On a warm Texas evening under the floodlights at Q2 Stadium, Minnesota United didn’t just win — they made a statement. The Loons’ 3-0 dismantling of Austin FC wasn’t just about the goals, the clean sheet, or the three points. It was a performance that crystallized their growing identity under Eric Ramsay and confirmed their standing as a true contender in the Western Conference.

Coming off a sobering home defeat to Vancouver, the Black and Blue could have easily stumbled again. Instead, they tightened the screws defensively, reshaped their attack, and returned to their road warrior ways — a familiar storyline for a club that continues to thrive without the ball.

Austin FC opened the match with the throttle down, commanding nearly 80% possession in the first 20 minutes. But Minnesota, as they’ve done all season, stayed compact, absorbed pressure, and waited. The opening goal, a cruel own goal from Austin midfielder Ilie Sánchez, came in the 22nd minute off a slick attack led by Joaquín Pereyra. His low-driven effort ricocheted off Sánchez and trickled through the legs of a stunned Brad Stuver — the kind of bounce that seems to go your way when the game plan is working.

Thirteen minutes later, the Loons struck again. Jefferson Díaz whipped in a perfectly measured ball that found Anthony Markanich rising in the box. The header — clinical, confident — put Minnesota up 2-0 and silenced the Austin crowd. It was Markanich’s first goal for the club, but more importantly, a sign of Minnesota’s growing threat on set pieces and second-phase play.

The second half saw the debut of new signing Robert Taylor, who added midfield composure in his 30-minute cameo, while Minnesota’s defense continued to frustrate El Tree. Pereyra, already a menace all match, punctuated the performance with a thunderous left-footed strike in stoppage time — a goal of the week contender and another feather in the cap of the Argentine playmaker.

Pereyra has been the heartbeat of this Minnesota side all season. He leads the team in assists, ranks among MLS’s most consistent creators, and was rightly named to the Team of the Matchday for Matchday 11. Whether linking with Robin Lod and Tani Oluwaseyi in the final third or pressing high in key moments, his fingerprints are all over the Loons’ success.

With the win, Minnesota climbed to second in the Western Conference, a position few predicted before the season but one that now feels deserved. Ramsay’s side doesn’t dazzle with possession or flash. But they’re ruthlessly efficient. Organized. Opportunistic. And most importantly, balanced.

This version of the Loons is hard to break down and lethal on the counter. With depth coming in and a midfield trio beginning to click, there’s real reason to believe this team isn’t just off to a hot start — they’re building something sustainable.

Next up: Inter Miami. Another test, another chance for Minnesota to prove that their style — low on the ball, high on discipline — travels just fine.