The struggling sides of Major League Soccer’s Western Conference will square off on Tuesday as Minnesota United host Los Angeles FC at Allianz Field with kickoff at 3 am.
The Loons have had a bad couple of weeks. They were one of the hottest clubs in MLS not long ago, with points in 10 of their 11 domestic matches played between the end of June and August 27.
But they’ve failed to score in three consecutive outings since then, putting some pressure on them in the Western Conference playoff battle.
While their margin for error is much thinner now, their schedule down the stretch is favorable—three of their final four regular-season opponents are currently outside of the playoff picture.
LAFC’s quest to make history by winning the Supporters’ Shield and becoming the first team in MLS history to reach 100 points seems like a long shot after their recent slump.
The Black and Gold have dropped points in only one match since August 20, falling into second place in the standings behind Philadelphia by three points.
Their defeat to the Toros over the weekend snapped a 20-game winning streak when leading an MLS encounter, but they’re within reach of clinching the top spot in the Western Conference.
Minnesota United vs Los Angeles Head to Head
Both sides have seven games against each other, taking two wins and three draws. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Portland Timbers 1-0 Minnesota
- Minnesota 0-3 FC Dallas
- Real Salt Lake 3-0 Minnesota
- Minnesota 2-1 Houston Dynamo
Away
- FC Dallas 2-1 Los Angeles
- Los Angeles 2-0 Real Salt Lake
- Houston Dynamo 2-1 Los Angeles
- Austin FC 4-1 Los Angeles
Minnesota Team News
Dayne St. Clair faced only one shot for the Loons against Portland, but Dairon Asprilla’s goal was unstoppable, and the Canadian has conceded seven goals in his last three games. Alan Benitez picked up his second assist of the season in that triumph, while Fafa Picault scored an own goal and Luis Amarilla found the net late on.
Los Angeles FC Team News
Palacios will miss Tuesday’s game after getting booked against Dallas. Hollingshead was expelled after 13 minutes last weekend, while Cherundolo made one change to his starting 11 against the Toros as Vela replaced Kwadwo Opoku in the attack, with the Ghanaian beginning alongside Arango and Denis Bouanga.
Prediction and Odds
Both teams have depth at virtually every position, but LA is slicker going forward, while the Loons are still struggling to finish.
- Away Win
- Both Teams to Score
- Goals Over 2.5
