Minnesota United has hardly trailed this season; when Emil Forsberg opened the scoring for New York on Saturday, 11 minutes into the game, it was just the fifth time the Loons had gone behind all year.

That Minnesota fought back to lead by a goal at halftime was a testament to Minnesota’s effort. It was the Loons’ first comeback of the season. But it also made it all the more frustrating when they gave away the lead in the 90th minute, on a goal from Eric Choupo-Mouting, and earned a 2-2 draw on the road.

“Bittersweet,” Kelvin Yeboah said to reporters via Zoom after the game. “Really bittersweet, because we really played well.”

Read more: Minnesota United slips into draw with New York Red Bulls

You might not recognize all the names that will take the field for the U.S. men’s national soccer team on Sunday when they take on Costa Rica in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That also might not be a bad thing.

Read more: USA vs. Costa Rica in Gold Cup quarterfinals at U.S. Bank Stadium preview

For the first time ever, Minnesota United winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s mother — with his baby brother in tow — was at Allianz Field on Wednesday to see her son play.

And who among us wouldn’t want to score a couple of goals in that situation, to show off for Mom?

Hlongwane scored two goals in three minutes in the second half, getting Minnesota United started on a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo — and turning a dull, physical game into a joyful family celebration.

Read more: Minnesota United defeats Houston on goals from Bongokuhle Hlongwane

Michael Boxall has held a lot of titles for Minnesota United. Veteran leader. Captain. Longest-serving player.

And now, in his 15th professional season: All-Star.

Boxall, alongside Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, was voted into the MLS All-Star Game, which will be held July 23 in Austin, Texas.

Read more: Minnesota United veteran Michael Boxall makes first MLS All-Star team

Last week, Major League Soccer took five days off, with no team activities for Minnesota United between Saturday’s loss to San Diego FC and a training session on Friday.

Here’s hoping the Loons enjoyed their five-day summer break, because the calendar is about to get crowded again. Beginning with Wednesday night’s home game against the Houston Dynamo, Minnesota has five games in the next 18 days — or six if you count the team’s friendly against Germany’s Holstein Kiel.

Read more: Minnesota United vs. Houston Dynamo MLS match preview

Local fans of the U.S. men’s national soccer team have caught a break: the home team is coming to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

The USA finished off the group stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the winners of Group D, and will meet Group A runner-up Costa Rica next Sunday at 6 p.m., in Minneapolis in the tournament quarterfinals. It’ll be the first time that either the men’s or women’s national team has played a knockout-round game in Minnesota.

Read more: Team USA coming to U.S. Bank Stadium for Gold Cup quarterfinal vs. Costa Rica

GAME STORY: Minnesota United lose at home to San Diego FC

Minnesota United had one of the strongest defenses in MLS during the first half of the season, so it was a surprise to see the Loons begin the second half by giving up four goals.

Talking to coaches and players after Saturday night’s 4-2 loss to San Diego FC, though, it was one goal in particular that they kept zeroing in on: the third goal.

Read more: Analysis: One goal in particular bothers Minnesota United following loss to San Diego FC

San Diego FC sporting director Tyler Heaps has made it, truly made it.

And we’re not talking about anything to do with his work putting expansion SDFC, which visits Minnesota United on Saturday evening, into second place in the standings.

Heaps, who grew up in East St. Paul, is living the dream that every Minnesotan has had at least once during the dark days of January: First, he moved to Monaco and its perfect Mediterranean weather, and then moved on to the year-round summer in San Diego.

“You could have never [told] me, when I was in East St. Paul playing at Conway Rec Center, that I’d end up here,” Heaps said. “But here we are.”

Read more: San Diego FC sporting director Tyler Heaps to face Minnesota United

Even semi-seasoned soccer fans might look at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which kicks off Saturday night, and think, “OK, which international tournament is this, again?”

Read more: CONCACAF Gold Cup will be a proving ground for the slumping Americans

The true purgatory of the MLS follower is this: For every person who wants to tell you that soccer is boring or not a real sport, there is a purist on the other side of the aisle who’s desperate to remind you MLS is not one of the top leagues on the planet.

They aren’t wrong, of course — but over the past decade or so, there’s been a change that the most committed haters might not want to admit: MLS is starting to catch up.

Read more: MLS continues to grow as Minnesota United, others spend to win

In the middle of May last year, as Minnesota United climbed up the MLS standings, then-new manager Eric Ramsay said he was all about day-by-day process, not results. “I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about winning,” he said back then.

Fast-forward a year, and Ramsay has learned: When it comes to motivating his team, he might as well talk about the standings.

Read more: Minnesota United, under Eric Ramsay, off to its best start in MLS play

GAME STORY: Three-goal outburst in second half helps Minnesota United to rare victory in Seattle

Before Sunday, there were certain things that seemed inevitable in life.

Death. Taxes. Minnesota United losing in Seattle.

Eight-plus years into the Loons’ tenure in MLS, and the team had never managed to come away with so much as a point, in 10 tries. They had lost all eight regular-season games, once in the Leagues Cup, and once — most infamously — 3-2 in the 2020 conference finals, after leading 2-0 deep into the second half.

ANALYSIS: Minnesota United scores rare victory over Seattle Sounders in MLS play

GAME STORY: Minnesota United plays MLS leader Vancouver to scoreless draw

It’s probably going to be a rough video session for Minnesota United as they review Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the underlying numbers don’t look any better for the Loons.

But “no goals allowed” and “a point on the road against the league’s best team” ought to take some sting out of the postmortem.

“I have said to the players at the end that if you’re coming to a place like this at the moment and you’re not going to win, don’t lose and don’t concede,” said manager Eric Ramsay. “The way in which we saw the game out, the willingness, the discipline, energy, fight, all the words that characterize this team, you saw that.”

Read more: ANALYSIS- Loons settle for 0-0 draw at Vancouver

MORE, from pre-Austin FC game: Surging in May, Minnesota United is set up for success