Before Minnesota United played what would be coach Eric Ramsay’s first game in Colorado, he was slightly dismissive of how the conditions might affect the game.

“It’s not like we’re going to play a different sport on a different planet,” he said Friday.

After experiencing mile-high soccer, though, he had changed his tune. “It’s one of those games that I will try and erase from my memory, because I know we’re not going to play in those conditions again,” Ramsay said after the Loons played to a 3-3 draw with Colorado on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.

In some ways, it might have been Minnesota United’s worst performance of the year. Despite taking a 3-1 lead, the Loons struggled to get on the ball, or keep it when they did.

By the end, they had completed the second-fewest passes of any team in the past seven years of MLS, according to the available numbers from FBRef.com.

The coach didn’t go so far as saying that playing in Colorado was the team’s entire problem, but he did note that his players seemed to have an uphill battle in almost every phase of the game.

“We really struggled with the ball today,” Ramsay said. “That leads to us playing forward very quickly. [Then] we’re not well-connected to pick the second balls up when they drop, and we give an awful lot of space away behind the back line when we’ve played forward. … That led to a pretty ugly performance, I would say, and not one that I’d like to produce again.”

When long goal kicks go wrong

The first two goals of the match both came from Minnesota United goal kicks — one that ended up in the Colorado net, and one that ended up in Minnesota’s.

Ramsay has spoken about how Minnesota’s plan from goal kicks is not necessarily to complete a pass, but to get the ball into the correct area. Over the past few weeks, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair’s target has been center back Kervin Arriaga, who will push up beyond the halfway line and give St. Clair a 6-foot-3 target to aim at. And from there, Minnesota wants to win the second ball and play from there.

On both attempts, though, St. Clair came up short of Arriaga. The first time, everything turned out fine; the Rapids won the initial header, but the Loons’ Devin Padelford got a foot on the ball, and Wil Trapp won a 50/50 duel to get the ball to Robin Lod. From there, Lod did the rest, with a through-ball to Sang Bin Jeong for the game’s first goal.

On the second, though, the Loons lost both the initial header and the second ball, and it was enough to spring Kevin Cabral in on goal to tie the score for Colorado.

“That was a big part of the game that we were really disappointed with,” Ramsay said. “We fell into a rhythm that I thought we’d gotten out of. It was an area of the game that it wasn’t anything to do with the conditions, it was mostly to do with the setup and levels of concentration, so that was a disappointing part of the game.”

You never want to start slow. When you don’t get off to a good start, you spend the rest of your time scrambling and trying to make up for early mistakes. Sometimes, you’re able to make it all the way back. However, even if you do catch up, you have to hit another gear if you want to escape with a win. And if you can’t find that gear late, you’re in a tough spot.

Coming into Saturday’s game, the New York Liberty were looking to bounce back following their first loss of the season against the Chicago Sky. The team was back in action on national TV against a team in the Minnesota Lynx that has gotten better over time and have been a pleasant surprise thus far. As the first game of a jam packed holiday schedule, there was a lot of excitement. Unfortunately for Liberty fans, they didn’t have much to cheer for.

Final score: Lynx 84, Liberty 67.

The big number of the day was 18. That was how many turnovers the seafoam had on the afternoon. A lot of them came from miscommunication and mistakes that they simple should never make

“Some of the turnovers, I wasn’t quite sure why we were trying to pass the ball in there,” Sandy Brondello said in postgame. “We just to have a little more discipline. Something doesn’t work, we have to know what the next action is and be better at that.”

Something to keep an eye on for the Liberty is their turnover rate. Granted it’s still early, but they’ve turned the ball on 20.7% of their possessions, fourth highest mark in the WNBA so far. That combined with their poor 3-point shooting (ninth in the 12-team W) has made things a lot harder for them on offense so far.

Despite their struggles, you could see the vision when things are going well

Brondello has talked about paint to great, and it’s something the team needs to get better at. Of Breanna Stewart’s eight field goals (game high 20 points), four of them were within seven feet. Finding those easier shots and making the most out of every possession will help them get back on track.

A bright spot

The bench unit is still a work in progress, but we got to see one of the reserves make a name for themselves today. Liberty rookie Leonie Fiebich played a season high 19 minutes and rewarded Brondello’s faith in her with a career high 11 points and three three pointers. Leo was instrumental in the Liberty’s second quarter barrage that made the game close at halftime:

“For me, it’s always fun to be on the floor, to be around my teammates,” Fiebich said after the game. “I love to cut, I love to shoot the ball, and they put me in a good spot today and it certainly helped that the shots go in. And I will just continue to fill gaps, whatever the team needs and be tough on defense.”

