Minnesota United FC can clinch playoff spot with win at Real Salt Lake
Minnesota United FC introduced Eric Ramsay as its new head coach on Wednesday at a news conference at Allianz Field.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It’s been a season of ups and downs for Eric Ramsay and Minnesota United FC, but that can all change Wednesday night at Real Salt Lake.
The Loons are in Utah to face Real Salt Lake, and can clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a win, or an FC Dallas loss/draw at the San Jose Earthquakes. Minnesota United is currently in the No. 8 spot with a 13-2-6 record (45 points), but is seven points eight points clear of being on the outside looking in for the postseason. They can earn their spot with a victory Wednesday night.
"It would be phenomenal. (Wednesday) is pretty much the tipping point in that. We’ve got a real good chance tomorrow of coming in and making a mark, putting our hand up and saying that we can beat the top teams, we can beat the top teams away and hopefully if we do get to where we want to, come the end of the season, we’ll have to do that," Ramsay said Tuesday via Zoom.
Why it matters
The Loons missed the MLS Cup Playoffs last year for the first time since the 2018 season. They parted ways with Adrian Heath late last season as Minnesota United was 12th in the Western Conference. They lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2022 and 2021 after getting to the Western Conference Finals in 2020.
Ramsay eventually replaced Heath early this season, and Minnesota United had to endure a nine-game winless streak.
Wednesday’s match is important enough that Ramsay had the team go out to Utah early to train in the atmosphere. The Loons have won four of their last five matches.
"It feels like the group is in a really good place. We come in with a real sense of mission and a real sense of purpose. Everyone is certainly dialed into that," Ramsay said.
What’s next
They’re on the road this week against Real Salt Lake and Vancouver, two teams currently ahead of them in the West. They close out the regular season hosting St. Louis. All eyes are on clinching one of the final playoff spots, and they control their own destiny in that regard.
"We’ve got to decide how this season finishes now. We’ve done the thing that was the big question mark that was hanging over, would we be able to recapture our form, be able to claw our way back in contention for the top seven? We’ve done those things, now we just really need to grind through these last three games and finish the job off.," Ramsay said. "That’s the challenge at the players’ feet."