Minnesota United FC has given up a number of late goals this year – against Carolina twice, against Tampa Bay at home, even against Des Moines at home in the US Open Cup – and even central defender and team captain Kyle Altman is confused as to why. “It’s both baffling and beweildering at the same time,” he said. “I think it’s a little bit baffling right now why we haven’t been able to get consistent results, considering that we think we have a very talented team.”

United endured perhaps its most painful loss of the season last Saturday, giving up two late goals in two minutes to come away with no points in a game they led 2-0 after ten minutes. Perhaps the only other contender in that category was the aforementioned loss to Des Moines, and Altman identified one commonality between that and the two games against Carolina: giving up goals from set pieces.

Said Altman, “All three of the goals we gave up against Carolina this past weekend – one was a penalty, another one was a free kick that got cleared and we didn’t track the runners, and a third was off a corner kick. If you look at the two goals we conceded the time before that against Carolina, they were both from short corners. For some reason, this year more than any other year, set pieces have been an Achilles’ heel for us – that and giving up late goals.

“I think a lot of that comes down to mentality and focus, and not necessarily just with defending, because we were defending a lot in that second half. I think a lot of is has to do with how we close out games, not just in defending but how we can keep the ball, how we can possess, how we can give them something to worry about, so we can finish games more successfully. ”

As captain, Altman’s a team leader – but he says that, at times like this, changing the team’s results starts with introspectiveness, not with ranting and raving in the locker room. Said Altman, “The first thing you have to do is look at yourself, and look at what you can do better, and that’s the same recommendation that I would give to all the guys on the team: Look at yourself first, and try to figure out what you need to do to help the team.”

With two weeks to go, then, United’s between a rock and a hard place. They need two wins for a shot at the spring championship – anything else will leave them short – and to get some help from other results around the league. According to Altman, though, the team has yet to degenerate into finger-pointing or negative moods. “There’s a lot of positive energy, actually, because guys really want to figure this out,” he said. “I think guys really want to get out there and put two really good performances to finish out the season.

“We have to focus on what we can control – and that’s to pick up six points.”

Carolina’s Brian Shriver scored twice with less than ten minutes to go, sending Minnesota to a 3-2 defeat on the road – and likely ending United’s chance to win the NASL spring season.

With 84 minutes played, it was all going United’s way. Minnesota had scored twice in the first ten minutes, with Simone Bracalello and Pablo Campos banging in perhaps the team’s two best goals of the season, and though Floyd Franks had pulled one back from the penalty spot for Carolina midway through the first half, all United had to do was hold on. League leaders Atlanta were even doing their part, having gone behind 2-0 against Tampa Bay. As it stood, Minnesota was going to lead the league, tied with Atlanta on 17 points, one ahead of Carolina with two to play. With a home game against Atlanta left, United was going to be the favorites for the league championship.

But then Shriver scored, and two minutes later scored again – and Minnesota went from the middle of the title picture, to the outside looking in.

It’s the second time this year that United has dropped points late against the RailHawks. In Minnesota, they led 2-1, but a goal in the 84th minute tied the game. This time, it was the 86th and 88th minute. Six points for Minnesota turned into one, all in the closing stages.

Minnesota will rue a few missed chances. Bracalello hit the crossbar with an overhead kick, for one, and with twenty minutes to go, Carolina defender Jordan Graye scythed Miguel Ibarra down in the box. Though Graye may have got the ball, penalties have been given for less. RailHawks beat writer Neil Morris described it on Twitter as 50/50, which was probably fair, but given that Carolina’s first-half penalty was similarly 50/50, it was slightly surprising to see the referee wave Ibarra’s claim off.

That said, Carolina certainly had the run of play for most of the game – really all but the first 20 minutes. “We deserved to win that game,” head coach Colin Clarke told the broadcast afterwards. Minnesota chose to try to hold on to their lead for most of the second half, and in the end it came back to burn them.

With two games to go, then, Minnesota has fallen to fourth in the standings (possibly fifth, depending on the result between San Antonio and Edmonton tonight), and would need a miracle to climb back to the top. They have to win their following two games, at Edmonton and and home against Atlanta, and then need one of the following two things to happen:

1. Carolina and Atlanta draw next week, then Carolina loses at San Antonio the following week.
2. Atlanta beats Carolina next week, and Carolina draws or loses at San Antonio the following week.

Even then, Minnesota would probably have to overturn a goal difference deficit. United’s scored the same number of goals as they have allowed, but Atlanta is +2 and Carolina is +6.

For United, it’s a heartbreaking loss – and, barring something amazing, the end of their spring championship hopes.

