Minnesota United’s coaching staff has directly spoken to DJ Taylor about the need for a “detailed approach to defending in the box.”
But it happened again on Saturday.
The Loons right-side defender gave up a penalty kick in a 3-2 road loss to Portland Timbers. Playing slightly out of position as a right-sided center back, Taylor grabbed Felipe Mora in the 18-yard box; Mora recognized the contact and went to ground, earning the PK.
Evander scored from the spot and Portland was immediately back in the game, trailing 2-1 just before halftime. They scored twice in the second half to stetch MNUFC’s losing streak to four games.
“That was costly for us,” head coach Eric Ramsay said postgame. “There’s no way around it. There’s no two ways about it.”
The Loons have conceded three PKs this season; Taylor has allowed all three.
“Again, that’s one that he’ll have to have a good look at,” Ramsay continued. “We’ll have, again, an open, honest conversation with him about those moments that define games for us, and I’m sure it had a big bearing on him. It’s for him and us to have that difficult conversation, I suppose.”
No subs?
Ramsay substitutes a lot more than predecessor Adrian Heath did during his seven seasons with MNUFC, a breath of fresh air for many Loons followers. Heath was regularly near the bottom of MLS in the number of subs used, while Ramsay and MNUFC are tied for eighth in the league with 89 subs (4.4 per match) through 20 matches this season..
But while the Loons were succumbing to steady Portland pressure in Saturday’s second half, Ramsay didn’t make a single change through 90 minutes. He made two changes in stoppage time.
The Loons were without nine players Saturday, so the bench didn’t have MLS-level reinforcements — Zarek Valentin was the only regular MLS player on the bench.
But the lack of changes was still uncharacteristic.
“You can make an argument that fresh legs make a difference, but also the players were in the game, they were in the rhythm of having to defend,” Ramsay said. “They were really dialed into what the situation was, and I think in some senses, fresh legs isn’t always the answer.”
“I can’t pretend to have the same tools at our disposal late on in games to change,” he added. “That was obviously the rationale behind keeping us largely as we were to start the second half. To an extent, I stand by that. I think those situations, it’s immensely important that the players are really tuned into the situation, and I think to a man we were at that point — albeit (I) did feel the tide had turned.”
The on-field Loons were so used to defending in the second half because they couldn’t consistently clear their lines, nor could they retain possession to relieve pressure. Their backs were consistently pushed against their own goal.
“That was something we could certainly have done better,” Ramsay said about a lack of full clearances. “We were nowhere near as clean enough in clearing the boxes as we would want to be, and obviously that causes problems if you end up defending for far longer than you want to defend. But again, in the circumstances, it’s difficult to criticize a back line that was right at their limit physically, I would say, and everyone to a man, from my perspective, has been able to walk away with their heads held high for effort and application and a desire to help us get over the line.”
Another trap door
The Loons’ bad luck struck again about an hour before kickoff. Key defensive midfielder Wil Trapp felt a muscle injury in a leg and took himself out of the starting lineup.
“It does feel at the moment that what can go wrong, will go wrong,” Ramsay said. “Certainly, Wil is a player, almost the last player, you would want to lose at that point. And also at the point we’re at, where we really need that experience, that leadership, and the personality traits that he has.”
Moses Nyeman stepped in for his first MLS start since he was with D.C. United in 2022.
Ramsay hopes there is a bit of a silver lining in Trapp pulling himself out. If Trapp sensed the injury early, maybe he will be fine for Wednesday’s home game against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Hassani Dotson will be available after serving a red-card suspension Saturday.
Debut overshadowed
Minneapolis native Rory O’Driscoll made his MLS debut in the 92nd minute Saturday. Portland forward Jonathan Rodriguez scored the game-winner seconds later.
“Not through his doing in any way,” Ramsay said of O’Driscoll.
O’Driscoll, a 24-year-old a MNUFC2 player, earned the opportunity with his maturity.
“Rory is a great kid,” Ramsay said. “Brilliant to have around the building. A very capable player, so I’m pleased for him. It was a nice moment.”
