Minnesota United FC haven’t won in their last nine matches.
But they still are in better shape than the San Jose Earthquakes.
The teams meet Saturday night at Saint Paul, Minn., where Minnesota United will be desperate to get things turned around.
Minnesota (8-10-6, 30 points) has just two draws since last winning a match June 1.
“There’s cold, hard truths laid on the table, but we have to move forward,” Loons coach Eric Ramsay said. “We have to collectively work hard to put it right.”
Short memories might be the key for Minnesota United, which gave up two late goals in Wednesday night’s 3-2 home setback to D.C. United.
“The most important thing is to forget,” Minnesota forward Teemu Pukki said. “Of course, you need to analyze the game, but the game is gone now and the good thing is the next game is in a couple of days. Everyone just needs to figure out how they get the best out of themselves on Saturday.”
San Jose (4-18-2, 14 points) ranks last in the MLS. The Earthquakes have won just one of their last 12 matches (1-10-1).
“I think we’ll be fresh enough for Minnesota to field a really strong lineup,” interim coach Ian Russell said, noting that taxing physical and mental toll growing on his team.
San Jose captain Jackson Yueill, a midfielder, played in his 200th MLS match overall for the team in Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss to visiting Houston.
“I felt like we missed some passes that would have created some really big chances on goal,” Russell said. “I think it was more of that than the actual chances on goal.”
The Earthquakes, who surrendered the only goal in the 86th minute of Wednesday’s loss, have been blanked in three of their last five matches and haven’t scored more than one goal in any of those outings.
Minnesota hasn’t registered a shutout in almost three months. The Loons have surrendered three or more goals in four of their last seven matches.
“It really reflects the situation we’ve found ourselves in over the course of the last eight or nine games,” Ramsay said. “Defending the box with real intensity and real aggression, that hasn’t been the case.”
Pukki has four goals this season, including two in the past three matches for a Minnesota offense that has been productive during many stretches of the season. The Loons have five players, led by Tani Oluwaseyi with eight, with four or more goals this season. Oluwaseyi has scored in three of his last four MLS matches.
The United and Earthquakes have a rematch at the end of August at San Jose.
–Field Level Media