Minnesota United finally got both forward Robin Lod and midfielder Emanuel Reynoso back into the starting lineup last Saturday, and the result was a 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy.
"Them two, when you look at the record, they're excellent when they play together," said manager Adrian Heath.
When you piece together that record, you find out that this might be an understatement, heading into Saturday's game against Houston. Over the past two seasons, the Loons have been two very different squads, depending on whether Lod and Reynoso are in the starting lineup.
With both in the starting 11 over the past two years, Minnesota has earned 1.87 points per game; without the pair in the starting lineup, they've earned 1.25 PPG.
In most seasons, a team with 1.87 points per game is going to be the top seed in the conference and perhaps the Supporters' Shield winner, while a team with 1.25 points per game is not going to make the playoffs.
The difference is almost entirely on the offensive end of the field. In 2021, Minnesota has played 12 games with the pair in the starting lineup, and 12 where one or both was missing. With both, they've scored 17 goals; with one or both missing, they've scored 10.
After injury layoffs, both are healthy again, and keeping them healthy is going to be a key component of the Loons' playoff drive. Heath acknowledged that while they plan workloads for players, health sometimes comes down to "a little bit of luck," noting that Lod's absence was due to an injury caused by a slip on the turf during training. "Those things, you can't legislate for," he said.
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