Minnesota 1-2 Juárez: Castilho and Estupiñán stun the Loons

The 90-minute rule has been met and the fourth referee announces four additional minutes. Minnesota launches all his men into the attack in search of salvaging the tie, while Juárez resists with great concentration and manages the advantage gained on American territory.

The game enters its final stretch with a very intense pace and options for both teams. Minnesota continues to press with insistence, while the Braves respond with order and defensive sacrifice, holding the edge in a compromise that remains open and filled with emotion.

Minnesota does not give up and continues to advance its lines in search of a tie. The Loons manage possession and generate constant approximations over the rival area, but Juárez remains firm in defense and uses every recovery to try to surprise with quick countershocks.

The commitment remains intense and has moments of friction, but it has been good pace so far. Juárez will make two changes for the final moments, where he seeks to preserve the advantage and find spaces to be able to generate danger in the opposite field. Minnesota is trying to block the pass and pitch options near their defensive zone.

The local team comes back with danger to the area of Juárez, dominating possession and looking for spaces to generate goal options. However, the Braves respond with a well-organized defense, showing focus on each mark and clearing any attempt from Minnesota before it can become a clear occasion.

Minnesota keeps up the pressure for a tie and starts locking Juarez in his own camp. The Loons insist on arrivals by gangs and centers in the area, forcing the visiting defense to remain very vigilant. The local team lives its best minutes of commitment and does not give up to match the score.

Minnesota makes three changes seeking to enhance the attack and take advantage of the intensity they are trying to achieve in the rival area, while Óscar Estupiñán had in one action the clearest opportunity to increase the difference in the score in favor of Juárez, but in the definition against the bow, the ball left deviated.

Juárez tries to go out playing and wants to build quick transitions after getting rid of the brand that Minnesota holds, but he doesn’t manage to build up his stock well or get past the middle of the court. The defensive block of the locals is being intense and kept well located to avoid the rival advance.

Controversy within the area over an action between two players prior to a free throw charge. The Minnesota player unintentionally stepped on Juárez’s defense and demanded a foul to avoid the charge, however, the central referee approached and the match continued without any news.

Last minutes of this first half and the visitors still seek to increase the lead in the scoreboard, however, they have not had enough effectiveness, but they do continue to create danger on the rival field. The game dynamics have been intense and very interesting in these first 45 minutes.

The party is entering a key moment. Minnesota continues to insist and seek, is showing more determination to go after the tie, is taking advantage of the fact that Juárez has regressed, gives him space in his area and has not been able to hold the ball for a long time. 

Minnesota tries to react, but he has trouble finding space and order to go out playing. He wants to build in the center of the field, while the rival team has been very focused and has found the best way to block pass options in their area. The party maintains a good dynamic.

Juárez was close to getting a good action on the offensive, but it is lacking greater support in the opposite field to be able to generate real danger. Minnesota continues to give way and it is unclear when he holds the ball, it is difficult for him to assemble moves to attack.

There is a good pace of play and both teams are trying to get possession of the ball, however, it seems that Minnesota has managed to play a little more and distribute the ball better with the intention of making good plays in the field of Juárez, that has managed to balance its defense in order to be able to stop the attempts of attack.

Controversial decision of the referee!

All the players from Minnesota claimed a fee when they were in the attack zone and it seemed that there was a rule of advantage after an infraction by a player from Juarez. The locals are starting to have more ball and connect with good mobility, but this action alerted everyone because they felt it was wrong.

Minnesota sought to step onto rival field, but could not build the action well from his zone and ended up losing the ball very quickly. However, he tried to push up the defense of Juárez that managed to clear the ball and the danger from his area. There is a good pace in this start by both teams.

From the bench, these are the options that the coach will have to modify the game as required by the development of the match.

27 Guillermo Ruiz

24 Benny Diaz

2 Gilberto Sepúlveda

4 Alejandro Mayorga

198 Ricardo Juárez

9 Madson de Souza Silva

183 Leonardo Rodriguez

7 Raymundo Fulgencio

6 Monchu

21. Ricardinho

25 Said Godinez

29 Ettson Ayón

With the eyes on victory, these are the headlines that will seek to impose conditions from the beginning and approach the great goal. The eleven players on the court will be the basis of the coach’s strategic plan, and they will seek to fulfill their role on the court. 