Minnesota United FC head coach Manny Lagos refused to say that tonight’s game at Carolina is a must-win game, given that the standings are tightly compressed enough that anything could happen. “There’s a lot of parity in our league,” he said, “but we know the importance in the game. It has a lot of ramifications. I don’t think you can go to that extreme [of calling it a must-win], but I don’t think you can make light that it’s a big game.”

With three games to play, United is third in the NASL standings with 14 points, two behind Carolina and three behind Atlanta. Minnesota plays both teams in the next three weeks, so technically they control their own destiny – but in order to stay in control, they need wins, not draws, and certainly not losses.

On the bright side for Minnesota, they have a number of players who have been through the playoff wars the past two seasons, when the team made the championship finals, both years as the playoffs’ lowest seed. “It’s a little different because it’s a league game rather than a playoff game,” said Lagos. “But we have a lot of guys that are the same core of guys that stepped up in big moments over the past couple of years, and I would like to think that they would be ready for the game this weekend. ”

Two years ago, Minnesota defeated Carolina on penalties in a playoff game at WakeMed Soccer Park, the RailHawks’ home field. Those who were part of that game should probably draw on that memory of winning a big game at Carolina – without remembering that they lost 4-3 that day, but went to penalties on aggregate, thanks to Minnesota’s 1-0 win in the first leg.

The helpfulness of the bye week

United has had two weeks to heal up after a bruising win over Fort Lauderdale – and they’re getting closer to having a full squad to choose from.

Midfielder Aaron Pitchkolan and striker Etienne Barbara are available tonight, having made the trip to Carolina. So too is winger Miguel Ibarra, who suffered a bruised knee two weeks ago but has recovered enough to be part of the squad.

Still missing is center back Connor Tobin, who will be out another 3-6 weeks with an ankle injury, according to Lagos. Goalkeeper Daryl Sattler, who has been dealing with a groin injury for several weeks, also did not travel, putting a damper on any possible goalkeeping controversy. Matt Van Oekel will get the start again tonight, backed up by Mitch Hildebrant.

For so long, injuries have been hanging over Minnesota’s heads, forcing an uphill fight. At this point, though, the injury report can’t be used as an excuse.

Game details

Tonight’s game is at 6:00 pm Central time, and can be seen at NASL.com. If you’re in a more social mood, the team is holding a watch party at the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis.

For more on tonight’s game, David La Vaque’s game preview for the paper is here.

It’s a big week for Minnesota, as they head to Carolina on Saturday to take on the RailHawks, one of their rivals for the NASL spring-season title. To get the lay of the land in Carolina, I spoke with Neil Morris, who covers the team for Indy Week, and who is one of the best NASL writers you’ll find. The Q&A:

Jon: My first question – why is Carolina seemingly always good? The last four years they’ve been second, first, first, and fourth in the regular-season standings, and they’re right back in it again this year.

Neil: That wasn’t always the case. The first two years of their existence they didn’t make the playoffs, and had very poor losing records – the irony being that, in their debut season in 2007, they finished 8th in the league and had a losing record, but somehow made the semifinals of the US Open Cup. It was a bit of anomaly.

There are three main reasons, some more significant than others. I think the most minor reason is that Carolina has a backdrop and a base of soccer academies and good soccer universities. They don’t necessarily generate talent for the RailHawks, but what they do is they generate homegrown folks, and they generate people who played college soccer at Wake Forest or North Carolina or Duke or wherever, who when they need to revitalize their career or they’re looking for a place to play, they go with where they know. So you have a great number of players who were developed through Capital Area Soccer League, which is one of the best in the country, or played at one of these ACC soccer schools, who then will come and play with the local soccer team. So that gives you sort of a baseline of talent.

Beyond that, the two biggest reasons are number one, Carolina over the past four years and now in a fifth year have had two of the best coaches in Division 2 soccer. Prior ownership brought in Martin Rennie from Cleveland City in Division 3, and he helmed Carolina for three years and made the playoffs every year. He never won an out-and-out championship, but they were one of the best teams in the league, and he was a great manager and a great assessor of talent. After he left, once Traffic Sports [the owner of the RailHawks] brought Curt Johnson in as team president, he had a prior relationship with Colin Clarke that helped lure him here. And of course Clarke’s resume speaks for itself. I think the quality of head coaches has played a big role.

