Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo dared Minnesota United to break them down at Allianz Field on Wednesday.
LAFC deviated from its usual four-man back line and employed a five-man group to force the possession-challenged Loons to score in an area they are least effective: open play.
United had only three low-quality scoring chances in the match, while LAFC rode a Denis Bouanga penalty kick in the first half for a 1-0 win in St. Paul.
When MNUFC’s league-leading goals on set pieces dried up and few opportunities were presented on counter attacks, Minnesota had to resort to the most-traditional, yet uncomfortable-to-them route to stake a rare comeback.
With a league-low 38% possession coming into the match, Minnesota had 55% of the ball against LAFC.
Loons coach Eric Ramsay tried to counter Cherundolo by subbing wingbacks Joseph Rosales and Julian Gressel for attacking width in the 62nd minute. Minnesota had more possession in the opponent’s box but didn’t really challenge Hugo Lloris.
With the victory, LAFC (10-5-5, 35 points) gains ground on MNUFC (11-5-7, 40 points) in the Western Conference standings.
LAFC played its first game without captain center back Aaron Long — who ruptured his Achilles tendon against Dallas on Saturday — but produced its third straight shutout.
Bouanga nearly had a second goal after he put Gressel in a blender for a breakaway, but Dayne St. Clair made a crucial save in stoppage time.
The Loons lineup was said to be a 5-2-3, with defensive midfielders in Robin Lod and Wil Trapp, and attacking midfielders in Joaquín Pereyra, Tani Oluwaseyi and striker Kelvin Yeboah.
Three tidbits
Sam Shashoua is headed out on loan with an unnamed USL Championship side. The attacking midfielder already has his U.S. Green Card, so his move doesn’t create much more roster flexibility. The 26-year-old Englishman is under a club option for 2026. … The Loons wore their “Heritage Kit” — a throwback to the Minnesota Kicks — for the first of four times on Wednesday. … It appears the move of left wingback Joseph Rosales to Mexican club Tigres has been called off.
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