On a humid Saturday evening at Allianz Field, Minnesota United FC snapped a nine-match winless streak that included seven losses and two draws. The victims were the San Jose Earthquakes, who have struggled all year and fired former MN Thunder player Luchi Gonzalez as their head coach in late June.

Saturday, July 20, 2024 was MNUFC’s Native American Heritage night presented by Grand Casino. Members of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe drummed and danced both outside Allianz Field as part of the Lawn Layover and also on the pitch before kickoff.

Pregame performance by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Timber Trails Drum Group. pic.twitter.com/D6tUH2fk1n

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 21, 2024

Also in the spirit of Native American Heritage, the supporter groups of Minnesota Wonderwall painted a tifo designed by Ashinaabe business owner, Sarah Agaton Howes, of Heart Berry Co. The design featured Loon iconography and the words: Sovereignty, Solidarity, Justice, Equity.

At the end of the day, Minnesota took all three points. Sang Bin Jeong helped to create a San Jose own goal, and a header from Bongokuhle Hlongwane in the second half sealed the deal.

“Then the Lineup Comes”

Once again, Eric Ramsay’s employed his 5-4-1 / 5-2-3. With Michael Boxall out on yellow card suspension and WIl Trapp out with a hamstring injury, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair wore the MNUFC captain armband for the first time.

Miguel Tapias slid to the central of the back five to marshall the back line in Boxall’s absence.  DJ Taylor was also out with a hamstring, so Sang Bin Jeong dropped back to right fullback/wingback.

Carlos Harvey made his third consecutive start in the right centerback spot once occupied by Kervin Arriaga. Alejandro Bran made his fourth start (out the Loons’ last five matches) in the central midfield along side Hassani Dotson.

The Loons’ three top goal contributors formed the attacking front. Statistics coming into the match were Tani Oluwaseyi (8 G, 4 A), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (6 G, 4 A), and Robin Lod (6 G, 11 A).

For #Quakes96

i assume 4-2-3-1.

LW Amahl Pellegrino leads the team with 5 goals on the season

S Jetemy Ebobisse has 4 goals.

RW Cristian Espinoza has 11 assists, tied with #MNUFC's Robin Lod.

18yo back Oscar Verhœven gets the start. pic.twitter.com/q7J32PRh3h

— Northland Soccer Journal (@NorthlandSoccer) July 21, 2024

San Jose interim manager Ian Russell lined up San Jose in their typical 4-2-3-1. However, their back line has had worse depth issues than Minnesota United recently. Fullbacks Carlos Akapo and Vitor Costa are both out with lower body injuries. Centerbacks Daniel Munie (head) and Bruno Wilson (lower body) have also been absent.

The consistent centerback Rodrigues was joined by fullback-at-centerback Tanner Beason. Similar to MNUFC’s Sang Bin filling in for an injured DJ Taylor, San Jose’s wing Benji Kikanović moved to right fullback and started his fifth straight match at that position. At left fullback, 18-year-old Oscar Verhoeven made his MLS debut.

While San Jose has had a rotating cast along the back four, their front four have been consistent: Left wing Amahl Pellegrino leads the team with five goals. Striker Jeremy Ebobisse and playmaker Hernán López each have four goals on the year. Right wing Cristian Espinoza only has three goals, but 11 assists has him tied with Robin Lod in that statistic.

“Story Of My Life”

For the first 30-some minutes, San Jose had the better attacking chances.  In the 15th minute, Espinoza turned and dribbled middle on Padelford and shot wide. Soon after, Espinoza would shoot a free kick into the wall, blocked by Tapias’ turned back. In the 32nd minute, the Earthquakes would shake the Loons with two opportunities, but Pellegrino’s screamer was silenced by Padelford, and Ebobisse’s header went wide left.

“I thought in the first half, it was there. It was the best half since I’ve been here. We won a ton of balls, second balls. We were pretty direct, got in behind, created two massive chances. I don’t think they had any [expected goals] until 35 minutes in the game. So we came out, and we were the better team. We should’ve been up 2-0.” — San Jose Earthquakes coach Ian Russell

Heading into this match, San Jose had just one win and one draw in the last 12 matches. San Jose are middle of the pack (17th of 29 teams) in shots taken, but near the bottom (25th of 29 teams) in shots on target. In 2006 a San Jose band sang, “It doesn’t matter what I do, I just can’t seem to win / But here I go again.” The Earthquakes’s high volume of shots but low volume of shots on target seem to the story of their — well, season at least.

