Our annual collection of post-mortems rolls on with the vanquished Western Conference semifinalists, glitzy and glamorous LAFC and grit ‘n grind Minnesota United FC.
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Ok, in we go, examining the seasons of two teams heading into an offseason with some serious questions to answer about their direction.
2025 in a nutshell
This year’s Loons had maybe the most distinct play style in MLS history. They had the lowest possession percentage, the fewest number of completed passes and the lowest field tilt on record. At the same time, they were a devastating set-piece team, and maybe the best in the entire world on long throw-ins (part of the reason I voted Michael Boxall for Defender of the Year; he was essential to their success on both sides of the ball).
Often, it didn’t look like soccer. I have made some American football jokes, and so have others.
But for a while – for an entire half a season, as a matter of fact – it worked really well. Astonishingly so; they were getting a goal a game off of restarts! Keep that up and you can conquer the planet.
Still, it stretched credulity to think they could defy gravity for the entire season, and by the middle of May, some writing was beginning to appear on the wall. Here’s what I wrote on June 1:
“If you’re a regular reader, you know I have my doubts about the long-term efficacy of that plan – teams that play so completely against the ball tend not to win things in MLS – but the Loons are third in the West and into the Open Cup quarterfinals. So this might be the year.”
Here’s what I wrote at the end of June, after a tough spell in which they repeatedly dropped late results because they were too content to sit deep, rely on box clearances and never get on the ball to control the game:
“That’s the next step for Minnesota,” I wrote about adding some possession and pitch control to their game. “If they take it, they really could win something this year. If not, they won’t.”
Here’s what Loons head coach Eric Ramsay said at the end of August:
“I never really got too hung up on the narrative about us not being able to close games out in comparison to other teams because I think we're the team that is most often leading across all 30 teams.”
Three weeks after that quote, the Loons lost 2-1 at home to Austin FC on a 120th-minute CJ Fodrey goal in the US Open Cup semifinals. Two months after that, they lost 1-0 at San Diego FC on a 72nd-minute goal from Anders Dreyer. They won just once in their final nine games across all competitions.
Let’s put more numbers to it: across the regular season and playoffs, the Loons had a +16 goal differential over the first 70 minutes of games, which tied them (with San Diego, ironically) for fifth-best in the league. From the 70th minute onwards, that goal differential cratered to -2, which was one of the worst marks amongst playoff teams (San Diego, incidentally, have the best mark at +13).
You can’t invite that many box entries against great teams. They needed to add another piece – I’m not saying they had to become San Diego or Vancouver in their approach to possession, by the way; just saying they needed to be a little more comfortable killing the game with the ball – and they never did.
Still, this was the best season in team history, bar none. That can’t get lost in the wash.
What comes next?
I genuinely enjoy the fact that there are multiple game models at work amongst playoff teams these days – it’s a lot better than the “everyone plays a mid-block 4-2-3-1” ghosts of MLS past. Ramsay deserves a ton of credit for having a vision and committing to it wholeheartedly. Say what you want about counters, set pieces and long throw-ins: at least it’s an ethos.
But they need to add that final piece, and “what comes next” should not be tossing the game model in the trash because it repeatedly came up short in crunch time. They should still lean heavily on counters, set pieces and long throw-ins because they are great at them!
What comes next, then, should be getting into the lab and enhancing the model by developing some build-out patterns that can not only take the starch out of the game but can also give potentially game-breaking attackers like Joaquín Pereyra and Robin Lod more chances on the ball in high-leverage spots.
The Loons need some dimensionality. And personally, I think they’ve got the talent to pull it off.
What to watch for this winter
Maybe not up top, though? As big a handicap as the game model proved to be, the mid-season transfer of starting center forward Tani Oluwaseyi was probably even bigger. DP Kelvin Yeboah has not looked up to the job, while Mamadou Dieng – who was tearing up the USL Championship, and who, in my opinion, was a very shrewd long-term bet – did not look ready.
The Loons have a ton of General Allocation Money (GAM) and an open premium roster slot even if there are no buyouts, trades or sales. They can easily switch from the U22 model they used this year and into the three Designated Player model, and simply add another DP No. 9 to push Yeboah.
Is it the most efficient thing in the world? Certainly not. But it probably needs doing.
Player I’m excited for
I’m enjoying the prospect of a full year of Nectarios Triantis stirring s--t vs. literally everyone he plays against.
The Greece international was a perfect fit in that central midfield, with both his range and physicality, but also his willingness to get on the ball and drive the game forward. Fantastic mid-season signing.
Notes:
- Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair is hitting free agency. It is obviously of the utmost importance that they re-sign him.
