Minnesota United set a club record for road victories with six this season, at LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Nashville, Vancouver and Monday's playoff opponent FC Dallas.
The old record was in 2019, when the team went 5-10-2 away from Allianz Field with MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara and Goalkeeper of the Year Vito Mannone down its defensive spine.
Does that mean the 2022 Loons are a good road team?
"We can be," coach Adrian Heath said. "We can be."
They were on May 22 when they went to FC Dallas and won 2-1 after they scored the game's first two goals in the first 55 minutes. They were out-passed and out-possessed. They also were outshot 19-7 — except when it came to the Loons' 6-3 advantage in shots on target.
In September, they lost 3-0 to Dallas at Allianz Field, where they gave up all three goals in a mere four minutes. Heath still calls it "five minutes of madness" in a game he insists his team deserved better.
"We won 2-1 there and they had a lot of the ball," Loons veteran defensive midfielder Wil Trapp said. "But if you don't win the game, it doesn't matter. In the playoffs, it's about winning."
FC Dallas went 10-3-4 at home in a season it finished third in the Western Conference and lost only to the Loons, Vancouver and New York City FC at Toyota Stadium.
The sixth-seeded Loons haven't won on the road since August. They lost their last four road games by a combined 10-1.
"Winning on the road, there's no magic formula," Heath said. "We're going to have to defend well, with everybody, all the outfield 10. The days of letting the front men do their job and we'll stay back here, them days are gone. It's the full team attacks and the full team defends in the modern game and those moments of transition are going to be really important."
This time, the Loons visit in mid-October, with Monday's forecast high temperature at 67 degrees. These two teams last played in Dallas in late May, in the blistering Texas summer heat.
"It makes a huge difference," Loons defender D.J. Taylor said. "You don't have to worry about it now. It gives you more fitness to run up and down that line. For me especially, a huge difference."
Despite their road victories, the Loons have also lost 2-0 at San Jose, 4-1 at Sporting Kansas City and 3-0 at Real Salt Lake among their 10 road losses.
"There are games we could have done better, but if we set a record that means we're better than past years," veteran defender Kemar Lawrence said. "Every team raises their level at home, especially in the playoffs. I feel like we're better this year playing on the road. We just need to do it when it matters most."
It matters most Monday against a FC Dallas team that presents 18-goal scorer and U.S. national team forward Jesus Ferreira, U.S. national teammate Paul Arriola and the young, gifted Argentine Alan Velasco, among others.
"They're really good at home and they've got really good forward players," Heath said. "I enjoy watching them play. I think they're a really good side. They've probably got the best team they've had for quite a long time now. They used to sell players, now they're buying players.
"It's not going to be easy, but we know we're capable of going there and getting a result."
They have done it already this season, although in the middle of a seven-month season that all leads to Monday.
Now the Loons need to find the same discipline and intensity in Dallas that they rediscovered last Sunday against Vancouver in a playoff-clinching victory on Decision Day.
Just like last week, there's no game guaranteed next week after this one.
"It's difficult to win on the road in this league and that we've already done it this year, it should give us all confidence," veteran defender Brent Kallman said. "I think this is the most road wins we've had in a season. Just that fact overall should give us confidence that we can go and get a result. It doesn't matter if it's home or away."
