Match Preview: Loons gun for win and sweep against desperate Real Salt Lake side

At second place in the Western Conference and not shut out from the Supporters Shield race as well as coming off a win and sweep last weekend over Seattle Sounders, the Loons are soaring right now. Minnesota reinforced the club in key areas over the transfer window, signing five new players with four of them expected to arrive in the North Star State before the end of the season.

“We’ve got good experiences against [Real] Salt Lake,” manager Eric Ramsay said. I think we’ve always competed really well against them and this will be a game that will require that for sure because they’re right on that line and desperate for points and they’ve reinforced over the course of the [transfer] window well.”

Real Salt Lake meanwhile sit on the opposite end of the playoff race spectrum, sitting at 10th place and banging on the door for one of the nine playoff spots. After an amazing run from June through mid-July, Salt Lake has struggled lately, going 1-2-2 (5 points) in their last five matches. They’ll have a huge challenge up against themselves tonight as RSL is missing two of their top three scorers in Diego Luna and Zavier Gozo as part of seven players who will miss the match against Minnesota United.

News & Notes

With the transfer window closed and the final transfers being announced, Minnesota United has acquired five players and loaned one player currently on the roster out.

Dominik Fitz and Nectarios Triantis join the club from FK Austria Wien and Sunderland respectively, both on a four and a half year deal with a club option for 2030

Minnesota signed standout USL Championship forward Mamadou Dieng from Hartford Athletic and taken Alexis Fariña on loan from Paraguayan side Cerro Porteño.

Kenyel Michel was acquired from and immediately loaned back to LD Alajuelense, and the club also loaned defender Kipp Keller to New Mexico United in the USL Championship.

We’ll have more details in a full transfer roundup post next week.

Availability

MIN | Out: Loïc Mesanvi (hip), Hassani Dotson (SEI), Hoyeon Jung (SEI) ; Questionable: None

RSL | Out: Matthew Bell (hamstring), Javain Brown (knee), Zac MacMath (shoulder), Mason Stajduhar (hand), William Agada (suspended), Zavier Gozo (suspended), Diego Luna (suspended); Questionable: None

Staff Predictions

Seth Steffenhagen: 2–1 Loons

Michael Lake: 2–1 Loons

Tim McLaughlin: 2–1 RSL

Ashle Paige: 2–0 MNUFC

MJ: 2–0 Loons

Bridget McDowell: Goals change games