After a road victory over Columbus Crew at MAPFRE Stadium on Wednesday, D.C. United will return to action on Sunday, April 28th, when they take on Minnesota United at the new Allianz Stadium in St. Paul. The Black-and-Red are hoping to build some momentum after their midweek win, but they’ll have to go through the Loons to earn another three points. Here is everything you need to know about this week’s opposition:
Recent Matches
Minnesota United is currently in the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference. With a 3-3-2 record, they have 11 points, but only six points separate them from No. 3 Seattle Sounders. They have had less luck in their recent matches, with their most recent win coming against the New York Red Bulls on April 6th. Since then, they’ve drawn against NYCFC 3-3, lost to Toronto FC 4-3, and during the midweek matches, played to a scoreless draw against L.A. Galaxy.
Players To Watch
Minnesota United has a strategic attack that likes to score a lot. Darwin Quintero leads the team with five goals, followed by Angelo Rodriguez with three goals and Romario Ibarra with two. Quintero also leads the team with three assists, tied with Romain Metanire. Their formations vary, but Rodriguez almost always plays up top, with Quintero either by his side or behind him in the attacking midfielder. Other than scoreless draw against the L.A. Galaxy on Wednesday, the Loons have scored in every match so far this season, including their three losses.
Minnesota United’s defense isn’t as sharp as their offense. While the Loons have scored 17 goals this season, they’ve also allowed 14. They scored a combined total of six goals against NYCFC and Toronto FC, but only managed to walk away with one out of a possible six points. Vito Mannone and his backline only have two shutouts on the year. So while Minnesota may be prone to attacking, their also vulnerable to an attack from their opponents.
Head-to-Head
This will be D.C. United and Minnesota United’s first match this season. They have only faced each other twice. In 2018, D.C. United hosted the Loons at Audi Field. Angelo Rodriguez opened scoring in the 47th minute for Minnesota, but back-to-back goals for the Black-and-Red ensured a D.C. United victory. In 2017, the two teams met at TCF Bank Stadium and Minnesota won 4-0.
