Minnesota United cruises past St. Louis City on final day of MLS regular season

Before Saturday’s game against St. Louis City, Minnesota United already knew it had clinched a playoff spot. With a 4-1 victory in the regular season’s final match, the Loons also clinched a spot in the first round of the playoffs, avoiding the 8-vs-9 wild-card game that looked like Minnesota’s likely destination for most of the season.

The Loons climbed over Colorado into sixth place and will play Real Salt Lake in a best-of-three series that will begin next weekend. RSL will host Game 1, Minnesota will host Game 2 — the team’s first playoff game in front of its home fans since 2019, excepting the strange empty-stadium game in 2020. If the series goes to three games, RSL would host Game 3.

BOXSCORE: Minnesota United 4, St. Louis City 1

The victory gave Minnesota six wins in its final nine games, including four wins in an undefeated five-game stretch to close out the schedule. It’s a good time for the Loons to be playing their best soccer of the season — and now, they get to stay on a normal schedule for the opening round of the playoffs, which will take place over the next three weekends.

“I stand here really optimistic going into the playoffs, knowing that we are the, or one of the, form teams going into what is now effectively a cup competition,” manager Eric Ramsay said.

Kelvin Yeboah has made a name for himself with his scoring prowess, but in the 21st minute, he proved he can pass, too. Yeboah picked up the ball at midfield after the Loons won it in their own half, turned, and played an inch-perfect through ball to Robin Lod behind the St. Louis defense. Lod, calm on the break, made no mistake and beat Roman Bürki low to the keeper’s right, giving the Loons the early lead.

Minnesota had the better of the play in the game’s first half but lost the edge to begin the second. It led to Ramsay replacing all three attackers in the 68th minute — a move that paid off three minutes later, with all three combining for the second goal. Tani Oluwaseyi, playing off the last defender, got in behind and found a wide-open Franco Fragapane, who slid the ball across to Sang Bin Jeong to tap in for the game’s second goal in the 72nd minute.

“I don’t think that will happen often,” Ramsay said of a managerial move working out so well and so immediately. “Obviously, it’s paid dividends and I was really pleased that we were able to contribute off the bench in such a meaningful way.”

St. Louis, though, got right back in the game, with Marcel Hartel scoring to cut the lead to 2-1. Five minutes later, though, City defender Henry Kessler turned a Minnesota corner kick into his own net, restoring Minnesota’s two-goal advantage and allowing some easier breathing for Loons fans who were nervously checking scores from around the league.

Oluwaseyi found Jeong again in the 84th minute, curling a beautiful pass across the penalty area and behind the last defender and giving Jeong a second tap-in to finish off the scoring. It was Minnesota’s first four-goal performance of the year — and came at the right time for a team that seems set to make some playoff noise.