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Minnesota United's contender status getting hard to ignore
Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Minnesota United entered the 2025 MLS regular season as an afterthought to most commentators, largely predicted for a mid-table finish with maybe a short playoff run. But over halfway through the campaign, the Loons have legitimate arguments for why they should be taken seriously as contenders for three different trophies.

Dubbed 'The most aggressive set-piece team in the world' by The Guardian last week, Minnesota United flashed their specialty immediately on Saturday night, scoring off a corner kick less than two minutes into an eventual 4-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Loons left wing back Anthony Markanich then scored from a set piece for the third MLS game in a row to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead right before halftime.

Head coach Eric Ramsay, 33, has installed a system that preaches defensive solidity, being dangerous in transition and on counter attacks, and deadly effectiveness on set pieces. Through 22 games this season, the Loons are tied for fourth-fewest goals allowed this season (25). And according to American Soccer Analysis, Minnesota United has allowed the ninth-fewest expected goals (29.17) in MLS this season. Despite having the lowest possession numbers in the league (38.2%), they're 10th in expected goals for (36.73) and sit fifth in actual goals (39).

While the defensive aptitude and lethal counter attacking play has worked for them to start the season, the question has been asked if this Loons squad can play well when asked to control the ball and break down an opponent's defense. Over the last three games, Minnesota has shown a new wrinkle to their offense that appears to say they can.

In a July 4 win at FC Dallas, Minnesota lined up with both strikers Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah on the field to start the match. Earlier this season, Ramsay had experimented with a two-striker system to mixed results, eventually moving to a lone striker setup due to injuries and absences.

In Dallas, Ramsay asked Oluwaseyi to play a little further back of Yeboah, operating slightly more as a playmaker than a pure striker. Earlier this season, Yeboah and Tani essentially operated along a static line with both trying to make defense-breaking runs at the opposition's back line. That led to several moments where both made the same runs into similar areas, allowing defenses to easily close down the Loons' attack.

The switch in Dallas opened up the Loons' offense, allowing Yeboah to use his pace to run at the Dallas defenders, opening up space for Tani get the ball and run at the defense, forcing a choice between closing down either Tani or Yeboah instead of both. It produced one of the better first halves of the season, in which the Loons continually fired shots at the Dallas goal.

Four days later against Chicago in the Open Cup, Minnesota went up a man and down a goal early in the first half. The Loons ended the evening with 60% possession — easily their highest amount of the entire year — and a 3-1 win to move on to the semifinals.

Then on Saturday, with the new-look two-striker system in play again for the Loons, Oluwaseyi and Yeboah were once again causing problems for the San Jose defense during the run of play. At one point late in the first half, Oluwaseyi scooped up a free ball at the half line, went on a slaloming run down to the San Jose endline, and was able to connect a cross to Yeboah for a goal that put Minnesota up 2-0.

With a rejuvenated attack added to an already-dominant defense, the Loons look poised to go into the final stretch as a real contender.

Following Saturday's win and results elsewhere in MLS, the Loons (11-7-4) sit just two points behind San Diego FC for the top spot in the Western Conference. Landing the No. 1 seed in the conference guarantees home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, but landing in the top four means means at least one home game at Allianz Field in late October or early November. If the Loons can secure home-field advantage and continue playing as well at home as they have so far this season (6-2-3), they have a chance of another lengthy run in the postseason.

Outside of looking to secure a spot in the MLS playoffs, Minnesota are just three points back of Philadelphia in the race for the Supporters Shield, which is awarded to the team with the most regular season points. With the Eastern Conference's giants set to take points off each other over the last couple months of the season, there is a fairly good path towards Minnesota being in the race for the Shield late into the season.

Lastly, their most straight-forward path to a trophy is the US Open Cup. Minnesota United will host a banged up Austin FC side in September in the semifinals of the tournament. It's an Austin side that the Loons have previously beaten and drawn with earlier this year. With goalscoring already an issue for Austin (just 23 goals in 21 games), losing leading goal scorer Brandon Vasquez to a season-ending knee injury could prove too difficult a blow to overcome.

If the Loons can get past Austin in September, they would host one of Nashville, Philadelphia, or New York Red Bulls in the US Open Cup final in October. All three would be seriously tough opponents but in one game, at Allianz Field in early October, the Loons would have more than a puncher's chance in that fight.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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