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During their match on Saturday, Minnesota United dominated San Jose Earthquakes for the majority of the 90 minutes. The game ended 3-0 in favor of the Loons. The Loons are still new to the Major League Soccer with this being only their third season. They made the most of those 90 minutes, and MNUFC managed to pass a few club milestones along the way. We detailed 5 facts to know from last Saturday’s game.
The Loons have their 100th Major League Soccer goal
Darwin Quintero got the first goal of the match off of a penalty in the 49th minute. This goal was important because it gave them their 100th goal in MLS. Minnesota United is still a relatively new team to the MLS, so each of these milestones matter to the team and to the fans. Of course it could not have come from a better player. They now sit at 102 MLS goals in franchise history, with many more to come.
The Loons have their first road win streak
During the last two years in MLS, Minnesota United has struggled on the road. So far in this campaign, the winds look like they are changing in the Loons favor. They won their first two games which were both on the road, giving them their first even road winning streak in the MLS. This is important because it highlights the fact that the Loons may be turning the corner on one of their biggest issues. The season is still new, but this is a promising start.
The Loons get their first-ever clean sheet on the road
Yes, you read that correctly. The struggle on the road has been real for the Loons, but they shut out San Jose giving them their first ever clean sheet on the road in the MLS. They had shut out teams before they were in the league, but they finally set this milestone. Another example of MNUFC getting over their road woes.
The Loons have more points on the road than last season
Struggling on the road was a big part of last season. Last year, the Loons won once and tied twice on the road giving them a grand total of 5 points. However, after winning two road games in their first two games the Loons have 6 points. SIX. Again, the Loons seem to be flying in the right direction.
First win in California for the Loons
This is not as important to the franchise as the rest of the facts on the list, but it is still a fun one. The Loons managed to win their first game ever in sunny California. They have now won in MN, CA, FL, GA, IL plus Montreal and Vancouver, Canada in the regular season. Only 11 more states and 1 more province until they have won everywhere!
Looking toward the weekend...
The Loons made a strong statement in the first two games and sit tied (on points) for 1st in the Western Conference. Next week Minnesota United is staying put in California to take on the LA Galaxy (1-0-1) on Saturday, March 26th.