Brondello added: “It was great to see Leo come out and be aggressive, make some shots. She’s versatile. We think she’s gonna keep getting better and better and have a great WNBA career. She’s a great shooter. She’s a great defender. She moves well. She does all the little things well. It was nice for her to see the ball go in and we just want her to be who she is and be confident in what she does well, and she showed that tonight.”

The Liberty bench has a lot of good players on it. As the season progresses and set rotations are developed, Fiebich’s versatility will help her stand out and give the team a new dimension to work with.

Milestone Watch

• With her rebound at 2:58 of the third quarter, Breanna Stewart became the fifth-fastest player in WNBA history to reach 2000 rebounds (229 games). Stewart finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for her league-high fourth double-double of the 2024 season.
• Leonie Fiebich set a new career high for points with two three-pointers in the second quarter of today’s game. Fiebich finished with 11 points on 60% (3-of-5) shooting from beyond the arc.
• Sabrina Ionescu posted 13 points and added two three-pointers to extend her streak of regular season games with at least one made 3-pointer to 31, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA.

Looking back, looking forward

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis by police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd’s murder led to protests in Minnesota, New York, and around the world. The killing led to increased conversations about police conduct, safety for communities, etc. at home and abroad. In 2020, the WNBA were in the wubble and dedicated that season to social justice. Sandy Brondello was in the wubble in 2020, and in pregame was asked by Jackie Powell of The Next to reflect on this moment in history and how it impacted the WNBA that we know today in 2024:

“I’d say massively. I was in the bubble and the stance that the players took, the social platforms that they have, were so strong. It shows that the players are more than just basketball players. They can force [society] to make changes. I know Minnesota has done that in the past with some of the initiatives there. [The players] were standing up for what they believe in. [Floyd’s murder] was a sad day, it was a sad for everyone.

The WNBA players now are making a stand [addressing] social injustices around the world, they’re standing up for that and using their voices.”

In the arena, the Lynx held a moment of silence before the game and had a special message

As we continue to push for more accountability, transparency, and better treatment from law enforcement, it helps that athletes are using their platforms to call for change.

Next up

The Libs get some much needed days off and will be back to work on May 29 vs. the new look Phoenix Mercury. Tip off at the ‘clays will be at 7:00 p.m. ET.

A hot start by the Loons made it seem as though Saturday night’s results would end with the Loons taking 3 points off Colorado. But in the end, a stunning second half from the Rapids would wash away a 3-1 halftime advantage and leave MNUFC with a somewhat disappointing 3-3 draw against their Western Conference foes. The standout of the Loons’ strong showing in the first half had to be Sang Bin Jeong, as the attacker’s speed would kill the Colorado defensive third from the jump. The first of a 2-score evening would come in the 8th minute off a beauty of a pass from Robin Lod. But, this is a much-improved Rapids squad from the 2023 version. There would be a quick rebuttal from the home team with young attacker Kevin Cabral’s score soon after in the 18th minute to even things up. 1-1.

Tani Time would strike in the 24th minute, with Oluwaseyi pouncing on the rebound from an initial shot by Joseph Rosales, which the striker would put in the back of the Rapids net…only to see the flag raise for an offsides call. VAR would prove the score from Tani was legitimate. 2-1, COYL. This would be followed by the second Sang Bin strike of the evening, when he would hit the jets and get a step on the Colorado defense to beat newly-acquired Rapids keeper Zack Steffen, and cap off an exciting first 45. 3-1, Minnesota.

The match, however, was still well within the reach of a Rapids’ attack that presented the MNUFC defense with some difficulties in the second half. And, those difficulties would swiftly give the Rapids some life early in the second forty five, as they would see their attacking pressure pay off in the 62nd minute when a back-post header from Rafael Navarro would bring Colorado one step closer. The next shoe would drop when DJ Taylor’s tackle earned the yellow in the box to set up the Rapids’ Navarro for the penalty kick in the 69th minute. But, Dayne St. Clair would deny the striker with a brilliant save to keep the Loons clinging to their one-goal advantage.

The joy of the save would quickly be dashed away again by Colorado’s Kevin Cabral just minutes later, when his header deflected off the gloves of St. Clair and into the net to bring the Rapids all the way back to even, 3-3.

It would be a back and forth between the teams the rest of the way, with Colorado creating several dangerous opportunities while the Loons were able to nearly steal back the W when Teemu Pukki’s baseline shot in the 87th minute hit the post and deflected away harmlessly. Ultimately, the Loons will be able to at least take at least 1 point in the standings, but it will still feel like a missed opportunity after such a hot first half. But, we’ll have to lick our wounds quickly with LAFC awaiting the boys for a match Wednesday night in Los Angeles.