Minnesota earned 3 huge points in front of the home crowd on Saturday, beating Orlando City 1-0. Christian Ramirez’s 56th minute strike was the difference.
Here are the match highlights:
Here are 3 key takeaways from Minnesota’s 1-0 win over Orlando City.
No Molino, no problem
Trinidadian international Kevin Molino was a late scratch from Saturday night’s lineup, as he was reportedly dealing with an illness. This was a big blow to Minnesota’s chances, as Molino has been arguably Minnesota’s most dangerous player throughout the season.
Despite this Minnesota earned the 3 points due to a very composed finish by Christian Ramirez in the 56th minute. Miguel Ibarra and Ish Jome provided just enough on the wings for Minnesota to get the win, as both wingers were very good defensively, while presenting just enough danger when they attacked.
MLS Defending?
The Center back pairing of Brent Kallman and Francisco Calvo was a big reason why Minnesota walked away with 3 points. Both players were immense for the Loons, with both players having a Man of the Match performance, depending on who you ask.
Ever since Vadim Demidov was given his well deserved benching back in late March, Calvo and Kallman have been standout performers for the Loons, as the defense has improved immensely.
Calvo was thought by many to be Minnesota’s best acquisition of the winter window, so it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he’s performing so well. Kallman however, probably came out of nowhere for anyone who didn’t watch Minnesota in NASL last season. The Woodbury, MN native has been a pleasant surprise for manager Adrian Heath, who appears to have a very solid CB pairing for the foreseeable future.
Next: Minnesota United vs Orlando City: 3 things to watch for
Superman flying high
So far this season, striker Christian Ramirez has done exactly what many had questioned his ability to do at the MLS level, which is score goals. Ramirez found the back of the net again against Orlando, giving him 8 goals in 13 MLS appearances.
Ramirez continues to prove his doubters wrong, and may soon receive a big honor as a reward for his scorching form. With fellow strikers Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris, and Bobby Wood away for World Cup Qualifiers, the door is open for Ramirez to earn a call-up.
If Ramirez can keep up this form, Bruce Arena will be hard pressed to find 4 better options at striker for the Gold Cup. We’ll see how much MLS experience Arena considers necessary in order to earn a national team call-up.