Minnesota United at San Diego FC
What: Western Conference semifinal
When: 9 p.m. CT Monday
Where: Snapdragon Stadium
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500
Weather: 60 degrees, overcast, 4 mph south wind
Betting line: MNUFC plus-360; draw plus-320; San Diego minus-160
Format: The MLS Cup Playoffs have entered its one-game knockout rounds. Unlike the best-of-three, first-round series, if this match is tied after 90 minutes, a 30-minute extra time period will be played for a tie would go to penalty kicks.
Look-ahead: Monday’s winner will play Vancouver in the West final next weekend. The second-seed Whitecaps beat Los Angeles FC in penalty kicks on Saturday night. Top seed San Diego would host, while fourth-seed Minnesota would again go on the road.
Form: MNUFC outlasted Seattle Sounders in a wild Game 3 on Nov. 8, overcoming a two-goal deficit and Joseph Rosales’ red card to win in 10 rounds of penalty kicks.
View: The MLS schedule change (where in 2027, the season starts in fall, ends in spring) will hurt cold-weather clubs such as the Loons, but the flip will nullify the current playoff pause during international windows, which can suck momentum from the proceedings. The Loons were buzzing after the Seattle win, but there is a 15-day gap between matches.
Recent matchups: The Loons split its regular-season set against expansion franchise San Diego, losing 4-2 in St. Paul in June and winning 3-1 in San Diego in September. Both team lacked key players in June and Minnesota rode its luck in September as San Diego had an 2.2-0.7 advantage in expected goals.
Quote: “I don’t think anyone sees the game playing out distinctly differently to how it’s played out in the first two,” Ramsay said Friday. “They’re a team that will really dominate the ball, I would say (as) any team in MLS at the moment, so we know full well the things that we’ve done well (defensive organization, threat on transition and set plays) We have to do that to a really high level if we want to win the game.”
Stats: 66%. The amount of possession San Diego held in each of the regular-season matches against Minnesota. This was not a shocking number. S.D. led the league with 60.8%, while Minnesota was dead least at 39.7.
Absences: Rosales (suspended) is out. The MLS availability report has not yet been released.
Key to the game: Unlike the West semifinal last year against L.A. Galaxy, the Loons need to keep this goal-less early — or, ideally, score their own goal. If high-flying San Diego scores early, Minnesota will have to chase an open-play goal and that is far from their strength. That would invite a blowout.
Scouting report: The head of the San Diego attack is Anders Dreyer. The Dane attacker has 36 combined goals and primary assists, which is behind only Lionel Messi (45) this season. Coming in from Anderlecht in Belgium, the 26 year old. MLS New comer of the year.
Prediction: Minnesota luck ran out at this stage a year ago and it’s hard to see how it will go beyond this point again in 2025. San Diego, 3-1.



