Minnesota United FC wins, strengthens playoff position

Minnesota United FC was in dire need of a victory.

Winless in their previous six games, the Loons entered Saturday night's match against FC Edmonton clinging to the final playoff spot in the North American Soccer League.

But with two games remaining in the NASL fall season, Minnesota United kept its playoff chances alive with a 3-1 victory before an announced crowd of 8,059 at the National Sports Center on Saturday night.

The victory gives the Loons (6-7-7) a three-point lead over Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale and Rayo FC, the three teams chasing them for the final playoff spot.

"It could have gone south really early," said United forward Christian Ramirez, who scored two goals. "We were pumping them and they somehow sneak in a goal. That's what they are, just that set piece, but the guys stuck together and that's what we talked about before the game and at halftime and throughout the game."

Ramirez, who missed the Loons' previous game last weekend at Puerto Rico because of a left ankle sprain, gave the Loons a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute, his second of the night and 18th league goal this fall season. Stefano Pinho scored an insurance goal in the 84th minute, a header off a pass from Ben Speas.

United coach Carl Craig called Saturday his team's best performance of the second half of the season. The Loons controlled the ball for 66 percent of the first half and owned a 6-3 advantage in shots, four of them inside the box. The Loons also had six corner kicks (Edmonton had zero), and had 307 passes compared to Edmonton's 163.

"Fifteen minutes in and they scored, but I thought we were tremendous up until that point and we continued up until 30 or 35 minutes," Craig said. "We lost our way a little bit but we did score. The message at halftime was get out there and play as we had, stick to the plan, and play as we had in the first 15, 20 and 25 minutes and we should be all right."

Edmonton (9-6-5) struck first when Albert Watson scored off a rebound in the 15th minute. Ramirez tied it in the 23rd minute off a backdoor pass from J.C. Banks.

The Loons next travel to Carolina and close out the season at home against New York.

"We need to carry this into Carolina," Ramirez said. "We know that's a big game because they're in the standings. They've been behind us so we need to go in there and impose our will on them."