GAME STORY: Loons lose 2-1 to Austin FC in U.S. Open Cup semifinals

Following Minnesota United’s 2-1 extra-time loss to Austin FC, knocking the Loons out of the U.S. Open Cup in the semifinals, captain Michael Boxall didn’t need any prompting to put the game in context.

“I’ve been here far too long — seven, eight years — and we’ve been in that position what, three times?” he said. “It doesn’t come around too often, so it sucks.”

Die-hard Loons fans know exactly which were the three times he was referring to.

Read more: Minnesota United falls to Austin FC in U.S. Open Cup Semis

“It’s the possibility of playing a final in your own stadium, which I’m sure I’ll say to the players in the coming days — that’s not something that you necessarily get across a 10-, 12-year career at this level,” manager Eric Ramsay said. “So it’s a really unique opportunity and one that we’ve got to take advantage of.”

It’s one of the beauties of soccer, that there are playoffs in the middle of the season. It’s something the WNBA and NBA have started trying to replicate in their own schedules. It’s everything a Loons fan could want.

Isn’t it?

Read more: Minnesota United pushes tickets for U.S. Open Cup semifinal

GAME STORY: Minnesota United comes alive late for 3-1 victory at San Diego that puts top of Western Conference within reach

When the dust settled from Minnesota United’s 3-1 victory at San Diego late Saturday night, the Loons were left in a place they have simply never been at this point of the season.

The victory meant the Loons set a club record for points in a season, with 54. It also put them squarely in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference. They now trail San Diego by only two points with four games to play — though Vancouver, which hammered Philadelphia 7-0 on Saturday night, is two points back of the Loons and has two games in hand.

Read more: Analysis: Loons’ victory at San Diego is the latest sign of a special season

It is very tempting to cast Saturday’s clash between Minnesota United and San Diego FC not only as a battle of the top two teams in the Western Conference standings but also as a referendum on the game of soccer itself.

Read more: Minnesota United’s MLS game at San Diego pits separate approaches

He’s been in the United States less than a week, but it feels like you can already tell that new Minnesota United attacker Dominik Fitz is a veteran.

Conducting what was purportedly his first-ever interview in English, Fitz at one point struggled to find a word, then stopped himself and said, politely, “Next question.”

Veteran move, new guy.

Read more: Minnesota United welcomes attacker Dominik Fitz to the fold

Minnesota United chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad always knew he’d have to field offers for his best players.

Just maybe not quite so soon.

“I thought maybe some of these offers would come after the World Cup,” he said. “It’s just a testament to what [manager] Eric [Ramsay] and the players are doing.”

Read more: MNUFC’s Khaled El-Ahmad is proud of club’s player development

GAME STORY: Minnesota United settles for draw with Portland after Robin Lod’s late equalizer

SIDEBAR: Minnesota United fans honor Annunciation Church shooting victims

Minnesota United has a two-week break in the calendar, but when the Loons do return, they will be coming back for perhaps the most pivotal non-playoff week of their season.

After a game Sept. 13 in San Diego — potentially with the top spot in the Western Conference on the line, depending on San Diego’s result against LAFC late Sunday night — Minnesota plays host to Austin midweek on Sept. 17 in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

ANALYSIS: Minnesota United gets a break before crucial two-game set

Minnesota United isn’t technically qualified yet for the MLS Cup playoffs. But after a 3-1 win against Real Salt Lake, they are realistically not only in the playoff field, but also in the driver’s seat to have home-field advantage for a round or two.

Robin Lod and Joaquín Pereyra scored on either side of halftime for Minnesota, adding to an early Real Salt Lake own goal, and Minnesota cruised to a comfortable victory in Utah.

Read more: Loons cruise to 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake

If the summer transfer window were a soccer match, Minnesota United would be a team that only seemed to come alive when the clock hit second-half stoppage time.

Khaled El-Ahmad, the Loons’ chief soccer officer, saved his summer business for the final day of the transfer window, finalizing one signing and zeroing in on several others as the Thursday night deadline approached.

Read more: Minnesota United signs Dominik Fitz, high scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga

EARLIER: MNUFC looking to add players before end of transfer window

Minnesota United’s new “Heritage” jerseys are an obvious homage to the Minnesota Kicks, the 1976-1981 franchise that set the original North American Soccer League (NASL), or at least the Met Stadium parking lots, on fire. Orange and blue, with a throwback logo and wordmark. Everything about the jerseys is 1979.

The team’s “Heritage Celebration” on Saturday night when the Loons take on the Seattle Sounders is about more than just the Kicks, though. Kicks greats like Tony Peszneker and the two Alans, Willey and Merrick, will be in attendance, but so will players and coaches and staff from the succeeding era of Minnesota soccer, the one that runs right up until the present day: the Thunder, who became the Stars, who became the Loons.

Read more: MNUFC celebrates its heritage Saturday against the Sounders

LOONS 1, SEATTLE 0 - GAME STORY: Minnesota United picks up improbable victory over Seattle Sounders

It was widely accepted that Querétaro was not one of Liga MX’s top teams, entering the Leagues Cup. It was still striking, though, how comfortable Minnesota United’s 4-1 win ended up being.

Los Gallos Blancos offered very little in the way of resistance in the first half, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Kelvin Yeboah gave the Loons a comfortable lead within the first 20 minutes.

Read more: Minnesota United pick up comfortable Leagues Cup victory over Querétaro