- Boxall has not seemed to age, but he’s one of the oldest regular starters in MLS at 37. There needs to be some succession planning.
- Pereyra wasn’t quite the same guy after there was interest in him during the summer transfer window. I would not be at all shocked if that interest returned in the winter, and my guess is that management would be more open to selling during this window.
2025 in a nutshell
It felt like three or four different seasons.
Season 1 was from their first kick of the year, which was actually in Concacaf Champions Cup play, until the point they got knocked out of that tournament at the hands (feet?) of Inter Miami CF. During which they balanced CCC with the regular season, and in the process, they got some revenge on the Crew and got some info that no, Cengiz Ünder was not going to be the answer as a third DP.
Season 2 was from their elimination in CCC to their credible showing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. That version of LAFC played some excellent ball, and logged one of the biggest wins any MLS team has ever had with their 2-1 win over Club América to actually qualify for the Club World Cup in the first place.
Ünder came off the bench in that one. So did Olivier Giroud – remember him??
Obviously, neither of those guys were long for this squad. And following their CWC elimination, we’ll enter what I think of as more of an interregnum than a separate season. Ünder and Giroud departed, and so did another DP, Javairô Dilrosun (here’s the refresher: he joined LAFC from Club América immediately after LAFC beat Las Águilas in that qualifier, then played two games at the Club World Cup and six in the regular season with the Black & Gold before his loan ended and he headed back to Mexico City. He has not played a single minute of soccer since then! I think any MLS team could have him for free this winter).
Frankie Amaya and Mathieu Choinière came in on loan. Marlon left. Maxime Chanot retired. Aaron Long got hurt. It was a weird and busy month!
And that led to the final season: The beginning of the Son Heung-Min era.
You know how this one went – the Korean superstar arrived, the team shifted to the 3-4-2-1, and that sparked instant goalscoring chemistry with Denis Bouanga. They seemed destined to send head coach Steve Cherundolo, who announced back in April that this year would be his last in charge of the team, out on a high note.
Alas, it was not to be. LAFC no-showed the first half of Saturday’s semifinal at Vancouver and, despite Son’s second-half heroics… well, penalties are cruel, aren’t they?
So no trophy, and now an offseason with some real questions to ponder. But also, they were clearly one of the handful of very best teams in the region, with plenty of reasons to think they can be one rung better next year.
What comes next?
Job No. 1 is finding Cherundolo’s successor. Assistant coach Marc Dos Santos – who has MLS experience in the big chair with Vancouver – is reportedly the frontrunner.
We’ll see if that becomes a reality. Given the success LAFC had under Cherundolo, it’d make a good amount of sense to keep as much continuity as possible, and Dos Santos would certainly represent that. It’d also make some sense to start leaning even more into having the ball and using it in big moments. LAFC did a lot more of that in 2025 than they had in 2023 or 2024, and as they showed in the second half of Saturday’s loss at Vancouver… man, when they want to play, they can be absolutely devastating. The ‘Caps survived by the skin of their teeth.
Whether it’s Dos Santos calling the shots or not, inching a little bit more in that direction seems like the right call.
What to watch for this winter
There are no fewer than four players on the roster who have loans ending next month, and a handful more in town on short-term deals with team options to extend into 2026. Decisions on most of those should be easy, though I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if co-president and general manager John Thorrington tried to work something out to keep Andrew Moran and Choinière (those two guys in particular, and maybe Amaya as well) long-term.
The other thing to watch for… Bouanga has been linked with a move to Ligue 1 or LIGA MX in recent windows. Now, he’s under contract with LAFC for two more years (plus one more team option) and his chemistry with Son is already historically great. So I’m not sure there’s anything to this.
But you never know. And it’d obviously be earth-shattering if Bouanga were to leave.
Player I’m excited for
I’m mostly excited for a full year of the Son/Bouanga pairing, to be honest. The rest of this roster is filled with workmanlike veterans rather than explosive, eye-catching attackers or passers of the ball or anything like that.
Even the one local youngster who’s broken through, Nathan Ordaz, is much more about endeavor and energy than he is about anything else, while the youngster who was supposed to break through, winger David Martínez, remains one of the most frustrating players in the league. He’s talented as hell, but has not remotely calibrated his dribble/pass/shoot instincts.
Notes:
- If they do bring Moran back, then all six premium roster slots would be taken (assuming he comes back as a U22). That could complicate plans.
- Obviously, they’ll be shopping for center backs this winter.
- Hugo Lloris is 38 and is reportedly coming back for 2026. The advanced data had him as a bottom-10 starting ‘keeper in the league this year, and his first-half performance vs. the ‘Caps was brutal. He's gotta be better next year.
