Minnesota United can avoid their longest losing run in a Major League Soccer regular season since 2021 when they host Dallas on matchday 10 at Allianz Field on Sunday.
The Loons have dropped three successive domestic encounters, falling 1-0 at the Seattle Sounders the last time out, while the Toros had a three-match unbeaten run snapped, losing 3-1 to New York City FC.
Match preview
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Minnesota began this month as one of the few unbeaten teams in the league, but they are ending it in a slump, losing three successive matches by a single goal.
All of their games this season have been there for the taking, but Adrian Heath has seen his side miss countless opportunities to gain points, squandering six from winning positions in 2023.
Heading into this match, the Loons are one of three MLS sides without a victory at home this year and are currently on their longest winless run at Allianz Field (three) in the regular season since failing to triumph in four successive home fixtures back in 2017.
The Loons have given up the opening goal in three of their last four matches in all competitions but managed to keep their US Open Cup hopes alive this week despite going behind after five minutes to Detroit City FC, coming away with a 3-1 triumph.
That was the first time in any competitive match since the start of the new MLS campaign that a Minnesota game was decided by more than one goal, while the Loons have not scored more than one at home all season.
Six of the eight goals which they have conceded in 2023 have come in the second half, and one beyond the 75th minute in three of their previous five MLS fixtures.
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A traditionally solid backline was unlocked for three strikes in quick succession last weekend, the most that Dallas have given up in a single game all season.
Like Minnesota, Nico Estevez has seen his Toros squad leave points on the table, squandering four from winning positions in 2023, all of which came away from home, while they gave up a late one at Los Angeles FC when they had one point in their pocket.
They have 14 points after nine matches, putting them fourth in the Western Conference, but have given up 11 goals thus far, a mark they did not get to last season until matchday 13.
Dallas have not lost all year when scoring first while managing to claim six points in 2023 after giving up the opening goal.
While they have some quality in the attack, the Toros have been at their best this year when their midfield can clog their opponents' space in the middle of the field, as the Dallas centre-backs have been pushed around a lot in games this season.
Over the past few years, they have found it difficult to penetrate the Loons on their home field, failing to score in three of their last five visits to Allianz Field, though they did win the previous encounter there 3-0 in 2022.
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Team News
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Minnesota are still missing Emanuel Reynoso, who is back in Argentina, with the club saying that they have tried getting in touch with him following his suspension to no avail, Mikael Marques has a sprained ankle, Ryen Jiba hurt his knee, Kervin Arriaga is questionable with a sore thigh and Bakaye Dibassy remains sidelined with a thigh injury.
Second-half strikes from Franco Fragapane, Emmenuel Iwe and Luis Amarilla helped the Loons come back to win their US Open Cup fixture versus Detroit City following the opening goal from Yazeed Matthews.
Mender Garcia had the only goal in their season opener versus Dallas in late February, as Dayne St. Clair only had to save one shot on that occasion to collect a clean sheet.
Alan Velasco is unlikely to see the field for Dallas this weekend because of a right knee sprain, while Tarik Scott is out for the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his ACL before the start of the campaign.
Jose Martinez notched his first as a Toro in New York last Saturday, while Maarten Paes conceded more times in that encounter than in his previous three, while his only clean sheet this year occurred on the road versus Inter Miami (1-0).
Sebastian Lletget registered two assists when they defeated the Loons in this exact fixture a year ago, with the goals in that match coming courtesy of Velasco and their top goalscorer this season Jesus Ferreira, while an own-goal from Minnesota defender Michael Boxall held up as the winner.
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
St. Clair; Valentin, Boxall, Tapias, Taylor; Trapp, Dotson; Lod, Fragapane, Hlongwane; Garcia
Dallas possible starting lineup:
Paes; Junqua, Tafari, Martinez, Farfan; Lletget, Quignon, Pomykal; Arriola, Ferreira, Obrian
We say: Minnesota United 1-0 Dallas
Although the Loons are in a slump at the moment, they have not been playing as poorly as their recent track record might indicate, and we expect to see them bounce back on Sunday versus a side they have fared well against at home.
How to watch
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Joel Lefevre
