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Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Dud on decade day: Atlanta spoils Loons’ 10-year anniversary match
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Dud on decade day: Atlanta spoils Loons’ 10-year anniversary match
Nearly 40 former Minnesota players were present at Allianz Field on Wednesday as the Loons celebrated 50 years of pro soccer in the state and 10 years within MLS.
There was pomp and circumstance in St. Paul, but this current Minnesota United team did not meet the moment, falling 2-1 to Atlanta United .
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"I thought we needed more intensity, for sure, in certain moments," head coach Cameron Knowles said. "And we talked about that at halftime. Some moments where we could generate some pressure and get tighter to the ball. We could initiate a bit more contact certainly. There could have been more intensity."
Atlanta, the Loons' expansion cousin in 2017, ruined another special occasion for MNUFC. They first stomped the Loons 6-1 in the snowy first MLS game in Minnesota in March 2017, then pushed aside the Loons 2-1 in the 2019 U.S. Open Cup final.
Added to a a 2-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on July 22, Minnesota United has now lost to both last-place teams in each conference in less than a month. In between during Leagues Cup, MNUFC fell to FC Juarez, the last-place team in Mexico 's Liga MX.
"We get up for, like, Tigres and those teams, but we play Atlanta and Kansas City, we don't get up for these games for some reason," Anthony Markanich said. "I don't know what it is, especially at home. It's just frustrating. It's really frustrating."
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MNUFC (6-8-6, 25 points) is now winless in nine MLS matches and an all-too-common refrain this season punctuated the experienced after the final whistle: boos from supporters.
All five current players on the Loons' team of the decade — captain Michael Boxall , Wil Trapp , Joaquin Pereyra, Bongi Hlongwane and Markanich — were in the starting XI for 10-year anniversary match.
Minnesota United FC forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane (21) keeps Atlanta United defender Elías Báez (3) away from the ball in the first half of a MLS game at Allianz Field in St. Paul on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)It was a Markanich tap-in header at the far post that made it 1-1 in the 58th minute. Owen Gene provided a nice lofted entry pass, and Morris Duggan tried to put it on frame. But it went off the crossbar and fell softly, and directly, to Markanich.
In the first half, Minnesota was late to react on a recycled corner kick and fell into a 1-0 hole. Atlanta was able to string together a series of passes and found Tomas Jacob with too much space, and he ripped a shot into the side netting in the 38th minute.
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In the 78th minute, multiple Atlanta players outraced the Loons defense and Tristan Muyumba roofed a shot for a 2-1 lead.
Striker Marcus Caldeira earned his first MLS start against Atlanta on Wednesday after three assists across the last two games. The Canadian rookie had two shots (none on target) and only one touch on the box, per FotMob.
Caldeira subbed out and three backup forwards — Momo Dieng, Mauicio Gonzalez and Kelvin Yeboah — were on the field to hunt a goal in the final 10 minutes. Those four forwards produced no goals on five combined shots and 0.47 expected goals.
"I talked about the competition that is within that group at the moment, and it's obviously crying out for goals," Knowles said. "We have to look at everything that is available and everything that will give us a chance to win."
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