Minnesota United at LAFC
When: 3:30 p.m. CT Saturday
Where: BMO Field
Stream: FOX, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500
Weather: 68 degrees, sunny, 4 mph east wind
Betting line: LAFC minus-115; draw plus-280; MNUFC plus-290
Form: Season opener for both teams. However, LAFC opened up Concacaf Champions Cup with a 2-1 loss at Colorado Rapids on Tuesday.
Recent matchups: MNUFC and LAFC exchanged a pair of 2-0 home wins last season. Loons won in head coach Eric Ramsay’s debut in March, with LAFC victorious in May.
History: Loons are 4-3-1 in season openers but are unbeaten in their past three — draw at Philadelphia in 2022, win at Dallas in ’23 and victory at Austin in ’24.
Storyline: The Loons traveled to L.A. on Wednesday and have been training on L.A. Galaxy’s grounds in Carson, a painful reminder of the 6-2 thumping Minnesota took from them at that location in the Western Conference semifinal.
“Pretty raw, I suppose, in that sense,” Ramsay said. “But it’s fine. It was strange to have that feeling actually. I hadn’t even anticipated it when we drove up to their training facility. … Last time we were there we entered with so much optimism and left with the bubble having been burst.”
Opinion: The Loons season opener comes at a great time of day, but the home opener — 7:30 p.m. next Saturday vs. CF Montreal — does not. Given the freezing forecast, some afternoon sun, and slightly higher midday temps that come with it, sure would be nice for supporters. That doesn’t need to be a night game.
Absences: Out: Jefferson Diaz (suspended for red card in MLS Cup Playoffs), Kipp Keller (hamstring). Questionable: Hoyeon Jung (illness).
Projected XI: In a 5-3-2 formation, FW Kelvin Yeboah, FW Tani Oluwaseyi; MF Joaquin Pereyra, MF Hassani Dotson, MF Wil Trapp; LWB Joseph Rosales, CB Morris Duggan, CB Michael Boxall, CB Carlos Harvey, RWB Bongi Hlongwane; GK Dayne St. Clair.
Synopsis: LAFC’s CCC loss in Colorado last Tuesday means they need to win in second leg at home this Tuesday to advance in the continental tournament. That means the MLS opener is not nearly as important as what else they have going on, especially coming out of the starting gate of a long regular season.
“I would be surprised if (LAFC) weren’t to make a number of changes,” Ramsay said. “It’s difficult for us to draw loads of conclusions from the game in Colorado certainly because of the (snowy and cold) weather, but probably because of the differences in the lineups we’ll see.”
Scouting report: Duggan is expected to make his first MLS start after playing only 49 minutes as a rookie in 2024. The 24-year-old spent most of last season on loan with Rhode Island in the USL Championship. LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo will likely look to exploit Duggan, who gave up a goal in MNUFC’s final preseason friendly against New York City last Saturday.
Prediction: If LAFC didn’t have CCC to worry about next week, they would be a much easier pick to win the MLS opener. But given their expected rotation in squad, this feels like a 1-1 draw. How’s that for jumpstarting a new season with a piping hot take?
Related Articles
How Loons head coach Eric Ramsay is approaching Year 2
Loons have earned the respect of many MLS pundits
Loons stack up goals in preseason friendly win over Sporting Kansas City
Loons remain active in primary transfer window
Leave a Reply