Is the glass half full or half empty? Depends on which lens you’re looking through.
On one hand, after drawing Saturday with the Seattle Sounders 1-1, Minnesota United are now undefeated in their four home games this season. But on the other hand, the Loons have only managed to win one game thus far at fresh-out-of-the-wrapper Allianz Field.
The home-road split dynamic is well-documented in MLS, with the overwhelming conclusion being that you need to take a good chunk, if not a majority, of your points when playing at home. So six points from four games feels sort of like a net negative.
But now keep in mind the quality of opposition in all four contests. The Sounders, Los Angeles Galaxy, D.C. United and New York City F.C. all sit comfortably in playoff positions. Those four franchises also boast some of the most wealthy rosters in the league. And in the case of Seattle, a team that’s played in two of the last three MLS Cup Finals. In that light, six points definitely feels like a net positive.
Minnesota United head coach Adrian Heath agrees with the latter.
“I thought the boys played superbly,” Heath said after the draw with Seattle. “That’s a quality team right there… We don’t even tie that game last year. I promise you.”
Heath believes his team is a complete level or two above the group he had last year. It’s hard to really disagree with him. Apart from the first game versus the Galaxy, they’ve not been blown out and have been competitive in absolutely every match. Their position in the playoff standings feels more firm than it ever has in three seasons in MLS.
That’s a far cry from the past.
Coach Rating Out of 10
6 — Heath deployed the 4-3-3 which brings added defensive security. He bolstered the stymying approach further by starting the tireless Miguel Ibarra and Ethan Finlay. It almost worked like a charm when the Loons went up 1-0 early. But you could argue the limited attack was also what keep United from snatching all three points.
Select Player Ratings (1-10 | 10 = Best)
CB Brent Kallman, 7.5 — Kallman looked as assured as ever in seemingly each interaction he encountered. He was immense numerous times when it came to clearances out of the box and was flawless whenever the ball was at his feet. His position as partner to Ike Opara in the center of the backline looks beyond secure at present.
CM Jan Gregus, 5 — Continues to be a bit of an enigma. On this day he produced an assist to go along with much better overall crossing effort compared to the D.C. United game. Even Adrian Heath joked postgame that “his crosses were a lot better than last week.” Still, Gregus continues to fluff his lines when given looks at goal. His passing, too, always seems to leave something to be desired. He had a whopping 15 “unsuccessful passes” in the opposition half.
CDM Ozzie Alonso, 8 — Playing against his former team, United’s freshly crowned captain put in a sparkling performance, completing 49 passes while only missing one of his short passes.
Ethan Finlay, 4 — His form has been consistently mediocre for much of the campaign. Against Seattle, he served in a few decent crosses but beyond that his contributions to the game felt nearly invisible. He’s been incapable of creating shots for himself, too, even when set up deftly by teammates. The need to rest other players along with his work rate and industry continue to earn him minutes.
