Minnesota United at L.A. Galaxy
When: 9:30 p.m. Central Time on Sunday
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif.
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500 ESPN
Weather: 73 degrees, partly sunny, 8 mph east wind
Betting line: Galaxy minus-170; draw plus-340; MNUFC plus-360
Series history: The Loons came from behind for a 2-2 draw with L.A. on May 15 at Allianz Field. They are 3-7-5 against the glitzy club since joining MLS in 2017.
Form: MNUFC (8-8-5, 29 points) has lost a club-record five straight MLS games. Galaxy (11-4-7, 40 points) had won four in a row before a 2-1 loss to crosstown rival LAFC at Rose Bowl Stadium on Wednesday.
Absences: Dayne St. Clair, Tani Oluwaseyi and Carlos Harvey (international duties) are out. Hugo Bacharach (knee), Clint Irwin (groin) and Wil Trapp (hamstring) are also out. Teemu Pukki (knee) is probable.
Projected XI: In a 5-2-3 formation, LW Sang Bin Jeong, CF Teemu Pukki, RW Bongi Hlongwane; CM Hassani Dotson, CM Robin Lod; LWB Joseph Rosales, CB Devin Padelford, CB Micky Tapias, CB Michael Boxall, RWB DJ Taylor; GK Alec Smir.
Check-in: With Canada’s win over Venezuela in Copa America on Friday, the Loons top goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and leading scorer Tani Oluwaseyi will remain away from MNUFC through the Houston match on July 13.
If Canada would have lost in Texas, the plan was for the pair to fly to L.A., maybe in time to train Saturday and play in match Sunday. Instead, MNUFC remains without two of its best players.
Player to watch: Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig is a menace. Going into the weekend, the 5-foot-6 Spaniard leads MLS in passes into the final third (200), progressive carrying distance (4,324) and fouls drawn (51), per FBref.com.
Another player to watch: Pukki scored twice for Finland against Portugal on June 4, but hurt his knee in the next friendly against Scotland and missed all five losses in the Loons’ current skid.
Without him and Oluwaseyi, the Loons have been using wingers as strikers and success has been scant. Pukki will help tie together the formation, but finding the net in MLS has been a struggle for him, too. He hasn’t scored across 12 league games since March 9.
Scouting report: L.A. is fourth in MLS with 42 goals this season and four players have scored six or more. MNUFC continues to have a leaky defense with at least three goals allowed in three of its last four matches.
Question: United’s front office is “really active” in preparing for the summer transfer window and the goal is to bring in a multiple players. Given the skid, they need help immediately, but will the newcomers be available to play ASAP when fist eligible on July 20?
Prediction: The Loons defense has been porous, while the Galaxy offense has been a problem (for others). L.A. is 6-1-3 at home, while Minnesota hasn’t won away from St. Paul since May 4. Everything points to another lopsided Loon loss, 3-1.
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