MLS: Loons plan to stay defense-first in order to sweep RSL

Date:

Share post:


Minnesota United will try to put on yet another exceptional defensive performance and advance to the Western Conference semifinals when they host Real Salt Lake in Game 2 of their Round 1 series on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Sixth-seeded Minnesota won on penalties following a 0-0 draw in regulation in Game 1 in Utah, in a match that included impressive performances from both goalkeepers.

But the Loons in particular have been difficult to score on for a while; Tuesday night’s clean sheet was the fifth Minnesota has kept in its last six fixtures in all competitions.

Dating back even further, Minnesota has conceded multiple goals only twice in 10 fixtures since signing defender Jefferson Diaz and immediately inserting him into the starting lineup.

With goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair behind him, and with the Loons possessing some of the best counterattacking weapons in MLS, coach Eric Ramsay signaled his team isn’t likely to adopt a more aggressive posture in Game 2 just because they are home.

“We’re always going to be defense first,” Ramsay said after Tuesday’s match. “I feel like that’s the basis of most good teams. … And I feel like it would be naive for us to go away from being a team that is incredibly difficult to beat.”

That’s also a style that has suited Minnesota more than third-seeded Salt Lake.

The Claret and Cobalt have won five regular-season matches in which they’ve conceded one goal, three in which they’ve let in two and two in which they’ve allowed three.

But even in what is technically a seven-match unbeaten run (Tuesday counts as a draw), an attack that was once one of the league’s elite has struggled.

Diego Luna remains the only RSL player to have scored in his side’s last four matches. Cristian Arango has scored only one of his team-leading 17 regular-season goals since June 1.

“It’s been a theme, I think, where we got a lot of players in the front line that want to get on the ball, but they don’t,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “We’re not doing it in dangerous areas or we’re not making plays from that. … If we want to score we need numbers in the box, we need to be more brave.”

–Field Level Media

spot_img

Related articles

NWSL: Wave feel at home on the road, tackle Louisville to end season

A pair of first-half goals pushed the San Diego Wave over Racing Louisville 3-1 on Sunday to end...

NWSL: Current beat Red Stars, set NWSL record for goals in a season

The Kansas City Current scored three times in the first half and set a record for the most...

MLS: Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec named MLS Newcomer of Year

LA Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec was named the 2024 MLS Newcomer of the Year on Monday. The 23-year-old Brazilian...

MLS: Ryan Gauld scores again as Whitecaps blank LAFC, even series

Ryan Gauld scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and was involved in two more as the Vancouver...

FREE

Get the most important breaking news and analyses for Free.

Thank you for subscribing

Something went wrong.