3 October 2023
Minnesota United is dying by the cross.
A key concept in the Loons’ attack comes in the form of crosses — passes from wide areas targeted for inside the 18-yard box. They aren’t connecting on nearly enough of them this season.
MNUFC is third in MLS in the amount of crosses (528), but tied for 12th with accuracy percentage (32.6), according to wyscout.
Often times, crosses are redirected for goals via headers, and the Loons have only three total goals this season via players’ noggins.
“It’s not been good enough,” manager Adrian Heath said Monday. “Our quality into the box has not been what we expect.”
Heath subbed out right back D.J. Taylor at halftime of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with San Jose because he felt Hassani Dotson in that spot would provide a little more quality in the final third.
Playin around with playoffs
Reminder: MLS has moved the goalposts and made it easier to get to this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs.
Instead of seven entrants in the Western Conference like last year, the league has expanded it to nine, taking some of the achievement off of getting in the field.
Even with nine teams making it, the 11th-place Loons (9-11-11, 38 points) are having a painful time, with only three games left this season. One of their final chances is against current fourth-seed Los Angeles FC (12-10-9, 45 points) at 9:30 p.m. CT Wednesday.
“We don’t get paid to give up,” Loons captain Michael Boxall said Saturday. “Until the full time comes down on our season, we are going to keep giving it everything.”
If the Loons manage to eek into the playoff field as the No. 8 or 9 seed, they will have a single-game wild card match against either the No. 8 or 9 seed. If they advance in that one-off, they will face top seed St. Louis City in a best-of-three series.
Off a cliff
The Loons have dropped 19 points this season from winning positions, including eight in the past three matches. During that skid, they have allowed six goals in the final 30 minutes of matches.
Does this team lack mental toughness?
“No, they didn’t,” Heath said Saturday. “When it was (seven) games recently without losing? No. I just think we haven’t got breaks when we’ve deserved breaks, and every time we make a mistake it ends up in the back of the net at the moment. And, it’s difficult to swallow at times.”
If the Loons, say, drop only half of those 19 points, they would have a top-four seed and be eying home playoff matches that come with that perch.
Briefly
Midfielder Emanuel Reynoso came out of his 76-minute shift in the San Jose draw on Saturday without a flare-up in his thigh injury, Heath said Monday. … LAFC has not scored a goal in four straight matches. … The St. Paul Cup at Allianz Field on Friday will feature a doubleheader between a pair of boys and girls high school teams from Highland Park and St. Paul Central. MNUFC and Bell Bank will present both schools with a $2,500 donation between the matches. … Boxall and Taylor will each be suspended one match with their next yellow card.
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