I think the other thing that cannot be discounted is the quality of the facilities. WakeMed Soccer Park, not just its main stadium but its outlying practice fields, are legitimately world-class turf. I have talked to many players who say they love playing here on these fields. One, it’s easier to play soccer, and two, it’s better for their health. They’re not playing on artificial turf, they’re not playing on some hacked-up field that they’re worried about stepping in a hole or something. The training facilities are better than almost all other D2 clubs. Once you get past Division 1, which is another level, once you get to Division 2, WakeMed Soccer Park is sort of the cream of the crop. It looks better, and it’s a warm-weather climate, and players just want to play here. If the money’s equal – and it isn’t always equal – but if it is equal, that’s a huge draw.

JM: This is a huge week for Carolina – Minnesota on Saturday, a US Open quarterfinal on Wednesday at Real Salt Lake, and then league leaders Atlanta at home the following Saturday. At this point, how does the team prioritize among these games – and from a fan’s perspective, which is more important?

NM: I can’t really speak for the team. I think if you talked to Colin Clarke he’d say we’re trying to win every game. And that’s probably true; I don’t think they’re going to tank it and play second-string players for any of these games. They’re going to marshal their resources, they’re not going to be unreasonable about it. I think if you had spoken to fans a couple of weeks ago, I think the entire focus was on US Open Cup, given that Carolina had two straight home games against MLS teams, with good attendances and two wins.

I think approaching this “week of truth,” I think the fans’ preoccupation is sort of with the league now. The Open Cup game is going to be midweek on the road, in a location that nobody is going to be able to get to, but everybody knows now that we’re in the short rows of the league. They have two big home games on back-to-back Saturdays, and the reality is that there’s a better chance of winning the spring season than the US Open Cup. And while everybody would love to win all three games, it becomes a matter of reality after awhile. So if you talk priority, I think now that this week is approaching, I think that prioritization with the fans is more with the league.

JM: RailHawks goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald is the only keeper in the league that’s played every minute of the season. Is Fitzgerald underrated, overrated, or properly rated?

NM: I think he’s getting more properly rated, but I think he’s always going to be underrated because of his height. [He’s listed at 5’11”, but 5’9″ might be more appropriate.] I’m not casting aspersions, I’ve done the same thing. Last year when he was playing limited minutes, I made mention of his height on several occasions. And I think if you watch individual games, there have been times when his height has been a liability. Any deficit in any player’s repertoire can cause problems. There are keeers that are not good at coming off their line, there are some that don’t have good reflexes. Keeper deficits can result in goals no matter what they are.

How he makes up for it, though, is that his reflexes are extremely fast, he is very fast off his feet – he’s a good leaper, but he’s a fast leaper, in the sense that he can get off his feet very quickly. He likes to come out, he likes to rush out and come get the ball, which I think is a good attribute when you know how to do it, and he has no problem coming off his line.

His most underrated asset is that he is tremendously adept at organizing the back line. He’s a chatterbox back there, in a positive way – he’s not just screaming at the back line. Even last year, when he played limited minutes, when he came into the game you could almost see a change in the back line. He’s good at organizing, and I’ve talked to defenders that say, ‘We like him sort of talking us up from the back.’ That I think is where his big assets lie. I think there’s always going to be a prejudice because of his height, no matter at what level, so he’ll be perpetually underrated – but I think the league at least has caught on to how good he is. And if Colin Clarke likes him enough to play him every game, then he must be doing something right.

 

My thanks to Neil for talking me through Carolina.

With all of Minnesota United’s injuries this season, head coach Manny Lagos agreed that their bye last week came at a good time. “You never know from a competitive standpoint, with the kind of win we had two weeks ago,” he said. “But from an individual standpoint, there are a lot of guys who are excited to get back in there.”

Both midfielder Aaron Pitchkolan and forward Etienne Barbara could return on Saturday; both are back in training after injuries. Pitchkolan limped off in the first half against Tampa Bay on May 18, one month ago, with a sprained ankle, and the linchpin of United’s midfield has been out since. Barbara last saw the field in the same game; he’s been dealing with a sprained disk in his lower back since, and those of us who’ve had back problems know how fiddly those can be.

On the downside, it appears unlikely that center back Connor Tobin or Miguel Ibarra will be involved on Saturday, as both are doubtful with injuries suffered last week against Fort Lauderdale. Tobin, who missed significant time earlier this year with an ankle sprain, injured the other ankle near the end of the game against the Strikers, and he’s looking at significant time out – probably enough to keep him out through the end of the spring season.

Ibarra picked up a very bad contusion on his knee in that same game, and didn’t train on Monday. Lagos was hopeful that he might be able to get back to moving around today, but at this point, the winger has to be considered doubtful.

Lagos did mention that both Max Griffin and Simone Bracallelo were getting stronger and back to 100%, so on balance, it’s looking like a positive injury report this week – the first in a very long time for Minnesota.