Minnesota United rebound in a big way, winning 5-2 over LA Galaxy in Sean McAuley's debut as interim coach

Fired days earlier as the only coach Minnesota United has known in MLS play, Adrian Heath's fingerprints nonetheless were on Saturday's 5-2 home victory over LA Galaxy that saved the Loons from playoff elimination.

Summer striker signee Teemu Pukki scored four goals in the team's home finale, helped by interim coach Sean McAuley's tactical changes involving such players as Emanuel Reynoso, Hassani Dotson, Jan Gregus and Bongokuhle Hlongwane, among others.

Almost all were brought to Minnesota largely by Heath and technical director Mark Watson, who also was fired following Wednesday's lifeless 5-1 loss at Los Angeles FC.

Saturday's victory ended the Loons' winless streak at seven games and kept their playoff hopes, no matter how distant, alive with one game remaining: at Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 21.

"It has been crazy," said veteran defender Michael Boxall, who has been with the team since its inaugural 2017 MLS season. "That's part of the game, but it stinks. [Heath is] all I've known at this club and I'm super grateful for everything he has done for me. This is the team he has built. Tonight, that's what we're capable of and he knew that. We just weren't able to produce that on enough occasions this year."

The Loons (10-12-11) moved up one place to 11th in the Western Conference. MLS expanded its playoffs this season so that the top nine in each conference advance. The Loons are one point behind ninth-place FC Dallas, with 10th-place Sporting KC between them for that final playoff spot. Dallas has two games left.

Too often this season, the Loons turned victories into draws and draws into losses, particularly late in games when they couldn't hold leads. They are only 4-4-9 in 17 home games after Saturday's victory.

The score was tied 1-1 approaching halftime when Pukki then scored three consecutive goals — a natural hat trick — by finding space those tactical changes provided. His 45th-minute goal created by Reynoso's deft pass right before the first half ended gave the Loons a lead they never surrendered.

Pukki scored again in the 60th, 67th and 76th minutes against a Galaxy team that was eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.

Until Saturday, the Loons had scored more than two goals only four times in MLS games this season. They beat Portland 4-1, Colorado and Houston 3-0 each and lost 4-3 at the Galaxy.

Pukki's last goal was his 10th in 12 games since he was signed from Norwich City in England. He did it with help and hard work from Reynoso and Hlongwane inside the 18-yard box.

Pukki was asked the last time he had scored four times in one game. "Probably my youth," said Pukki, now 33. "I don't think in my professional career have I scored four, not that I can remember."

Signed in June to a designated player slot, Pukki was one of Heath's signature acquisitions for a club that fired him with a fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs very much in doubt.

"I'm pleased for Teemu," McAuley said. "We all know what he can do and he has just gone and shown everyone in the last home game. That's something to look forward to."

McAuley had served as an interim coach twice before, with Sheffield Wednesday back home in England before he came to America and was an assistant coach at Portland and Orlando City.

Heath brought him to Minnesota in January 2020 and he found himself Saturday coaching the team for its final two regular-season games after club CEO Shari Ballard told him that Heath had been fired in a Thursday meeting with managing partner Dr. Bill McGuire.

McAuley said he would make small changes hoping they would lead to bigger ones in two games remaining in a season when Reynoso was absent for the first five months. Those changes included starting veterans Bakaye Dibassy and Zarek Valentin at outside backs and tinkering with the tactics.

"It's tough," McAuley said. "The work Adrian has done for the seven years he has been here is phenomenal. It's something that happens sometimes in sports. We must pay respect to the past, reflect on it and use it as fuel to move forward and I thought the players did that very well."

Boxall said he called Heath on Thursday night after hearing the news.

"It was a pretty short conversation," said Boxall, who with Pukki and three other teammates are headed to play for their national teams next week. "I just called Adrian to thank him and say I'm sorry. It's just one man taking the fall. Everyone here is responsible. It's not just him. He has a big say in a lot of things, but to have a manager let go, you feel like you let him down."