For a third consecutive game, Minnesota United was shorthanded because of international call-ups, injuries and what manager Eric Ramsay called “a perfect storm” of other issues.
Among the things the Loons also are missing in that three-game stretch are points.
FC Dallas striker Petar Musa had a hat trick, helping the home team to a 5-3 win against MNUFC on Wednesday night in Frisco, Texas. It was Minnesota’s second straight loss and the second time in 12 days that the Loons dropped points against Dallas, statistically one of the most punchless teams in the league before this offensive explosion.
Ramsay called the goals “uncharacteristic moments of poor defending” for a team that had generally been good on defense since the new manager’s arrival.
“I think that’s arguably the most disappointing thing, because I think our baseline is a very strong defensive team that typically doesn’t make repeated mistakes as we’ve done tonight,” Ramsay said.
Minnesota managed to fight back to tie the game after Musa’s first and second goals but ultimately was undone by its defensive fragility, which helped the Croatian striker get his first MLS hat trick after coming into the game without a goal in his past five starts.
On Musa’s first goal, United fullback Caden Clark didn’t step up with the rest of the back line to trap Musa offside, allowing the striker — onside only by inches — to get on the end of an over-the-top ball from Paul Arriola and roll it past Loons keeper Clint Irwin from an acute angle.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane headed home a corner kick in the 32nd minute to tie the game at 1-1, but six minutes later an attempted cross went through the feet of center back Victor Eriksson, and Musa was able to poke the deflection past Irwin for his second of the half.
Hassani Dotson tied the game again in the 57th minute with a memorable, physics-defying shot that went off the gloves of Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes, off the left-hand post, gently across the face of goal, off the right-hand post, and into the net.
Musa completed his hat trick in the 62nd minute after Dallas knocked down another over-the-top pass from Arriola, and Musa ran onto the loose ball and scored again.
Jesús Ferreira scored Dallas’ fourth goal in the the 75th minute — once again, after a Loons attempt to trap a Dallas forward offside failed, leaving Ferreira to waltz in alone and beat Irwin. Logan Farrington made the scoreline even more embarrassing for Minnesota, adding a fifth in the 90th minute.
Minnesota didn’t struggle for chances. The Loons had 19 shots on goal, many of them from very promising places, but most ended up either straight at Paes or over the crossbar.
“I’m not too disappointed with how we used the ball and how purposeful we were around the edge of their box and what that led to,” Ramsay said. “It’s the other side of the game, unfortunately, where we’ve been found wanting today.”
Wil Trapp, returning to the starting lineup after a family issue kept him out of MNUFC’s 2-0 loss to Seattle on Saturday, scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
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