Minnesota United vs. San Jose Earthquakes

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500 ESPN
Weather: 72 degrees, partly sunny, 8 mph south wind
Betting line: MNUFC minus-135; draw plus-300; D.C. plus-290

Form: With a 3-2 loss to D.C. United on Wednesday, MNUFC (8-10-6, 30 points) sunk its winless lull to nine straight matches. San Jose (4-18-2, 14 points) have the worst point total in MLS by a margin of eight. The Earthquakes are winless in 11 of their last 12 games.

Absences: Michael Boxall (yellow-card accumulation) is suspended. Wil Trapp (hamstring), DJ Taylor (hamstring), and Hugo Bacharach (hamstring) are out. Clint Irwin (groin) is questionable.

Projected XI: In a 5-3-2 formation, LW Sang Bin Jeong, CF Tani Oluwaseyi, RW Bongi Hlongwane; CM Robin Lod, CM Hassani Dotson; LWB Joseph Rosales, CB Devin Padelford, CB Micky Tapias, CB Carlos Harvey, RWB Caden Clark; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Addition: New signing Samuel Sashoua is eligible to play for the Loons for the first time this weekend. The 25-year-old English attacker was signed through end of 2024 season and has been training with MNUFC for the past six weeks.

Opinion: The angst from Loons supporters hit a season low after the team gave up two late goals in the D.C. loss midweek.

Fan Lindsey Russell emailed the Pioneer Press on Thursday to get her “thoughts out” in an op-ed style letter. She said her “heart hurts” when reading recent newspaper game stories and said even the TV writers from “Ted Lasso” couldn’t come up with this plot for MNUFC.

“It’s a hard time to be a Loons fan,” Russell wrote. “That being said, at the end of the game Wednesday, hearing many fans boo the team after a very rough and disappointing defeat, I was, at least briefly, ashamed to be part of the Wonderwall — something I never thought I would say. Are we really so quick to abandon our team when they need our support most?”

But she called on the fictional TV show’s mantra in her conclusion. “It’s okay to be a little disappointed,” she wrote. “It’s okay to feel a little down. All we can ask is that they are giving their all every game, and what we can give in return is our support, because now more than ever, the Loons need us to believe.”

Scouting report: San Jose has allowed a league-high 59 goals this season and have managed only one win in 11 away games. United itself could use a first-half goal to boost wobbly confidence and inject a here-we-go-again feeling into the Earthquakes.

RELATED: Where do Loons stand as summer transfer window opens? 

Stats: MNUFC has allowed 10 goals between the 76th and 90th minutes of all matches this season — more than any other 15-minute increment. They have also allowed three more in added time of second halves. The club has a combined minus-four goal differential across those two segments in 2024.

Check-in: Bloomington native Jackson Yueill returns home as captain of the Earthquakes. He has had a gaggle of supporters wearing his jersey at previous games in St. Paul. The eight-year MLS veteran has played in 22 of 24 matches this season.

Player to watch: Quakes’ attacking mid Cristian Espinoza is one of the best chance creators in MLS, while MNUFC’s leaky defense is even more suspect with Boxall suspended. Espinoza is tied for sixth in the league with 11 total assists; he appears primed to add to it.

Prediction: It’s got to end at some point, right. Right? Amid this club-worst skid, MNUFC has remained a resilient bunch and get it done — barely. A late Loons goal leads to collective exhales after a 3-2 victory.

Related Articles

Where do Loons stand as summer transfer window opens?

Loons collapse with two goals allowed after 90th minute in 3-2 loss to D.C.

Minnesota United vs. D.C. United: Keys to the match, projected starting XI and a prediction

Loons linked to signing attacker Kelvin Yeboah

Loons salvage tie with Houston, end six-game skid