Road warriors: Minnesota United show "best of us" at FC Dallas | OneFootball

By José Nuñez

With another impressive away result in their July 4 clash at FC Dallas, Minnesota United FC look more like a true Western Conference contender with each passing week.

The Loons earned all three points with a 2-1 victory at Toyota Stadium thanks to goals from Carlos Harvey (35') and Anthony Markanich (58'), solidifying their hold on the No. 3 spot on the West table.

Their 37 points through 21 matches (10W-4L-7D record) also leave Minnesota within arm’s reach of Vancouver and expansion side San Diego FC for the West's top seed.

“Tonight you saw the best of us, I would say,” head coach Eric Ramsay said postgame. “We connected a lot of passes, played with real intent to attack, and found the space in behind.”

Keeping pace with the best

With their fifth road victory of the season, Minnesota now boast the third-best away record in MLS (5W-2L-4D), trailing only Philadelphia and Cincinnati – both Supporters’ Shield contenders.

That strong form away from the friendly confines of Allianz Field is a key reason the Loons now find themselves in prime position for a top-four seed and hosting rights in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

“It is so important that we close this section of the season within touching distance of the top teams and we keep our heads above water,” Ramsay said.

“Tonight was the first step of what I hope will be a run of form where we can continue to keep pace points-wise, but really improve from a performance perspective.”

Open Cup aspirations

Friday's result required a pair of timely goals and some stout defending against FC Dallas' potent attacking duo of Petar Musa and Luciano Acosta.

Ramsay had no shortage of praise for the challenge the pair presented, especially considering the conditions on the road, including the heat and travel. The Loons also had to withstand waves of second-half pressure from the hosts, who nearly equalized several times down the stretch.

“It is no small achievement to have done what we have done tonight, to keep those two relatively quiet,” said Ramsay. “They are relatively unpredictable and both of those guys can hurt you in an instant.”

Minnesota now head home for a US Open Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday (8 pm ET | Paramount+), where they’ll host Chicago Fire FC, and another dangerous duo in Hugo Cuypers and Philip Zinckernagel.

“Everyone looks at the Open Cup as a competition that we really want to put lots of energy into and a real focus in progressing,” said Ramsay of the upcoming challenge. “We’ve obviously got a clean run of home games as a route to the final, so I want to make sure we pour everything into Tuesday.”

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