Loons produce 2-0 win in New York amid more injury concerns
Minnesota United was not left unscathed in New York City on Sunday and now braces itself for news on yet another knee injury.
With Robin Lod and Kervin Arriaga already out for months with knee injuries, Loons’ leading scorer Bongi Hlongwane suffered a knee injury in the first half of Sunday’s match against New York City. Also, star playmaker Emanuel Reynoso, who has been dealing with a swollen ankle, was subbed out in the second half.
Jan Gregus, whom MNUFC traded with Nashville for after Arriaga went down two weeks ago, helped pick up the slack, scoring on a deflected, long-range shot in the 53rd minute in a 2-0 win at Citi Field.
Substitute striker Mender Garcia provided an insurance goal in the 95th minute. The Colombian had not scored in MLS play since March 25.
After a run to the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, the Loons (8-8-7, 31 points) won their first match in the restarted MLS season. New York (5-9-11, 26 points) now has one win in its last 16 MLS matches.
“It has been a good team effort,” manager Adrian Heath said. He noted how the Loons are tied for the league high with six road wins this season.
Hlongwane, who has 15 goals in all competitions this season, had been taken down awkwardly in a hard challenge from NYCFC midfielder James Sands in the 33rd minute. Sands was issued a yellow card for the tackle from behind.
Hlongwane appeared to pass movement tests from head athletic trainer Donnie Fuller, but he went down to the ground again within a few minutes. Hlongwane exited in the 38th minute, with Gregus coming on for his first game back with the Loons.
Hlongwane’s knee “will be inflamed,” Heath said. “So we will have a better idea when we get back and have a look at it (Monday). Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
Reynoso missed training sessions this week with a swollen ankle but played through it on Sunday. “If everything isn’t perfect and it’s not planted perfectly any time he stretches it, internally or externally, there is quite a lot of pain,” Heath said. “We’ve got four or five days to get some real treatment into him and rest and ice on it. Get him ready for next weekend.”
The Loons received some positive injury news this week. Arriaga’s meniscus surgery was not as severe as Lod’s. While Lod is on the season-ending injury list, Arriaga might be able to return after 6-8 weeks and possibly contribute down the final stretch. Heath said that might be possible in October, or if the Loons make MLS Cup Playoffs.
But it was Gregus providing a rare goal in a big moment. The Slovakian scored one goal for MNUFC in both the 2019 and 2020 seasons and zero in 2021 before two scoreless stints with San Jose and Nashville in the last two seasons.
“Very glad that it went behind the goalkeeper,” Gregus said.
Gregus strikes again
MNUFC midfielder Jan Gregus has matched his season-high goal-scoring output in a Loons shirt.
2019 — 1 goal in 2,677 minutes
2020 — 1 in 1,597
2021 — 0 in 772
2023 — 1 in 51
