It’s all about perspective for Minnesota United coach Eric Ramsay, whose team is coming off a season-opening loss.
Yes, the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Los Angeles FC was “frustrating,” Ramsay said, but he expects his team to put that game aside when it welcomes CF Montreal to Saint Paul, Minn., on Saturday night.
“I don’t want anyone catastrophizing the fact that we’ve lost the first game, albeit it does feel like that sometimes when you lose the first game after six weeks of preseason and lots of optimism and a sense of moving in the right direction,” Ramsay said. “It was frustrating, but it was a really clean performance where we executed a game plan really well.”
Minnesota managed just two shots on goal to six for LAFC.
Dayne St. Clair made five saves against LAFC, letting in only Jeremy Ebobisse’s eventual match-winner in the 78th minute. Minnesota, which had possession just 38.7 percent of the time, failed to put a shot on frame until Sang Bin Jeong’s attempt in the 88th minute.
CF Montreal (0-1-0, 0 points) twice erased one-goal deficits against host Atlanta United in their season opener despite allowing a brace to Emmanuel Latte Lath in his MLS debut. Atlanta ultimately prevailed 3-2 thanks to Edwin Mosquera’s impressive 85th-minute strike.
“It’s a very difficult place to play, and coming back twice shows a lot of character and that we are a team that doesn’t give up,” Montreal captain Samuel Piette said. “Ultimately, we conceded that third goal, which hurt at the very end, but I am very proud of the guys.”
Prince Owusu — in his first match with Montreal after being traded from Toronto FC in the offseason — and Nathan Saliba scored against Atlanta.
Saturday marks the second contest of a season-opening seven-match road stretch for Montreal, which won’t make its first appearance at Stade Saputo until April 12.
–Field Level Media
