RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesMinnesota United vs. Atlante
When: 7:40 p.m. Tuesday Where: Allianz Field Radio: KSTP-AM 1500 Weather: 83 degrees, partly sunny, 4 mph east wind
What: For both clubs, it’s the third of three Leagues Cup matches in Phase One of the tournament between MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
Form: MNUFC (0-1-1, 1 point) drew Tigres 0-0 on Friday after losing to Juarez 2-1 last Tuesday. The Loons have been eliminated from the tournament at this early stage for a second straight year. Atlante (1-1-0, 3 points) beat Vancouver 1-0 last week and was blown out 4-0 by Real Salt Lake on Saturday. It has a slim chance of advancing.
View: Loons captain Michael Boxall addressed how teams need to be near perfect to advance in this newer Leagues Cup format. Only four of 18 clubs in each division move on.
“There is a lot on the line in this tournament, for spots in the (CONCACAF) Champions League and the prize money, too,” Boxall said. “You really have to be on your A game to advance. I’m not mad about (the format), but we let ourselves down on Tuesday night and just fell short again (Friday).
Storyline: Are the Loons dealing with a crisis of confidence?
The team is winless in nine matches in all competition, with two if its top attackers failing from the penalty spot on Friday. Joaquin Pereyra missed two PKs (one off crossbar in first half, one saved the shootout) while Kelvin Yeboah had a PK saved in 4-2 shootout loss.
“Look, it happens,” head coach Cameron Knowles said. “It happens the world over. You see the best players in the world miss penalties. There rarely is someone who goes through their entire career making every penalty they take.”
Yeboah went first in the shootout after putting a great scoring chance off the post in second-half stoppage time. Pereyra, after missing his first PK, willingly went back to the spot a second time during the shootout.
“Anyone that steps up and wants to take one, you got to give them a lot of credit,” Knowles said. “Those are guys that we trust in those moments, and I’m sure they will be ready to step up again.”
Context: With nothing left to play for in Leagues Cup, Knowles said the team will rotate its squad for Atlante as MNUFC’s focus turns back to the MLS schedule, which restarts Saturday at Real Salt Lake. In the Western Conference, the Loons have fallen out of the nine playoff spots.
“It’s a little bit of personal pride,” goalkeeper Alec Smir said Monday. “Obviously we are out of the Leagues Cup, but a lot of guys getting opportunities to play, including myself and trying to show what we can do and what we are capable of. Then obviously build back into MLS.”
Scouting report: Knowles was impressed in how Atlante won in Vancouver, the top team in the MLS Western Conference, a week ago. He pointed out Atlante’s two-striker formation with Jhojan Julio and Luis Puente as a concern.
“A difficult team,” Knowles said. “Very good two strikers up front. They are dangerous with crosses into the box. Some of their final third play and how quickly they get the ball into the box, we have to be switched on. Some of the moments when they are quite direct and winning second balls.”
Prediction: Knowles’s squad will be rotated after the elimination from Leagues Cup, so that transition to less than full-strength team and its poor winless skid makes it hard to believe Minnesota can get a win. Atlante wins 2-1.
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