Minnesota United played a close match with reigning MLS Cup Champion Atlanta United on Wednesday night — closer than the final 3-0 scoreline would suggest. Our soccer analyst Nicolas Hallett gives us his main takeaways from the match.
1. Hassani Dotson continues to impress. The rookie was a bit more vulnerable defensively on the night as his mark regularly got crosses past him. But the 21-year-old created three (!) of United’s very best chances. Though, I’m not sure if that says more about his ability or more about the other Minnesota attackers’ lack of quality.
2. Abu Danladi is in a bad place. The second-year striker can’t seem to make three consecutive plays without turning the ball over or falling over (or both). Now add in that he’s scored just once in his last 26 appearances. Yikes.
3. Heath continues to get his tactics spot on as of late and it almost earned his team tough road points on Wednesday. Even in a tepid performance, United’s defense was stout and organized, giving the team a platform to go on and potentially steal points. Minnesota almost did, but the offensive is completely sputtering.
4. United’s offensive is stuck in second gear. Heath needs one of the attackers to step up and become a regular playmaker.
5. It’s stunning how little Jan Gregus contributes to this team. His place on the team (and on the roster for the long term) should very much be in question. If he wasn’t a designated player, he’d be a decent player. But for the money he’s on, his contributions are unequivocally lacking.