From the bench, these are the options that the coach will have to modify the game as required by the development of the match.

12 Drake Callender

15 Michael Boxall

24 Julian Gressel

27 D.J. Taylor

33 Kieran Chandler

20 Wil Trapp

26 Joaquin Pereyra

18 Mauricio González

22 Marcus Caldeira

21 Bongokuhle Hlongwane

7 Dominik Fitz

With the eyes on victory, these are the headlines that will seek to impose conditions from the beginning and approach the great goal. The eleven players on the court will be the basis of the coach’s strategic plan, and they will seek to fulfill their role on the court.

Although it will be the first match between both clubs, Minnesota United arrives with interesting numbers against Mexican rivals in the Leagues Cup. Since 2023, the Loons have recorded a record of three wins, one draw and two losses against MX League teams, a statistic that strengthens their candidacy to start with the right foot.

Moreover, the US team already knows what it’s like to advance in this tournament, having reached the quarterfinals in 2023. In contrast, FC Juárez will try to regain the leading role it showed in previous editions after being eliminated during the initial phase in 2025.

In addition to the match between MLS clubs and Liga MX, the game will have a special appeal with the duel between Panamanians Carlos Harvey and José Luis Rodríguez. Both footballers know each other well and could play in several of the most intense matches of the night at Allianz Field.

Rodriguez will seek to take advantage of his speed to attack the spaces by the gangs, while Harvey would have the mission to stop these transitions and give balance to Minnesota’s midfield. This individual clash could be decisive in a compromise that looks very balanced on paper.

One of the most interesting tactical aspects of the game will be the battle for sides. Minnesota usually defends with a line of five players and constantly projects to his carriages, while Joaquín Pereyra and Tomás Chancalay appear behind the forward to generate superiority in attack.

For his part, Juárez will try to progress with Monchu and Guilherme Castilho in the construction to free José Luis Rodríguez in the individual duels. If the Braves manage to overcome the first pressure of the Loons, they might find spaces behind Markanich and Duncan, an area that promises to be key during the engagement.

Minnesota United and FC Juárez arrive with different gifts at their debut in the Leagues Cup 2026. The Loons have accumulated a five-game losing streak, although they have saved three draws in that period and only record two losses, showing greater defensive strength.

In contrast, the Braves are going through a more complicated moment, with four drops in their last five matches and a single victory, as well as coming from a tough 5-1 defeat against Pumas that led to changes in the technical staff.

In the run-up to their Leagues Cup 2026 debut, FC Juárez shared with their fans some facts about Minnesota, the venue that will host the match against the Loons. With this publication, the Bravos brought to their fans details of the destination where they will seek to start with the right foot their participation in the international tournament, which will be held at the Allianz Field.

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Minnesota United shared the arrival of their players at Allianz Field, where the squad arrived with an atmosphere of confidence, style and joy to face its debut in the Leagues Cup 2026. The Loons will seek to leverage support from their fans to start with a win and take the first step in the tournament.

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Una publicación compartida por Minnesota United FC (@mnufc)

The Bravos will rely on the leadership of their captain and archer Sebastián Jurado, who will be key to supporting the team under the three sticks. In defense, Javier Aquino will bring all his experience and tour through the right-wing band, while the Spaniard Monchu will be responsible for ordering the midfield, distributing the ball and connecting the offensive game of the Mexican team.

The whole MLS will have in Joaquín Pereyra its main game generator, thanks to his ability to manage the times and bring clarity in creation. At his side, Tomás Chancalay will try to make a difference with his speed, imbalance and powerful mid-range goal, while the experienced Michael Boxall will be in charge of leading the defense with his hierarchy and strength.

We will soon be sharing the opening lineups of the Minnesota vs Juarez match and, plus the latest information coming from the Allianz Field, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. Don’t miss a detail of the match update and VAVEL coverage comments.

Allianz Field, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the home ground for MLS Minnesota United. It was inaugurated on 13 April 2019 and has a capacity of 19,400 spectators, with the possibility of expanding its capacity in the future to exceed 24,000 seats.

Its construction began in December 2016 and was completed in February 2019. The first official match was played on its opening day between Minnesota United and New York City FC, with a 3-3 draw against nearly 20,000 fans. In addition, the stage has also hosted matches of the U.S. national team, including a 2019 Gold Cup match.