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Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Loons’ Nectar Triantis dedicates incredible goal to late mother
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Loons’ Nectar Triantis dedicates incredible goal to late mother
Nectar Triantis should be tapping in other area codes for the long-distance goals the central midfielder has scored for Minnesota United .
In the 616 (Nashville) on Saturday, the Loons' midfielder had a powerful dribble into open space and uncorked a shot from more than 30 yards out to score in a 3-1 loss. Head coach Cameron Knowles called it an "absolute screamer."
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In the 303 (suburban Denver) on Sept. 27, 2025, Triantis gobbled up a turnover and chipped in a goal from approximately 30 yards out for a 1-1 draw. Then-head coach Eric Ramsay said: "He strikes the ball really, really well."
In the 858 ( San Diego ) on Sept. 13, Triantis scored on his most audacious attempt, from behind the halfway line, or roughly 57 yards out, in a 3-1 win. "That (MLS) debut goal for me is always No. 1," Triantis said Tuesday.
But Triantis' goal last weekend — which won MLS goal of the week on Wednesday — was the most sentimental. The Australia n of Greek descent dedicated it to his mother, Poppy, who passed away Jan. 13 and was laid to rest in Sydney. Triantis took a personal leave from the Loons' preseason camp in Blaine to be there and mourn his loss.
Poppy and her husband, Con, were raising 10 children until Con died in 2011. Nectar was 8 at the time and referred to his father as "Baba" — Greek for dad — in his touching Instagram post after Saturday's match in Tennessee.
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"For you, Mum," Nectar wrote on social media. "A goal sent from the heavens. Baba and Mum together watching down on me. I dedicate this to her. Every second that goes by we're all thinking of you, Mum."
Earlier in the offseason, Nectar was married to Nikki in a Greek Orthodox wedding, and Poppy was able to attend. The wedding was "unbelievable." The two disparate events served to reinforce the role of family for Triantis.
"It's the most important thing," Triatnis told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday. "For (Poppy) to be there at the wedding is something I hold close to my heart. It was a good thing for my family to experience that together. We're a very close, tight-knit type family. We all have each other's back and take it day by day. … It's good to have each other."
The Triantis family can find joy in Nectar's budding career. The 22-year-old joined MNUFC from the English club Sunderland last September and has impressed beyond those three long-range goals. Asked to rank them, Knowles said, "They're all great in their own way."
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After a home-opening 1-0 win over Cincinnati, Knowles wanted the Loons' midfielder to probe defenses for better scoring chances.
"It's funny. We were talking (about) getting closer to goal and upgrading the xG (expected goals analytic) and that sort of stuff, and Nectar just goes and throws it back in our face," Knowles said. "So credit to him. He has got a knack for scoring goals from there."
Triantis' goal in Nashville had an xG of 0.04, per FotMob, but that stat site doesn't seem to fully account for his forte.
After joining MLS midseason in 2025, Triantis is taking on more responsibility with the Loons this year.
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"He's a great guy; he's a good player. He's an important part," Knowles said. "In the second year, he came in wanting a bigger role in the team, wanting to feel like he carries more weight in the team, and you see that in the way that he performs. You see it in the way he sort of puts the team on his shoulders and takes that goal (Saturday)."
Triantis has formed a productive midfield partnership with veteran Wil Trapp . Knowles has seen the pair "refine how they work together in possession and how we can get those guys on the ball more."
"I couldn't have asked for a better mentor, to be honest," Triantis said. "He's like my older brother. He's half Greek. For me, just learning from him and how he takes care of himself off the pitch and the way he handles the ball on the pitch is really good."
When Ramsay left to coach West Bromwich Albion in the English second division in January, he and his new club inquired about bringing Triantis in as a transfer. West Brom's offer did not reach the Loons' valuation, but United anticipates other offers.
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"You saw it last year with Tani (Oluwaseyi) leaving" for Villarreal in Spain , Knowles said. "Anytime you get a player who comes in and has success with your group and goes on to better things, what more can you ask for? I think that is the best for the club and best for the players. … We want to be a club players come to and improve and go on to better things."
Triantis' international career took off last fall, too. After playing for Australia's youth national teams, he made the one-time switch to represent Greece at the senior level and got his wish to play for Greece in a World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Nov. 18. He hopes to get a call-up for Greece's friendlies at home against Paraguay on March 27 and at Hungary on March 31.
Greece did not qualify for the FIFA World Cup this summer in the U.S., Mexico and Canada .
"It was a dream come true, obviously," Triantis said. "My parents and my family are from Greece, it was good to keep that sort of family culture. It was a huge honor for me."
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Briefly
James Rodriguez , who was sidelined with a contusion last Thursday and missed the Nashville loss, returned to training Tuesday. The star Colombian midfielder told El Colombian he planned to make his MLS debut against Vancouver on Sunday, but that decision will be Knowles' to make and will be based on if he can practice all week. … Michael Boxall (adductor) missed Tuesday's session, and Knowles said the club will know more about its captain center back's prognosis later this week. …Mauricio Gonzalez, a new Colombian winger, practiced for the first time Tuesday and scored a few times in a series of small-sided games.
