Franchise first: Loons stake a two-goal comeback in win over Columbus Crew
Across 10 years in MLS, Minnesota United had never won a game after being down multiple goals. Until Saturday.
The Loons trailed 2-0 after 56 minutes, but stormed back with three set-piece goals in a 17-minute span to beat the Columbus Crew , 3-2, at Scotts Miracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio.
Minnesota dug deep after losing its last two games and found a way in the final match of seven in a 22-day grind.
“You see the response from them,” head coach Cameron Knowles said postgame. “You see the continued effort. … To come back from two goals down is not something that has happened a lot for us. For the guys to not lose belief in themselves in that moment is huge.”
The Loons’ quantity of set-piece goals had dipped 15 percent from 2025 to the first 10 games of 2026, but that share shot back up Saturday.
Kelvin Yeboah scored on a long throw-in during the 59th minute and the Loons’ striker got his second on a header off a corner kick from Joaquin Pereyra’s service in the 66th. Then off another throw-in, Nectar Triantis ’ cross led to Anthony Markanich ’s header to give MNUFC the lead in the 74th.
New assistant coach Josh Wolff oversees attacking set pieces and saw mismatches they could take advantage of versus the Crew.
“Josh has been doing a lot of work with the guys in video, on the training field,” Knowles said. “It’s something that we continue to drive every week and I’m really pleased, again, the guys got the reward for that because we have been in some good spots and have really good service.”
It was Yeboah’s first two-goal game since last July against St. Louis City . It also gives him seven total goals in 11 MLS games so far this season, and that production doesn’t include any goals off penalty kicks.
“Even when we were 2-0 down, we had the faith we could win this game,” Yeboah said on Apple TV. “I trust my teammates and everything works out. You’ve got to trust and believe in your teammates and stay in the right spots, and we come back.”
Knowles said Yeboah had a lot of “self reflection” after his 2025 season was interrupted by a serious hamstring injury.
“You have to give him all that credit,” Knowles said. “He really came in motivated. We have good players around him in Tomas (Chancalay) and Joaqiun and the rest of the guys behind him that provide stability and provide service, so I’m pleased for him to be able to get the goals.”
Columbus took a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute when Triantis and Morris Duggan were beat on a give-and-go to Tara Harboune, whose far-post shot was too much for Drake Callendar.
The Crew made it 2-0 with another passing combination that unlocked the Loons’ back line. Then Diego Rossi ’s cross wasn’t redirected enough by Callender. Hugo Picard had his initial shot blocked by Jefferson Diaz, but he scored on the rebound in the 56th minute.
“They are a team that puts a lot of stress on you (with passing combinations),” Knowles said. “The way that they move and the risk they take with the ball. The numbers they get centrally. … A lot of it is communication and organization. We did a lot better job of that in the second half.”
