After what was a demoralizing slow start to the season, Minnesota United have reeled off six straight games without a loss and in doing so they now find themselves in third place in the West. In those six games, they went 5-0-1 with three of those wins coming on the road which set a franchise record for consecutive wins on the road.
BADER'S TAKE:
MNUFC need Reynoso at his best for them to be successful.
Two months ago I believed that this season was going down the gutter, heck even a month ago with back-to-back losses to New England and Miami things looked bleak inside the MNUFC camp. Fans were calling for Adrien Heath's termination, and season ticket holders were boycotting games.
Fast forward to the present day and the Loons look like one of the top teams in the league and once again look like they can make a push for the cup come playoff time.
So what changed?
The answer; Emanuel Reynoso finally arrived.
Four days after losing to Miami, Reynoso took it upon himself to lift the struggling Loons. He scored two goals in the 3-2 win over the Galaxy and the Loons haven't lost since. He then followed that performance up with two goals and grabbed an assist in the next game against Real Salt Lake which was another 3-2 win.
He was left off the scoresheet for the next two games in which MNUFC went on to win against Vancouver and tied with Kansas City. He then grabbed a brace ( 2 goals ) in the 2-0 win over D.C. United.
He scored a PK early in the friendly against Everton and was then subbed off due to an injury. He was kept out of the lineup in the win over Houston which was hopefully a precautionary move in hopes to get him back for this upcoming weekend.
Reynoso has nine goals on the season, with six of those coming in the last month of action. It is no surprise to see the Loons climb the standings and win games at the same time he gets hot.
He is the key to success for the Loons.
The Ugly:
Minnesota has taken a big hit with injuries and they now lost their second player to a season-ending injury. Hassani Dotson Suffered a torn ACL in April and now Jacori Hayes, 27, will be out for the remainder of the season after he suffered a right broken leg in their friendly against Everton.
The Injury list for the Loons keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Currently, there are eight players injured for the Loons. Including the two players above, Patrick Weah, Romain Metanire, Kervin Arriaga, Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi, Will Trapp, and Emanuel Reynoso.
There is a good chance Reynoso will be back in action this weekend.
Nuggets Of Information:
Michael Boxall and Bongokuhle Hlongwane were named to the MLS team of the week.
Bongokuhle is the only Loon to have played in all 22 matches and has quickly emerged as a young up-and-coming star, he is just 22 years old. The honor comes after he notched his first MLS goal against Houston and picked up an assist. It was his first MLS team of the week honor in his career.
Boxall has been a rock at the back, especially during the unbeaten stretch of games. He has been on another level than what we saw at the beginning of the season. It was his second MLS team of the week honor this season, with the last one coming in week 6.
Looking Ahead:
The Loons will take on the Portland Trailblazers at home in a matinee affair this Saturday. It will be the first time the two teams face off against each other since last year's playoff game in which the Timbers won. Last season the Loons won both games in the season against Portland, but they lost in the playoffs in what was a poor effort.
United will surely be looking for revenge when the Timbers come to town. A win from Minnesota could be a big blow to Portland's playoff chances as they currently sit in 8th place, on the outside looking in.
Minnesota is 2-0-1 at home in their last three games. Portland is 4-0-3 in their last seven games and is 1-0-2 in their last three on the road.
Saturday, July 30, 2022. at 2:00 p. m. central time
In other news, Reynoso and Dayne St. Clair were named participants in the MLS All-Star Skill Challenge that will take place at Allianz Field on August 9th. The All-Star game will take place on August 10th, with both players representing the hosts.
Author: Alex Bader
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