Minnesota United vs. Necaxa

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Weather: 81 degrees, 50 percent chance of rain, 6 mph wind

Context: MNUFC lost 2-0 to Seattle Sounders in the opening Leagues Cup West Group 6 match Friday. Necaxa will play Seattle in the final group-stage game Sunday in Washington. The top two teams advance to the knockout rounds.

Details: Necaxa is located in Aguascalientes, a city 300 miles northwest of Mexico City. The club celebrated 100 years in 2023. They have a star-studded ownership group, including Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Victor Oladipo, Shawn Marion, Mesut Ozil and more.

Scenarios: If Necaxa win in regulation or in penalty kicks, MNUFC is eliminated from the tournament. If Loons win in PKs, only Seattle clinches a spot in knockout rounds. If MNUFC wins by one or two goals, no teams advance Tuesday. If Loons win by three or more goals, only Minnesota clinches spot in next round.

Form: Loons have one win in the last 11 matches in all competitions. A youthful Necaxa side is 1-2-1 through four games in Liga MX’s Apertura season; they scored four goals against Puebla and one combined in the other three to sit 11th in the 18-team league. Losses were to powerhouses Monterrey and Tigres.

Absences: Hassani Dotson (red-card suspension), Michael Boxall (international duty) and Sang Bin Jeong (personal matter) are out.  Wil Trapp (hamstring), DJ Taylor (hamstring) and Caden Clark (unknown) are available to play.

Projected XI: In a 5-2-3 formation, LW Joseph Rosales, FW Tani Oluwaseyi, RW Bongi Hlongwane; CM Robin Lod, CM Alejandro Bran; LWB Devin Padelford, CB Hugo Bacharach, CB Micky Tapias, CB Carlos Harvey, RWB Loic Mesanvi; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Loons head coach Eric Ramsay called the starting XI at Seattle an “experimental team.” He could cook something up in the lab with the lineup he rolls out Tuesday.

News: MNUFC announced Monday signing of 23-year-old Colombian center back Jefferson Diaz to a three-year contract, with one club option year. Ramsay said Diaz has “a real physical presence,” a comfort on the ball and a “real personality” on the pitch.

“I am very happy with the opportunity,” Diaz said in a statement. “And I hope to meet all the expectations that the club and I have set for myself.”

The club also made official the signing of 24-year-old Ghanian/Italian forward Kelvin Yeboah on Saturday, and Ramsay noted both players are at the “right age” and make-ups to improve the team once they obtain work visas. Their debuts might not be until MLS season resumes vs. Seattle on Aug. 24.

“We struck the balance really nicely with those two guys,” Ramsay said. “They are absolutely raring to go and I’m sure, from a mentality perspective, will really add to what we are trying to do.”

Prediction: MNUFC has never played against Necaxa and that’s just fine because the Loons need to focus on themselves, primarily cutting out defensive errors, and perform in an elimination game. Loons stay alive with a 2-1 victory.