Minnesota United striker Kelvin Yeboah didn’t have to stew on a no-call for long on Saturday night.
After referee Sergii Demainchuk and VAR decided contact the Loons forward appeared to receive in the box from Luca Petrasso was not worthy of a penalty kick, Yeboah was able to tap-in his first goal of the season three minutes later, in the 69th.
That’s all the Loons would need in a 1-0 win over Montreal in the home opener at Allianz Field.
MNUFC (1-1-0) had 14 total shots to only three for Montreal (0-2-0).
Here are three takeaways:
Warming house
MNUFC snapped a six-match winless lull (0-2-4) in home openers since 2018. The Loons have started all nine seasons away from the Twin Cities and are now 2-3-4 in all season debut home games since joining MLS in 2017.
Clark quiet
Wayzata native Caden Clark had a quiet homecoming in his first game in Minnesota; he was traded away from the Loons for $50,000 in GAM last summer.
Clark started as an attacker on Saturday, not the wingback role he primarily played for the Loons in his 23 total games for Minnesota last season. He did move back to a more defensive space as the Saturday progressed.
After going to Canada last August, Clark notched four goals and two assists in 669 minutes to end 2024. He also received a call-up to the U.S. men’s national team and scored one goal in an exhibition during its January camp.
Straightforward sharing
After years of inaccurate and tardy lineup graphics posted by the club on social media, the Loons have been sharing the players who will actually take the field in certain spots so far this season. And MNUFC did it Saturday in the standard period of time, one hour before kickoff.
It’s refreshing.
On Saturday, Anthony Markanich started in place of Joseph Rosales (quad) at left wingback, while central midfielder Robin Lod made his first start of the season as Wil Trapp was taken out of the starting XI.
Three tidbits
New defensive midfielder Owen Gene made his MLS debut on Saturday, subbing in during the 88th minute. … Two more of the club’s 2025 draft picks, Roman Torres and Logan Dorsey, are still expected to sign contracts with MNUFC2. Torres, a midfielder out of Creighton taken 25th overall, is expected to, in turn, go out on loan within the USL Championship. Kieren Chandler has already been announced as an MNUFC2 player for 2025. … New MNUFC2 goalkeeper Wessel Speel of the Netherlands has been jugging his debut season as a pro and final exams for his masters degree in business from Duke University.
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