After a 3-1 win against Sporting Kansas City, your Loons are heating up, and they’ve only got two regular-season games left to put that momentum to good use. Minnesota is one of only six clubs remaining in the Western Conference whose postseason fate has yet to be decided, and a mere five points separate the seventh seed from the 12th.
But as Head Coach Cameron Knowles said in a recent media session, the squad has to keep focusing on what’s right in front of them, and that’s winning one game at a time. Sustaining this success is more important than obsessively tracking the points on the table, and so the Black and Blue now turn the entirety of their attention to a big game against the Black and Gold.
Run of Form
Minnesota United FC (9-12-11)
Run of Form: W-D-W-D-D
Just like that, the Loons have put together a five-game unbeaten streak. Wednesday night’s comeback set a great tone going into this final pair of regular-season matchups, with Kelvin Yeboah, Anthony Markanich, and Mauricio González all putting in stellar performances in front of goal. The Loons have managed to pull nine points in their last five, with 10 goals across those matches and new scoring records being both set and extended — but more on that soon.
LAFC (12-9-11)
Run of Form: D-D-W-D-L
After back-to-back draws — including the latest rendition of El Tráfico, which featured a last-second LAFC goal that was deemed offside — Xavi Tamarit’s side is practically champing at the bit to add to their win column. They’ve only managed six points and seven goals in their last five matches, coming up short in comparison to Minnesota. In fact, their only win in their last five matches came against 14th-place Austin FC. Far from seeing the new manager bump, the Black and Gold are struggling to get back to the phenomenal consistency we saw from them to start the year.
Keys to the Match:
Still in the Game
What does hearing “LAFC” inspire in you? Awe? Fear? Both? It’s a storied club with a lot of big names — ever heard of Denis Bouanga? Maybe Son Heung-Min? — but on paper, the Loons are actually on a better run of form than their “big-time” opponents. And Minnesota can very much match LAFC’s scoring power — Bouanga and Yeboah are each at 18 goals on the season, tied in fourth place in the Golden Boot race. Son has tallied 15 assists, just one more than Joaquín Pereyra’s 14. LAFC is daunting because of the reputation they built for themselves across past seasons and at the beginning of 2026, not necessarily because of their recent showings. This isn’t a hopeless game for the Black and Blue, who recently proved their mettle dominating powerhouse St. Louis CITY.
Stars of the Midfield
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the unsung heroes of Wednesday’s match: AZ Jackson and Owen Gene. With Pereyra working his way back up to fitness and veteran Wil Trapp out on concussion protocol, this pair of midfielders have been a huge boon for the Black and Blue in their last stretch of games. They both have the holy trinity of speed, fancy footwork, and great positioning instincts that make for consistent ball progression and chance creation.
Jackson, who’s already earned himself Team of the Matchday and Man of the Match honors in his short time back in Minnesota, is an attacker through-and-through. In Pereyra’s absence, having another playmaker who can not only operate creatively in the pockets but consistently deliver on set pieces is truly a make-or-break. Jackson’s work ethic and single-minded precision is a large part of what’s been so successful in the team’s recent return to form.
Meanwhile, Gene is one of the Loons’ strongest players on the ball — hard to knock down, doggedly persistent, and able to effectively combine with essentially any other player on the field to engineer opportunities. He’s a strong defender, too, manning the double pivot with Nectarios Triantis to save the squad from several dangerous opposing runs. His ability to win 1v1s against the likes of Kansas City’s André Luiz and Houston’s Guilherme are a good omen going into this LAFC matchup. Not to bring baseball into a soccer analysis article, but with defensive-leaning Gene on the left and attack-leaning Jackson on the right, the Loons have all their bases covered.
LAFC’s Defensive Struggle
In addition to struggling to match their early-season attacking output, LAFC hasn’t logged a clean sheet in their last seven matches. This is less the fault of keeper Hugo Lloris and more the result of some inconsistent marking and a high line allowing more counters to slip through the cracks. In their most recent match against the LA Galaxy, a costly turnover by Mark Delgado gave the Galaxy a chance to make a run up the right. Sergi Palencia couldn’t outpace Joseph Paintsil in the middle, and the long pass left got through both center backs Aaron Long and Ryan Porteous. Paintsil’s second goal was a combined result of Long letting another ball slip through and defender Yevhen Cheberko not sticking with the rebound. These are small defensive errors, but they add up when the opposing attack is able to take advantage of a split-second lapse, which is exactly what players like Kelvin Yeboah and Anthony Markanich are so adept at exploiting. If the Loons can navigate these crucial moments with precision and turn mistakes into opportunities, they’ll have a leg up in the attacking third.
