The field is shrinking! Only eight teams are in contention for this year’s bragging rights, and only 270 minutes stand between each of them and lifting the MLS Cup trophy. Next up for your Loons is a Western Conference Semi-Finals in California, a sentence I remember writing last season as well. However, the stage is a little different this time, with MLS’s youngest team hosting the Black and Blue for a spot in the Conference Finals.
This MNUFC team is serious, right? His style of play makes him naturally patient and disciplined, and this mentality is slowly emerging. The two shootout wins to beat Seattle came after two vastly different draws: one a controlled, tricky affair, the other an explosive goalfest. Whether shots are flying both ways or they’re opting to hunker down and weather the storm, the Loons have proven they can keep up with any type of game, and with an extremely dynamic, creative San Diego side, they should be confident they can handle whatever comes next – no matter how crazy it gets.
I’ve lauded LAFC and Vancouver as the league’s most in-form teams recently, but that might be unfair to San Diego. Mickey Varus’ side has been on a poor run of form of late and has outscored its opponents 16-5 in its last five matches. Now, four of those five were against Portland and the other was against Houston, so take the information with a grain of salt. If we look further back, specifically looking back at their home form, San Diego started to show some cracks toward the end of the regular season. Their last three regular season home games have seen them suffer losses to both San Jose and your Loons, as well as a 0-0 draw against Portland, who they apparently play every other week.
stylistically statistical
Watching these teams for about two minutes will tell you everything you need to know about how they approach the game, but instead of a video, I’d like to give you some stats. During the 2025 MLS regular season, San Diego attempted 20,646 passes, nearly a thousand more than most in the league. They also topped the charts for average possession, keeping just over 60% of the ball in most of their matches. Minnesota United, on the other hand, attempted only 11,923 passes – nearly a thousand fewer than the league. The Loons also averaged less than 40% possession throughout the season. But, while these stats help a lot to give you an idea of how each team plays, let’s include some results to complete the picture. San Diego’s goal differential in the regular season was +23; Your Loons managed +17. San Diego scored 63 points; Your Loons earned 58. San Diego won 4–2 at Allianz Field; Your Loons won 3-1 at Snapdragon Stadium. Especially the low margins throughout the season. If ever two styles of football were the yin to each other’s yang, this is it. There isn’t a more compelling stylistic matchup in the entire league; How lucky are we to see it one more time?
In each of their previous matchups, San Diego has cornered the Loons in the opening minutes. His style of play, combined with fresh-footed energy, made for a nervous start, with Dayne St Clair called upon to prevent games getting out of hand. Throughout the year, we’ve seen the Loons handle pressure better than any team in the league. They don’t panic when pushed back and seem to enjoy the challenge. But, if Seattle is considered creative in possession (they are), then we have to find a better way to describe what San Diego does. Their passing and movement is fluid and natural, like a team that has been playing together for over a year. Jeppe Tverskov’s ability to control the midfield, combined with Aníbal Godoy’s experienced presence in the pivot position, keeps the team connected and dangerous, with short passes constantly forcing the opposition to move and leave space to work. The Loons don’t generally bother when teams try to trap them this way, but in the early stages, when passes are crisp and runs are fast, they’ll need to pay close attention to their gaps if they want to keep the hosts quiet.
When the Loons last played in San Diego, most of their success came late in the game. After going up by a goal, the hosts pushed forward, leaving space in behind and allowing the Black and Blue to attack the space with some very promising balls. However, only one of those counters led to a goal, and in a high-pressure, single-elimination playoff game, converting chances is going to be the difference between advancing or not. It sounds very easy to say that you need to hit the target, but… you need to hit the target in these moments. Any near misses, shots in the stands or bangs on the training ground between the whistles that bookend this match do not count. Whoever is leading the line for the Loons – whether it’s Kelvin Yeboah, Robin Lawd, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, or anyone else – they will have to rise to the occasion. The game can depend heavily on a single shot.
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