Hassani Dotson’s assist on Tani Oluwaseyi’s goal against D.C. United last Wednesday was part of Minnesota United’s broader game plan.

The Loons’ scouting report included exploiting space in behind D.C.’s defense. MNUFC believed if it quickly moved the ball forward with a first touch, green grass would be there for players to run onto at Allianz Field.

In the 32nd minute, Dotson’s piercing header was well-timed by Oluwaseyi to have a breakaway in on goal, and he produced a clinical left-footed finish past goalkeeper Alex Bono.

“A coolie,” Dotson said about Oluwaseyi’s calm, cool and collected goal in the 3-2 loss to D.C.

That scoring connection also reflects Dotson and Oluwaseyi’s friendship.

The pair first bonded in the Loons’ training room at the National Sports Center in Blaine in 2022. Dotson was recovering from a ACL injury that derailed the starter’s season in April; Oluwaseyi was dealing with his own knee issues during a low-profile rookie year.

Their relationship deepened a year ago when they became roommates in preseason camp. Then when Oluwaseyi went on a season-long loan to USL Championship club San Antonio in April, Dotson would call and check in on him.

Oluwaseyi and Dotson stayed in touch this summer as well when Oluwaseyi joined the Canadian men’s national team for the Copa America tournament.

“Hassani is my guy,” Oluwaseyi said. “We will talk when I had a game … and vice versa. We talk through things. What we want to do in the game and what we expect from the game. … We just try to pick each other’s brain and see what the other thought about the game. I think it’s also good to have somebody like that, (to) be very honest with you about how they perform in games. It just makes me a better player as well.”

Bursting onto the MLS scene with seven goals in his first 15 league games this season, Oluwaseyi earned his first call-up to Canada in June. It was a dream the 24-year-old Oluwaseyi has had since he was a a teenager.

Dotson, 26, was able to share his own experiences with the U.S. youth national team, including the Under-23 team’s effort in Olympic qualifying in 2021.

“The first (call-up) you feel a little more exhausted just because your brain’s going pretty fast and you get pretty nervous,” Dotson said. “So stuff may seem harder than it actually is.”

Dotson’s advice to Oluwaseyi wasn’t complex, emphasizing self-belief and perspective. “They’re human, too,” Dotson said about teammates and opponents.

Oluwaseyi played 136 minutes across five matches in Copa America — four substitute appearances before one start in the third-place match against Uruguay. He didn’t score a goal on nine shots and three on target.

Dotson said one sequence in particular irked Oluwaseyi.

“He tracks a dude down, makes a tackle by the sideline, and then he tried to take a shot,” Dotson explained. “It was a tough angle. And obviously, like, when you watch it back, ‘Oh, maybe you could take another touch inside and do that.’ But the speed at the moment, first thing you see is an opening and you want to make that quick decision.”

Dotson tried to remind the self-critical Oluwaseyi to reward himself for the first play and learn from the next action.

“You have to look at it as your first minutes,” Dotson recalled saying. “You popped out on the screen. Other big players are playing, and you stood out being a sub. Just grow from that.”

Loons head coach Eric Ramsay relied on Dotson when Oluwaseyi was away from the club for six weeks this summer.

“I’m sure they missed each other,” Ramsay said. “I checked in with Hassani regularly over the course of Tani being away because I knew they spoke and I knew he had his finger on the pulse to how things were and whether Tani was going to play — all that sort of stuff. It was nice to have that source.”

Oluwaseyi often talks to his father about games; those conversations tend to take on a more-serious tone than his chats with Dotson.

“I feel like my face gives a little bit more intensity than the actual message sometimes, but we have such a good relationship,” Dotson said.

Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi (14) helps midfielder Hassani Dotson (31) during warmups before the start of MLS game against San Jose at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

When Oluwaseyi was away from MNUFC, he would ask how the Loons were doing in what became a grueling nine-game winless skid. They discussed Dotson’s most difficult moments: his two straight yellow cards and a sending off 26 minutes into a June 22 match. The Loons, down to 10 players after Dotson’s expulsion, went on to lose 1-0 to Austin FC.

“It’s always tough seeing your brothers struggle,” Oluwaseyi said. “That is why I try to be in communication with one or two of them, just letting them know that I’m watching and supporting them.”

Dotson will bring a “level criticism” to Oluwaseyi — often on a daily basis. It can have a harder edge or sometimes a softer touch. It might lead to disagreements between the two.

“When you’re so close to someone, you can really — I always tell them: ‘Anything you have, lay it all out,’ ” Dotson said. “ So it’s all out there, and we can be honest in the moment and then look back at it and talk about it. We’re good. That’s the type of relationship I like. And I think people understand each other pretty well.”

If it gets contentious, Dotson and Oluwaseyi will reconnect once they have cooled off.

“We always reach back out in the day,” Dotson said. “… If we’ve gotten at it, then he talks to my daughter on FaceTime and whatnot.”