The Loons kicked off the 2025 season with a loss to LAFC last weekend, and I’m still gutted.
But there was much to like about how the boys played, especially on the defensive end.
Coach Ramsey seemed to agree when he spoke to the media. He mentioned watching the game back on the flight home and feeling even better about what he saw:
“For 35 minutes we were, for sure, the better team, the more dominant team.” Sure, we had some shaky moments in the second half, but LAFC barely created any clear-cut chances against us.”
That’s something to build on.
Ramsey wasn’t the only one sharing insights during that media session. Standing waiting next to him was Dayne St. Clair, who caught my attention with a fascinating take on analytics in modern soccer.
One reporter mentioned expected goals (xG) in their questioning, and Dayne’s response was spot-on.
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St. Clair keeps it real about stats
Dayne St. Clair dropped some truth bombs when reporters asked him about advanced stats like xG. And I nodded along with everything he said.
“I think at the end of the day, the game isn’t played by stats; the game is played on the pitch,” St. Clair said, hitting the nail on the head. “So, if we give up 10 XG but we win 2-0, we’re all going to be happy.”
He mentioned some of the tight games where the stats weren’t pretty, but we walked away with three points. Nobody seems to complain about xG after the final whistle.
St. Clair summed it perfectly: “You can get caught up in the metrics a little bit, but at the end of the day, we still need to go on the pitch and actually do it, because stats don’t always tell the full story.”
My take
I couldn’t agree more with Dayne here. Look, I love diving into stats as much as the next fan – they’re fun to argue about over beers before kickoff. But at the end of the day, it’s about what happens on the pitch.
Last season, we averaged 1.45 xG for and conceded 1.35 xG per match. Against LAFC, we created 1.31 xG and gave up 1.64 xG.
On paper, that looks worse, but did anyone watching that game think we were outplayed? I sure didn’t!
Yes, we need to fix those defensive lapses Morris Duggan addressed earlier. But, with Owen Gene finally getting his visa sorted and joining training this week, our midfield is about to get a serious upgrade and probably the missing piece.
Owen’s first training ✅
Premier entraînement pour Owen ✅ pic.twitter.com/4NzruqELdn
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) February 27, 2025
St. Clair’s take on stats is exactly why I love this beautiful game. Sometimes you dominate every stat category and lose.
Sometimes you get outshot 20-2 and somehow win 2-0. It’s unpredictable.