Minnesota United vs LA Galaxy, Match Preview | OneFootball

The last time the Galaxy faced Minnesota United at Dignity Health Sports Park, the club would be informed that they missed out on the MLS Cup Playoffs after being in a playoff position all season long. At the midway point of this current campaign, the Galaxy looks to begin to climb up the table and keep up with the highly competitive Western Conference.

“It’s gonna be a good game against Minnesota. They’re struggling a little bit but that’s dangerous though, those are teams that want to break that little funk that they’re in so they’re gonna come with 100% spirit and 100% fight which Minnesota does all the time”, said Raheem Edwards. Here is all you need to know to prepare for the match.

Kick-Off Time: The game will kick off at 7:38 PST on Wednesday, Jun. 29, at Dignity Health Sports Park. The local broadcast of the match will begin at 7:30.

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on Spectrum Sportsnet and streamed on LAGalaxy.com. A radio broadcast will be available on the LA Galaxy’s YouTube channel.

Season Records: The LA Galaxy are 7-5-3 with a total of 24 points through 15 games in MLS. The club sits in sixth place in the West. The Galaxy was knocked out of the U.S Open Cup by Sacramento Republic FC by a score of 2-1 in their last match. Their weekend game at San Jose was rescheduled for September due to power issues at Stanford Stadium.

Minnesota United are currently 5-8-3 on the season and are sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference. Their last match against Inter Miami ended in a 2-1 loss. The loons were leading the match heading into the 86th minute until a pair of goals by Indiana Vassilev took away all three points for Minnesota. Minnesota United has lost three straight games, and six of its last eight matches.

Head-to-Head Record: LA Galaxy has lost only one of its 11 all-time MLS matches against Minnesota. However, the Galaxy haven’t recorded a victory in any of their last three matches against the Loons. The last time these clubs faced off was on May 18th. A Sacha Kljestan penalty and late equalizer by Robin Lod split the point share evenly on the night.

The Winning Edge: Midfield Presence

Photo Credit: LA Galaxy

What makes the Galaxy team go is establishing an intensity and level of physicality in the midfield. Mark Delgado and Rayan Raveloson will be key in helping set up the Galaxy attack while also having to do work on the defensive end.

With Delgado ready to return to the lineup on Wednesday, his ability to cover spaces and spread the ball around the pitch will be on display. Raveloson on the other hand will try to come back from an off night against Sacramento. Getting into a rhythm and playing connected is what coach Greg Vanney wants to see in the team but especially between central midfielders.

Minnesota’s playmaker, Emmanuel Reynoso, will be a threat all night long as his ability to play a good through ball past the backline and ability to shoot from distance is what the Galaxy needs to be aware of during the game. Delgado and Raveloson have been a good first line of defense for the Galaxy backline and have limited the impact of the opposition’s best central playmakers during stretches of the season.

Minnesota will likely play with two defensive midfielders in Joseph Rosales and Kevin Arriaga on Wednesday night. To win the midfield trenches, the Galaxy must match or have more intensity in the midfield. These last two players aren’t afraid to get physical and get into risky challenges to win the ball.

The Galaxy have failed to establish a good intensity since their return from the International Break, can the midfield be the catalyst that pushes and creates what Greg Vanney has been asking for? Minnesota will provide a test after having the weekend off.