Recap: Minnesota comes from behind to take three points in a must win game

With two matches to go in the 2021 Major League Soccer season, Minnesota United FC was in dire straights with two must win matches ahead of them, the first with Sporting Kansas City. Adrian Heath came out with a Starting XI looking awfully similar to the one they used earlier this week. The only change to the Starting XI vs SKC was Chase Gasper taking over the LB spot from Hassani Dotson.

The match did not start well for the Loons as Sporting KC’s Khiry Shelton scored on a header pass sent over to him on a play that had started as a short corner kick.

Minnesota was only down for 12 minutes before getting their first and equalizing the match with SKC. Reynoso sent a pass in that saw Adrien Hunou chip it up to Robin Lod. Lod managed to one touch the ball over to Franco Fragapane who took a huge shot that SKC keeper Tim Melia managed to get a hand on it, but it wasn’t enough to make the stop.

Minnesota would score their second goal of the match just 19 minutes later. Emanuel Reynoso drew a penalty after being fouled in the box by Kansas City’s Ilie Sánchez. Reynoso would spook Melia over to his left before sending a panenka into the goal for the Loons second of the afternoon.

Minnesota took home a big 3-1 win, coupled with RSL not being able to get points sent the Loons up to 5th place in the Western Conference and just a single point back of Portland in 4th place.

Major League Soccer/mlssoccer.com

Minnesota United is now almost entirely in control of their own destiny. Everyone in playoff contention below the Loons have a match in hand on them and will play two more matches over the next seven days, while MNUFC will only play one. Since the some of the four teams below the Loons will have to play each other it makes things much easier for MNUFC. The easiest way in is with a simple win over the LA Galaxy, however depending on results from tonight through Wednesday, even a point could possibly be enough.