Minnesota United Aims for Historic Win Against Columbus Crew
Despite a pair of recent losses, Minnesota United coach Cameron Knowles remains optimistic about securing a historic win at the Columbus Crew this Saturday. Minnesota United is in search of their first victory in Columbus since joining Major League Soccer in 2017. Due to scheduling quirks, they have only faced the Crew twice, suffering defeats in 2018 and 2020, and have yet to play at the Crew’s current stadium since it opened in 2021.
The Loons, with a record of 5-3-2 and 17 points, recently had a four-match MLS winning streak halted by a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles FC on April 25. This was followed by a 4-2 defeat in the U.S. Open Cup at San Jose on Tuesday, even after leading the Earthquakes 2-1 in the second half.
Knowles sees positives in the recent setbacks, noting that both San Jose and LAFC currently rank first and fourth in the league standings. “The guys can take a lot of pride in knowing we can compete against any team in this league anywhere,” he stated. “We should take so much confidence in our ability to go into some really difficult environments and to play difficult teams and know that we can compete against all of them.”
In contrast, the Crew, with a record of 3-4-3 and 12 points, are on an upswing under first-year coach Henrik Rydstrom, boasting two consecutive wins in MLS play and a strong 5-1-1 record in their last seven matches across all competitions. They have managed to secure results despite the loss of leading scorer Wessam Abou Ali to a season-ending knee injury on April 12.
Rydstrom is looking for midfielder Hugo Picard to contribute significantly. Picard scored two goals each in Open Cup victories against lower-tier teams Richmond and Knoxville this season but has yet to find the net in his 18 career MLS matches. “What I really like is that he challenges his opponent,” Rydstrom commented. “He missed some situations in the beginning against Knoxville, but he just keeps going. For him, now it’s to take that step into the MLS because he’s so good, he can do it no matter the opponent.”
This match also represents a homecoming for Minnesota’s Wil Trapp, who hails from Columbus. Trapp played for the Crew from 2013 to 2019, serving as captain during his final three seasons.