PREVIEW | United Aims To Continue Scoring Streak With The RailHawks Coming To Town
The Minnesota United offense has been on fire this season, leading the NASL in goals scored with 37 – including a 19-match league scoring streak. Led by the 2014 Golden Boot winner Christian Ramirez, twelve different players have scored for Minnesota United in 2015.
The Loons match up against the Carolina RailHawks this Saturday. The RailHawks are coming off a shutout performance, in which goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald earned his first clean sheet of the Fall Season over the weekend and a 3-3 draw in a midweek game against the San Antonio Scorpions. The RailHawks have kept opponents off the scoresheet just three times this season.
OPPONENT
The RailHawks don’t push the pace of the match, and let teams build into them, remaining organized in the back. Working the ball up the field with short, diagonal passes, Carolina keeps shape well throughout the 90 minutes. They aren’t a squad that will score a ton of goals, but can hold onto a one-goal lead and press forward late in matches.
Defensively, Carolina plays dangerous games with an offside trap and a flat back four. The RailHawks drop deep into their own half to defend and let attackers play the ball back and forth in their own half. The Loons had success when they took half-chances near the 18 and crashed the box for rebounds.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kalif Alhassan – The United midfielder scored his third goal of the season this past Saturday, and has provided some moments of brilliance on the pitch recently. Alhassan also leads Minnesota in assists, with five.
Akira Fitzgerald – In past seasons, Carolina was known for its stingy defense and unbeatable ‘keeper. Fitzgeral kept his first clean sheet of the Fall Season recently. He is an athletic ‘keeper with solid positioning who controls his penalty area –keeping his defenders organized and the opposition away from his net.
MATCH PREVIEW – MINNESOTA UNITED AT CAROLINA RAILHAWKS
It’s a redemption game for Minnesota United after dropping a match to the RailHawks in the first week of the Fall Season in a 3-1 shelling. Carolina scored two goals early and kept pressure on the Loons for a full 90 minutes and made it difficult for Minnesota to mount any type of comeback. Despite Daniel Mendes finding the back of the net to cut Carolina’s lead in half and a late red card for the RailHawks, the Loons could not draw the match even and missed out on all three points.
Minnesota struggled to find the back of the net in open play last Sunday. With twice as many shots as FC Edmonton, the Loons were only able to convert one goalscoring opportunity from a set piece. Edmonton took advantage of this scoring lapse, drawing the match even at the death and stealing a point in a match. It was the eighth time United has conceded after the 70th minute leading to dropped points this season – leaving a total of 15 points on the board.
Late concessions have been a focus for the Loons in training this week. With just nine matches remaining in the season, every point is crucial. Minnesota has given up 29 goals to this point in 2015. The Loons are tied for the fourth best in the league in goals against with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but will want to improve their defensive positioning heading into the postseason.
For Carolina, the Fall Season has been inconsistent and difficult. The RailHawks ended a four-match losing streak on Saturday, defeating the Atlanta Silverbacks, 2-0. Carolina has averaged just one point a match in the Fall Season, with twelve points in twelve matches played after its 3-3 draw with San Antonio on Wednesday. Sitting in seventh position in the Fall Season Standings and sixth in the Combined Standings, the RailHawks need three points to continue their pursuit of the postseason.
Expect a competitive and high-paced match on Saturday, with two teams entering NSC Stadium desperate to capture as many points as possible in the final third of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET in Blaine.
