Minnesota United takes fate of turbulent MLS season down to the final day

Minnesota United's game Saturday at Sporting Kansas City ends a regular season that started with star Emanuel Reynoso absent for five months and concludes without fired head coach Adrian Heath.

A 34-game season that started Feb. 25 is now down to one with the Loons and Sporting K.C. both needing a victory to reach the playoffs.

Still aimed at a fifth consecutive playoff appearance, the 11th-place Loons can finish as high as seventh in a Western Conference where nine teams now make it to the postseason. To reach the playoffs, they need a victory and for at least one of three teams above them — Portland, Dallas or San Jose — to lose or draw.

"We've got one clear objective and that's to win the game," Loons interim coach Sean McAuley said.

The Loons must do so at Kansas City, where they have won just once in eight games across all competitions. They won 3-0 there in a 2020 playoff game and reached the Western Conference finals in Seattle, coming minutes from reaching the MLS Cup final.

Their last time out, the Loons beat LA Galaxy 5-2 two weeks ago at home. That was two days after Heath was fired and McAuley was promoted. Six players — including striker Teemu Pukki and defender Michael Boxall — left for international duty last week, but all returned to training by Thursday. Left-side player Joseph Rosales and defender Brent Kallman both could be ready to return from injury and play limited roles if needed.

"We know it's going to be really difficult, but we trust in our group, we trust in our players," Reynoso said in Spanish through a team translator. "We know we have a great team that plays good soccer. We won the last game at our home with our fans. That raised our [confidence] level."

"It's a must-win game, just one game earlier," St. Clair said, referring to the playoff structure. "We played a must-win game there and we played well. We were able to do that. For us, it's important to keep that narrative, that we've gone there and we've gotten a result when it mattered most."

Sporting K.C. is 8-6-2 at home this season. The Loons are 6-8-2 on the road. Only Orlando, Real Salt Lake and Cincinnati have more MLS road wins this season.

All seven Western Conference games begin at 8 p.m. Central on a Decision Day seeking late-game suspense. McAuley calls Saturday's games must-win as well for Portland, Dallas and San Jose, the other three teams still in contention for one of the final three playoff spots. Those three teams have 43 points; the Loons and Sporting K.C. each have 41.

Portland, Dallas and San Jose all advance if the Loons and Kansas City tie and eliminate each other.

"The other three teams have to win as well, unless we tie," McAuley said. "That gives them something else to think about. Ourselves and Kansas City have nothing else to think about other than winning. So I'm thinking that might put a little confusion or doubt into their performance. That's what I'm selling to the team. We have one option."

"If it's a tie game late on, it could be interesting with both teams knowing a tie means nothing," St. Clair said. "If it's tied late on, you'll see both teams push forward because a tie unfortunately just isn't the same this time of the season, for both teams."

The last time Minnesota United hit the road needing a result on Decision Day, in 2021, it advanced and sent the LA Galaxy home for the winter. When Real Salt Lake scored a 95th-minute goal far away in Kansas City, that allowed the Loons to make the playoffs with a draw. When that goal happened, the Galaxy suddenly needed a victory to advance, and the Loons held on for a 3-3 draw, just what they needed in a season they started 0-4.

"It was madness on that day because we thought we got in and they got in," McAuley said. "We were congratulating each other near enough to say good luck in the playoffs."

This time, a draw won't do it.

"Different scenarios could happen at the weekend," McAuley said. "But it all pales to insignificance if we don't get the job done Saturday."