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Shooters shoot. Scorers score. Christian Ramirez has proven just that in his first five games in MLS.
No matter what stage Ramirez is on, he tends to find the back of the net. The prolific NASL goal scorer and former Golden Boot award winner has four goals in five games, which is good enough for fourth most in MLS. Although his team’s transition to the top league in the country hasn’t been as seamless as his own, it has not been because of a lack of offense.
Minnesota United heads into their battle against FC Dallas on Saturday with the weight of their first ever MLS win off their back, due in part to Ramirez’s brace. Although Ramirez’s second goal of the night may have been the easiest goal he’ll score in MLS, it just proves goal scorers find ways to score. His first of the night was a prime example of his offensive skill set. It showed off his technical ability and physical prowess as he controlled the ball out of the air while holding off a defender who was grabbing and clawing to get around him. As he settled the ball, Ramirez played a quick one-two with Molino; just as fast as the ball left his foot, Ramirez darted towards the goal anticipating the pass back, which was perfectly weighted by Molino. As the ball hit Ramirez in stride behind the defense, he calmly finished the play with a clever chip over Nick Rimando.
Ramirez’s production and this Minnesota win does not mean the Loons will make a run this season or that their defensive woes are behind them, but Ramirez is definitely a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy start to the season.
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Even with many poor touches, errant passes, incorrect positioning and missed assignments, the fact that Minnesota United was able to still pull out this 4-2 victory (that could have been more one sided), should be a confidence boost to the squad and fans moving forward.
Minnesota United clearly has a lot to fix and clean up, but is slowly trending in the right direction. It is clear that Ramirez is already poised to make waves on MLS scene and become known as a premier goal scorer in the league.
Can the Loons clean it up, come together and string together some wins? The Minnesota United faithful are eagerly waiting to see if Superman can continue to propel their team forward and if his impressive production continues. But as we all know, scorers score.