By Nicolas Hallett
Minnesota United earned its second win of the season in as many games as the Loons begin to resemble the NASL title contenders many expect them to be.
United played a well-rounded road contest, beating Indy Eleven 3-1. The three goals demonstrated various disciplines, furthermore demonstrating the depth of the Loons’ talents.
Minnesota head coach Manny Lagos announced an unchanged starting 11 after United won its first game of the season last weekend.
After seeing it provide the team’s lone victory thus far, Lagos appears keen to keep the 4-5-1 formation intact.
Kalif Alhassan, the Man of the Match performer against Atlanta, was rewarded with his second consecutive start. He did his manager proud when he opened the games scoring with aplomb.
The Ghanaian took an early free kick from about 25 yards out and sent a spectacular bent ball to the top right corner. Indy Eleven keeper Keith Cardona could do little to stop the near-perfect shot, so much so he actually applauded the effort after it flew past him.
Charlie Rugg, a former first-round pick by the Los Angeles Galaxy, was Indy Eleven’s most dangerous threat throughout the contest. Unfortunately for him and the home side, it so happens he has to line up against one of United’s best players in left back Justin Davis.
It was a key matchup to watch all evening long. Davis, though, won it emphatically when he scored United’s second of the night and the eventual game-winner.
Davis used his premier stamina to out hustle the offensively-minded Rugg to the backpost, where the ball needed the slightest of tap-ins after arriving from a deflected Pablo Campos shot.
Davis has been arguably United’s best player this season, if not its most consistent performer. For him to score as a defender in such a manner tells you of his work rate and skill.
The final goal came from Juliano Vicentini with a clinical bottom-corner finish. It was expertly created by forward Christian Ramirez, who was subbed on in the 78th minute for Campos. Ramirez looked gloomy when coming on and couldn’t fashion even the slightest of smirks for his striking partner when the two traded places.
It’s understandable from Ramirez’s perspective. The 24-year-old led United in scoring last year with 20 goals. That was also tops in the division, and he won the NASL Young Player of the Year award for his efforts. Having a breakout campaign and then finding yourself on the bench would leave any competitor with a straight face.
Ramirez did the best of what he could with the little time he was given Saturday. The striker received the ball, deftly turned and then laced an inch-perfect throughball to Vicentini.
Team captain Aaron Pitchkolan didn’t find his name on the stat sheet, but had a solid game all the same. No. 4 held down the center of the pitch as he so often does for the Loons. On this occasion he barely put a foot wrong and showed grit by popping up on both ends of the field consistently.
Minnesota United now possesses nine points and sit in fourth place in the NASL standings, a reassuring sight after a dismissal start to the 2015 campaign.
The Loons are starting to look like themselves once again. That said, and Miguel Ibarra has still remained relatively quiet this season. That’s not what you want to hear if you, too, play in the NASL.
Nicolas Hallett is a staff writer for 105 The Ticket. He has written for the Murphy News Service, the Minnesota Daily and the St. Paul Pioneer Press.