Loons welcome MLS International Break after tough week

MNUFC heads into break looking for wins

After a tough stretch in the season, the Minnesota United will head into a break with the hops of during the year around afterwards.

(FOX 9) - After the Minnesota United played six games in 17 days, the time is here for a short international break in June.

Even though it is time away from the field, the Loons are looking to fix a few things on this up and down start to the MLS season - so far going 5-6-3 in league play.

"We’ve put a team together that’s intense and we’ve obviously shown that we can compete whether we’re away or at home," MNUFC defender D.J. Taylor told FOX 9. "It’s just a little disappointing to not get rewards for how we’ve played."

The team practiced in Blaine one final time on Tuesday before taking two weeks off after a frustrating week on the field.

The Loons lost an Open Cup match in an upset against Omaha on Wednesday, followed by a 1-goal loss to NYCFC, the top team in the East, a few days later.

"It’s clarifying in things we need to work on," MNUFC midfielder Wil Trapp said. "For us, games at home we need to batten down the hatches and find ways to win."

The Loons are 1-3-1 in their last five matches overall at Allianz Field, but the key area of concern for MNUFC is goal scoring.

Minnesota has played in 14 MLS regular season matches, but have scored two goals or more in only three of those matches. The MNUFC have scored 15 total goals in MLS play in 2022, tied for 22nd among the 28 teams in the league.

Scoring offense is an area of the game that players know needs to change in the second part of the schedule.

"I think if we look at the games where we dropped points, it’s been the small moments of [scoring] chances," Trapp said. "It seems at times that we’re getting punished and we don’t punish."

"We’ve been playing well, but we’re struggling to score," Taylor said. "I feel like that is the last thing that we’re missing."

There is still time to find the back of the net with 20 MLS matches to go, but taking advantage of every opportunity is the focus on this time to reflect.

"It’s just making sure that when we come back, we hit the ground running," Taylor said.

The Minnesota United is currently in 8th place in the Western Conference standings.

The Loons host Paderborn for a friendly on June 11 at Allianz Field, but then comes a road trip in MLS play. They will play three straight MLS matches on the road in the month of June starting with a meeting with the New England Revolution on June 19.

The Loons’ next MLS match at home will come on July 3 against Real Salt Lake.