The last time Minnesota United played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Loons lost a trophy to Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup final in August 2019.

There was no hardware on the line Saturday night, but MNUFC remained the best road team in MLS this season, with a 2-1 win over their 2017 expansion cousins.

Kervin Arriaga welcomed the birth his baby boy on Wednesday and celebrated it with a header goal off a corner kick from his fellow Honduran Joseph Rosales in the 54th minute. In celebration, Arriaga mimicked rocking a baby to sleep and sucked his thumb.

In the 60th minute, Carlos Harvey forced a turnover and started a counter attack; Tani Oluwaseyi perfectly slotted a shot into the bottom right corner of the net. A white-hot Oluwaseyi has a team-high five goals this season.

Atlantą got a goal back in the 82nd minute and the Loons death with some nervy moments. A flick-on header started a breakaway and Saba Lobjanidze scored. Giorgos Giakoumakis put what would have been a game-tying goal off the crossbar in the 91st minute. Thiago Almada had a free kick from 25 yards out, but didn’t challenge Dayne St. Clair on the final kick of the game.

MNUFC (6-2-2, 20 points) improved to 4-1-0 away from St. Paul and have won three straight games. Atlanta United (3-4-3, 12 points) is winless in their previous five.

Loons head coach Eric Ramsay started two strikers in the 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City last Saturday, but aborted that formation at halftime.

Ramsay went back to a two-striker formation in Georgia, but with Sang Bin Jeong next to Tani Oluwaseui instead of Teemu Pukki. The wrinkle Saturday was the Loons set up in a compact 5-4-1 to cut down spaces for Atlanta.

Ramsay continued to make routine halftime changes with Robin Lod, arguably the Loons’ MVP so far this season, coming out at the break and Harvey subbing in.

Each striker had a chance after a half hour. Tani Oluwaseyi was on the ball in the corner of the 18-year box and looking on an open goal after Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan collided with defender Luis Abram and were both on the ground. But Oluwaseyi’s shot went straight to a prone Guzan.

A few minutes later, Giakoumakis drive for a header, but Dayne St. Clair was in a perfect spot to deny the attempt.

Briefly

When his Loons teammates were sleeping in their Atlanta hotel pre-dawn Saturday, AWOL star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso’s account went live on Instagram. Reynoso has been letting down his club since the MLS all-star decided not to return from Argentina after skipping his U.S. green card meeting in his home country in late March. … MNUFC2 goalkeeper Alec Smir was called up for his second MLS game on Saturday; Loons backup Clint Irwin (groin) is sidelined. … Midfielder Hassani Dotson missed his second straight match with a hamstring injury. Ramsay said Friday that Dotson might be able to return for the next game, May 15 versus Los Angeles Galaxy at Allianz Field. … Ramsay was pleased to see Ipswich Town promoted to the English Premier League on Saturday. He has a connection with Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna. They both were at Loughborough University in England in the early 2010s and crossed paths again a few years ago at Manchester United.