were a part of the Seattle Sounders FC organization from 2014 to 2016.