“Nervous In The Alley”

In the 25th minute, Alejandro Bran would turn the ball over to challenging Hernán López. Bran tried to get the ball back but hung on to López by the arm, then his waist. Bran would receive a yellow card. Less than ten minutes later, Franco Fragapane would sub on for Bran.

Eric Ramsay explained, “I can’t put it any other way than to say we were really really poor the first half an hour, uncharacteristically so just in terms of the basics: the giveaways, the turnovers — was certainly not the team that we want to be. So that weighed in the change that we made, but also I was very conscious of the fact that Alejandro had been booked. I didn’t want to risk us having to play that game with 10 men.”

Ramsay later commented, “Since the rule change and the number of subs you can make in the last couple of years being five, I’ve said from day one here that is certainly not an insult to be taken off in the first half, at halftime, or early in the second half.”

Robin Lod moved from the right wing to right center midfield. Fragapane took the right wing position.

“Why Can’t We Be Friends”

In the 38th minute, MNUFC would shift the ball left to right from Joseph Rosales to Hassani Dotson to Lod. In one of several vertical zig-zag passing patterns of the evening, Lod passed up to Fragapane, back to Harvey, and up to Sang Bin on the right side.

Sang Bin would curl in an outswinger that appeared to be aimed at a far-post cutting Tani Oluwaseyi. However, before it could get to the charging striker, San Jose’s Tanner Beason stuck out his boot, which deflected the ball into the upper far left corner of the net. Beason became the Loons’ friend for a moment; however, goalkeeper William Yarbrough probably felt differently.

That was a banger. 🫡#MINvSJ | #MNUFC pic.twitter.com/zmBEFfR2j5

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) July 21, 2024

San Jose interim coach Ian Russell said, “We had two really big chances. Soccer’s a game where there’s not a ton of chances. Jeremy [Ebobisse] had two of them that he usually finishes. We could’ve been up 2-0. They get an own goal that’s kind of a fluke, and that kind of took the wind out of our sails out a little bit.”

At half, MNUFC led 1-0.

“Can’t Get Enough of You, Bongi “

Around the 61st minute, Bongokuhle “Bongi” Hlongwane would get three shots off. Robin Lod would thread the needle on a vertical pass up to the South African. Bongi did a give-and-go with Fragapane, but Bongi’s shot was saved by Yarbrough. After Bongi collected the rebound, his next shot was blocked by Jackson Yueill. MNUFC controlled the ball on the right side, Sang Bin sent a diagonal back pass. Bongi one-touched the ball high into the Wonderwall.

After the match, Northland Soccer Journal asked Bongi about this moment. He knew exactly what happened: “I knew he [Sang Bin] was gonna play cut back. I knew that because I was like next to him, [and] I can’t make it to the first post.  But I was not ready for it, so I didn’t attack the ball. I should have attacked the ball then I would have been able to score. Because if you saw the time I tried to finish, I leaned back. If I lean back then the ball is going to go over the bar.”

Then I saw this goal / Now “I’m a Bongi  Believer”

In the 74th minute, San Jose sub Jack Skahan made a threatening run that was thwarted by Padelford and St. Clair. About a minute later, MNUFC countered and earned a corner kick. While Rosales’ initial kick was blocked, Sang Bin collected and recycled the ball back to Rosales. The left fullback sent in an outswinger cross. Bongi jumped up and headed the ball back across to the upper right corner.

Bongi’s header doubles @MNUFC’s lead. 💥 pic.twitter.com/lWZ3OZ5EOc

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 21, 2024

Bongi spoke about how coaching and training led to his goal: “When I am always in that position whenever we are preparing for set plays, they always tell me to stay with the keeper. So whenever we play short or something, just try to move and be onside and that’s what I did. I think I have scored two goals with a header in the same place.”

“Unity”

While some fans may see  Tani Oluwaseyi starting over Teemu Pukki as a rivalry — and it is competitive — the two strikers also have shown they can play together, in a two-striker system or, as on Saturday, Tani moving to a wing spot. In the 81st minute, Allianz Field witnessed the growing chemistry between the pair.

