Minnesota United's excellent road form from 2024 has carried over to 2025. A first-half goal from Kelvin Yeboah, and another stalwart defensive performance, were enough for the Loons to take all three points with a 1-0 victory Saturday over the previously undefeated San Jose Earthquakes in San Jose.

If it hadn't been for the efforts of San Jose goalkeeper Daniel, the win could have been a lot more comfortable. Yeboah, Bongokuhle Hlongwane and — unexpectedly — center back Morris Duggan all had one-on-one opportunities against the Quakes keeper, but all were turned away. It meant that the Loons spent the final 20 minutes of the game defending desperately rather than comfortably.

What it means

Minnesota's defense is its strong suit, but that doesn't just mean neutralizing the other team over the first 60 or 70 minutes of the game. It's much harder to be defensively sound in the final 20 minutes, on the road, when the home team is pushing hard for any opportunity and is throwing all its players forward into the attack.

The Loons had five corner kicks to defend in the final 15 minutes Saturday. San Jose didn't win a single header, it seemed, with Michael Boxall and Duggan consistently getting head to ball instead. And for good measure, Minnesota blocked five Earthquakes shots in that period.

A defense that can win both when tactics are paramount and when effort and will are paramount is a defense that can win anywhere.

Play of the game

He didn't get credit for an assist in the boxscore, but it was Tani Oluwaseyi whose work set up the first Loons goal. When Earthquakes defender Bruno Wilson miscued on a clearance attempt after Minnesota had served a long ball into the penalty area, Oluwaseyi got under the ball, fought off Wilson and won the header back to Boxall. Boxall got the assist after feeding Yeboah, who rolled his shot inside the far post, but it was Oluwaseyi who made the chance happen.

Turning point

In the 29th minute, the ball fell to San Jose striker Josef Martinez, who has 117 MLS goals to his name over nine seasons. It looked for all the world like he'd blast the ball in at the near post, but Loons defender Duggan slid in with a last-ditch block of a shot from 8 yards away.

It kept the score 0-0 — especially important when the Loons got on the board three minutes later. Duggan has been excellent defensively this season, in the first three league starts of his career.

Key stat

Minnesota allowed a shot on target in the 81st minute against LAFC in the first match of the season — and then went 180 minutes of game time without allowing another. The Loons allowed zero shots on goal against Montreal, for the first time in more than two years in an MLS game, then held the Earthquakes without a shot on target until the 68th minute.

Up next

Minnesota visits Sporting Kansas City, and SKC is struggling desperately. Between MLS and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Sporting has played five games this season and lost all five. The Loons got their first win in Kansas City last September, after losing all nine of their previous regular-season visits to Kansas.