‘Almost a real arrogance.’ Loons’ confidence sky high with third-best MLS form since late August

Minnesota United’s current level of supreme confidence is well founded.

In their last eight matches, the Loons have lost only once and have climbed into the Western Conference’s sixth seed. That’s not the full context of how white-hot MNUFC has become since late August.

When compared to the rest of the league, United is the third-hottest team going into the MLS Cup Playoffs. Since the restart of MLS play after Leagues Cup on Aug. 23, only two teams league-wide have a higher points-per-game average.

Inter Miami — which set a new MLS season points record at 74 — has averaged 2.3 points since late August. Seattle Sounders is right behind Leo Messi’s team at 2.2. And the Loons are right behind them at 2.1.

“I stand here really optimistic going into the playoffs knowing that we are the, or one of the, in-form teams going into (the playoffs),” head coach Eric Ramsay said Saturday after a rollicking 4-1 win over St. Louis City, who played pretty well in their own right down the stretch.

The Loons are healthy, so they should be eager to play again, but coming off a season-high four goals vs. St. Louis, they have to wait 10 days before the best-of-three series starts with Real Salt Lake. In their own right, RSL has the 10th-best form since the MLS restart at 1.6 points per match.

Game 1 of the series is Oct. 29 in Sandy, Utah, where RSL and MNUFC played to a scoreless draw on Oct. 2. Game 2 is back at Allianz Field on Nov. 2, where Ramsay feels a lot better about his team’s performances. Game 3, if necessary, is back in Utah on Nov. 8.

The Loons’ uptick in home form includes a 3-0 win over Colorado 3-0 on Sept. 28, which might have been the club’s best home performance of the season.

“We’ve got a real sense of self here, a real conviction in the way we play, almost a real arrogance and confidence, which I think you have to have at home — particularly when you’ve got an atmosphere like this,” Ramsay said Saturday.

The Loons have allowed only one goal across the last five matches and captain Michael Boxall said there has become an expectation to win. “The last 10 games we have been on a pretty tight run,” he said. “We found our identity defensively, and everyone is working hard to make (goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair’s) night as quiet as possible.”

Boxall identified some of the defensive points that have been instrumental in the surge.

“We have been playing with a high line. We have been more cautious about the space in behind. We try to get as compact and high as possible. We defend our space in-behind first, which teams like Cincinnati, St. Louis try to expose,” Boxall said. “We trust everyone in front of us to help out defending, which has been massive. We’ve had all eleven guys work really hard to help us defend as a team.”

The Loons’ first match against RSL this season ended in a 1-1 draw in St. Paul on April 6. MNUFC equalized on the 86th minute thanks to Robin Lod’s playmaking and assist on Tani Oluwaseyi’s toe-poke goal.

Given the amount of games in between the April draw and Saturday, Oluwaseyi couldn’t quite pinpoint which goal it was he scored until being shown a highlight video. He also can be excused because there were plenty of goals for the Canadian at the start of the season.

“Oh yeah, this is (Robin’s) ‘Jinky mi Jinky,’ I remember,” Oluwaseyi said, using an English football phrase for crafty dribbling. “Rob with the left, step over, fake, and then plays it in, and then I toe it in. Same thing. We just always want to keep pushing, especially at home in front of our fans. We want to keep pushing to that 90th minute. And you see we scored an (86th minute). We could have won, actually, if I’m not mistaken.”

The Loons had an 1.9 to 1.0 expected goal differential against RSL in April, including four low xG chances after Oluwaseyi’s in the final minutes of the draw.

A podium finish

Clubs with the best points-per-match average since MLS play resumed post-Leagues Cup in late August:

1. Inter Miami, 2.3
2. Seattle Sounders, 2.2
3. Loons, 2.11
4. Columbus Crew, 2.09
5. Orlando City, 2
6. L.A. Galaxy, 1.8
7. CF Montreal, 1.77
8t. LAFC, 1.7
8t. Houston Dynamo, 1.7
10. Real Salt Lake, 1.6