Tani with his back to the net, headed the ball up to an onside Pukki. Pukki turned the corner on Rodrigues and got the ball back to Tani. Tani had little time to react, and his left foot naturally pushed the ball to the near post where WIlliam Yarbrough made the save.

At the final whistle, Minnesota United broke their nine-game winless streak and closed out a clean sheet.

Ramsay remarked about finishing this match to the final whistle: “We had a tough video meeting on Friday ahead of this game and it was very clear that we cannot be a team that can compete for the playoffs and evolves hopefully into being one of the more competitive teams in this league if we are going to make such basic errors.”

The coach further explained, “We cannot execute defending moments around the box, on set plays, on clearances, as we did on Wednesday night. So the players are well aware of that; none of them were at all happy with Wednesday night. I think over the course of this week, we were valued for seven points. We find ourselves with four, and that is solely based on that factor of the game.”

“Underground Sang Bin “

Sang Bin Jeong did not get an assist for Tanner Beason’s own goal. Yet, he was awarded a second assist on Bongi’s header. For his hustle and involvement in both goals, the fans voted Sang Bin as the “Man of the Match.”

“It’s good to have a player who’s giving their all on every single moment. It shows that it is tough what you have to do. In soccer it should be basics, part of the basics to do: to give it all. And it’s something that people can look up to and respect his hustles and do the same.” — Robin Lod on Sang Bin Jeong

The 22-year-old Korean attacker has been asked to play more on the back line recently. Ramsay admitted, “It’s a work in progress. So, you’ll see with Sang Bin over the course of the 10 games, you’ll see a lot of ups and downs of course because he’s learning the position [wingback]. But, in terms of raw attributes, he can do it really, really well.”

In contrast to Sang Bin’s 56th appearance for the club in all competitions, Mid-season transfer Samuel Shashua made his first appearance for MNUFC. After subbing on, he was involved in two attacks late in the match. Ramsay commented, “Samuel [Shashoua] showed real composure, and he can handle the ball really well and you’ve seen he can really take the sting out of the game.”

Lod also complimented his strength on the ball: “He brings some energy. He’s been training well the past five weeks, so he was really eager to be on the field. And he’s a player who can keep the ball. So he brings a little bit different skill sets to the team, and I was happy to see him.”

 

“All Star”

This Wednesday, July 24, the MLS All-Star Game will take place at Lower.com Field in Columbus, OH. Robin Lod will make his first All-Star Game appearance as one of 16 players chosen by host coach Wilfried Nancy. The MLS All-Stars will face the Liga MX All-Stars for the third time in the last four years.

Lod said that while it would be nice to have a break, “At the same time, I’m excited to go to the All-Star Game. It’s an honor to go and be there and be with all the guys who are doing really well this season. I mean, at some point for sure, between Leagues Cup and the season, there’s going to be some days to relax.”

The Finnish multi-tool that can play anywhere also mentioned he’s excited to “play and train with the players and especially with the players who have  accrued so much in a football world. There’s some guys that I looked up [to] before. So it’s going to be a nice moment to share the field with them.”

When Andy Greder (Pioneer Press) asked Lod to mention names, Lod confessed, “[Lionel] Messi was one of the guys. I’m not sure if he’s going to be there, but I mean the Barça team: [Jordi] Alba, [Sergio] Busquets, and [Luis] Suárez. Those guys were part of one of the most dominant teams in the football world, so especially those guys for sure.”

“Pacific Coast Party”

After the All-Star Game, the MLS regular season will pause for the Leagues Cup in which every MLS team and every Liga MX team (except last season’s champions) are put into groups of three. MNUFC are group “West 6” with Seattle Sounders FC and Club Necaxa [nay – COG – suh] . The Loons head west to play Seattle at Lumen Field on Friday, July 26 at 9 pm CT. Tuesday, July 30, Minnesota hosts Necaxa at Allianz Field, 8 pm CT.

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Minnesota beat the lowly Earthquakes this time. Before they were the Quakes, they went by a different name. In 1996, around the same time the MLS San Jose Clash played their first MLS season, the band Smash Mouth formed in San Jose, CA.

The MNUFC fans finally got to sing “Wonderwall” this Saturday. Was it in perfect Harmony? “It’s just a song, but it’s the spice for the recipe.” The Loons schedule doesn’t slow down. “So don’t delay, act now … But if the offer’s shunned / you might as well” keep watching for the fun.

 

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