Minnesota United at Real Salt Lake: Keys to the match, projected starting XI and a prediction

Minnesota United at Real Salt Lake

When: 8 p.m. CT Tuesday
Where: American First Field, Sandy, Utah
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM, 1500
Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy, 7 mph south wind
Betting line: Salt Lake minus-105; draw plus-275; MNUFC plus-240

Form: The sixth-seeded Loons went 6-1-1 in the final eight regular-season matches. Third-seeded RSL went 4-3-1 in its final eight.

History: MNUFC and RSL had two draws in their two matchups this season: 0-0 in Utah on Oct. 2 and 1-1 in St. Paul on April 6. Robin Lod assisted on Tani Oluwaseyi’s 86th minute equalizer.

Quote: On matchup with RSL, Loons head coach Eric Ramsay didn’t want the idea of it being a “favorable” matchup to be considered disrespectful because every game is tough at this stage but:

“If you can use the word favorable at this stage of the season, I think it’s maybe as favorable as we could have gotten, given that we’ve been there recently. We’ve given them two very good games. We’re in a very good place relative to where we have been over the course of the year. And they are maybe in a slightly less good place, if you look at the form table.”

Schedule: The opening-round, best-of-three series starts with Game 1 on Tuesday, followed by Game 2 at 8 p.m. Saturday at Allianz Field. Game 3, if necessary, would be 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in Utah.

Format: If a match is tied at the end of regulation, it will go straight to penalty kicks to find a winner. Ramsay has put a focus on this potential outcome and has invited front-office staff to training on Monday to create pressure on players as they take PKs.

Stat: All eight clubs that won Game 1s in 2023 playoffs — the first year of the best-of-three format — went on to win the series. This fact puts an even bigger onus on Tuesday.

Absences: Zarek Valentin (Achilles tendon) is out for the year.

Projected XI: In a 5-2-3 formation, FW Joaquin Pereyra; FW Kelvin Yeboah, FW Robin Lod; MF Hassani Dotson, MF Wil Trapp; LWB Joseph Rosales, CB Jefferson Diaz, CB Michael Boxall, CB Carlos Harvey, RWB Bongi Hlongwane; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Scouting report: While Cristian Arango has not scored in MLS since July 6, but the Colombian forward has still been active with 14 shots and 1.5 expected goals across the last four games, including 0.6 and four shots against MNUFC on Oct. 2. He was sixth in MLS with 17 goals in 2024.

Prediction: MNUFC was the third-hottest club in MLS to close the regular season. They are healthy and Ramsay has had 10 days to prepare for RSL. The rich vein of form continues. Loons win 2-1.