New York City FC v Minnesota United: Visitors ´suit´ flying under the radar, says Ramsay

Eric Ramsay says it suits Minnesota United to beryllium flying nether the radar successful MLS this play arsenic they look to physique connected their affirmative commencement against New York City FC connected Sunday.

Minnesota are presently 4th successful the Western Conference connected 11 points, having gone unbeaten successful their past 5 matches since losing their opener to Los Angeles FC.

After back-to-back draws, the Loons got backmost to winning ways against Real Salt Lake past weekend, moving retired 2-0 winners, but contempt a affirmative start, they person not drawn excessively overmuch attention.

Ramsay does not caput that, though, and is aiming to support their momentum going with back-to-back games against teams from the East, arsenic they besides look Toronto FC soon.

“We’re rather blessed with that,” said Ramsay astir his squad flying nether the radar. “I deliberation that suits us, to an extent.

“I consciousness similar these 2 games are important for america successful the consciousness that they’re 2 games against sides from implicit the way, the different broadside [the Eastern Conference].

“I consciousness similar we’ve astir got a spot of a escaped deed astatine those 2 games, and I’m excited to spot what we extremity up with.”

ready to instrumentality connected the large pic.twitter.com/BzL5YMsSy1

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) April 3, 2025

NYCFC, meanwhile, are 10th successful the East, having won two, drawn 2 and mislaid 2 of their opening six matches.

Both of their wins person travel connected location soil, with NYCFC going winless since their past outing astatine Yankee Stadium, and they threw distant a two-goal pb to suffer 4-3 against Atlanta United past clip out.

Head manager Pascal Jansen is expecting different pugnacious trial against Minnesota and urged his squad to find power to smother their visitors’ counter-attacking style.

“They’ve been precise palmy going into MLS this season, and we privation to power the game,” helium said.

“We person to find a bully balance, but basically, controlling the antagonistic portion we’re successful possession is the biggest situation for us.

“It’s absorbing to spot that their strategy is precise palmy going into crippled seven, and that’s wherefore we request to instrumentality distant that portion of the crippled wherever they’ve been precise palmy truthful far.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York City FC – Alonso Martinez

Alonso Martinez has scored successful 4 consecutive regular-season location matches for NYCFC, dating backmost to the extremity of past season.

The lone subordinate with a longer streak successful nine past is David Villa (who had 2 six-match streaks successful 2016 and 2017).

It’s Alonso’s satellite and we’re each surviving successful it

Congrats to our Tico connected winning @etihad Player of the Month for March

— New York City FC (@newyorkcityfc) April 3, 2025

Minnesota United – Tani Oluwaseyi

Minnesota United person had a subordinate people aggregate goals successful 3 consecutive matches for the archetypal clip successful nine past (Tani Oluwaseyi twice, Kelvin Yeboah once).

Only 3 teams successful MLS past person gone 4 consecutive games with astatine slightest 1 subordinate scoring aggregate goals, astir precocious Nashville SC successful 2022.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK CITY FC WIN

The 5 all-time meetings betwixt New York City FC and Minnesota United person been split, with each broadside winning doubly (D1). Both sides person won erstwhile astatine location and erstwhile away, with each squad scoring 8 times implicit the 5 matches.

New York City FC mislaid a two-goal pb successful a 4-3 decision to Atlanta United past week, the archetypal clip NYCFC mislaid a lucifer successful which they led by 2 goals. NYCFC had a grounds of W97 D6 L0 (incl. playoffs) erstwhile starring by 2 oregon much goals earlier that defeat.

After losing their opening lucifer of the play successful February, Minnesota United went unbeaten successful 5 matches successful March (W3 D2), collecting 11 points. Only Inter Miami (12) earned much points successful March than the Loons.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York City FC – 46.4%

Draw – 26.5%

Minnesota United – 27.1%