The sun may be setting on the Loons’ 2026 Leagues Cup campaign, but they won’t be leaving the tournament in darkness, wrapping up Phase One with a refreshing 3-1 victory over Atlante FC. With an evident chip on their shoulders, the Boys in Black and Blue showcased a resilience and quality that will go a long way toward turning their form around as they head back into regular-season play.

Head Coach Cameron Knowles made eight changes to the starting lineup he rolled out against Tigres last game, with Wil Trapp, Joaquín Pereyra, and Alec Smir the only holdovers from Friday’s shootout loss. Notable additions to today’s lineup include the likes of DJ Taylor, Julian Gressel, Mauricio González, and Kieran Chandler, all of whom have been working to earn more minutes this season. Each one put in an impressive shift on the night, setting a good tempo from the first whistle. 

In the first 15 minutes, your Loons looked especially lively, pressing back passes and creating chances for some ambitious shots. The smooth, creative play from the hosts laid early groundwork for the goal scoring that was to come, with Pereyra at the center of the extra flair.

Things rarely go exactly to plan, though, as evidenced by Atlante’s goal in the 32nd minute. The visitors found a spell of possession against the run of play, using patient switching of play to shift the Loons’ defense before bursting forward to capitalize on a quickly-closing gap. Smir saved the initial shot, but a hard follow-up strike through traffic took an unfortunate deflection, giving the Liga MX side an unlikely lead. Minnesota United went into the break down 1-0 and understandably frustrated with the state of the game.

But don’t worry, folks, it’s nothing but up from here.

After a pair of changes brought on fresh legs via Owen Gene and Carlos Harvey, the Loons found their feet early in the second half. Some polished play saw them gain confidence as time ticked on, and by the 59th minute, the scales were ready to tip. A through ball from Kyle Duncan down the right side of the field put Pereyra one-on-one with his defender, who he beat with a deft touch. With space ahead of him, the Loons midfielder decided to create something out of nothing, dancing on the endline to draw the keeper and defenders out of position before serving the ball on a platter for González to finish off. That’s all square at 1-1 — and we’re just getting started.

Following the goal, the hosts were evidently relieved, having produced plenty of promising attacking play across their last few matches without due reward. With a fire driving them forward, they pushed for the go-ahead strike, pressing higher and faster as the game got increasingly stretched.

After putting together some truly inspiring flicks, tricks, and passages of play, Pereyra proved that the soccer gods are truly just, rewarding him with a goal in the 76th minute to put his side ahead after some solid hold-up play from substitute Marcus Caldeira. Their confidence seemingly doubled again, and the Caldeira-Pereyra connection struck again in the 87th, when after a lengthy VAR review, their second goal truly put the game to bed.

In a match that saw the Black and Blue get minutes for 16 players, we were treated to a variety of approaches and skillsets. The holdup play and positioning of Caldeira proved to be the perfect focal point for his team to play to and through in the crucial closing stages. The footwork and creativity of Pereyra continues to stand out as the engine of this team’s attacking strategy, and the dynamic use of wingbacks and wide center backs suggests that there are plenty more goals to come now that the dam has been broken.

While this concludes their Leagues Cup campaign, your Loons won’t be out of action very long at all. Tune into Apple TV this Saturday, August 15, at 8:30 p.m. CT to catch their return to MLS play, when they’ll be traveling to take on Real Salt Lake in the Beehive State.