After a grueling 120-minute U.S. Open Cup semifinal loss to Austin FC on Wednesday, the Minnesota Loons trotted out a heavily rotated squad Saturday night. Compounding the fatigue, the Loons are also navigating a flurry of significant injuries. Coach Eric Ramsay announced Friday that the team’s leading scorer Kelvin Yeboah (hamstring) and star defender Carlos Harvey (knee) will both miss the rest of the regular season.

Over the span of four days, Minnesota United has been bounced from the U.S. Open Cup and has now fallen off the pace in the Western Conference and Supporters’ Shield races. The 3-0 home loss to the Chicago Fire was a major setback.

Saturday’s match against the Chicago Fire (11-7-12) began with a glimmer of promise. Amid the familiar beat of the Wonderwall supporters’ drums, the Loons came out aggressively. Defensive midfielder Owen Gene had a clear shot on goal just two minutes in. New striker Mamadou Dieng, tasked with filling the void left by Oluwaseyi, made some sharp runs and looked threatening early on.

However, the bright start quickly soured.

In the 26th minute, a cross into the box led to a scramble. Loons keeper Dayne St. Clair initially saved a header but couldn’t control the rebound. Chicago defender Joel Waterman found himself unmarked and slotted home the Fire’s first goal on their very first shot attempt.

Even with the Fire dominating possession (58%) through the first 30 minutes, the Loons looked like the more dangerous side. But after Chicago’s goal, the momentum shifted. The Fire, who had appeared disjointed early, began to take control. St. Clair, visibly frustrated, was forced into action repeatedly, making three saves in the first 36 minutes and yelling at his defense for leaving opponents wide open.

Things only got worse. In the 41st minute, the Loons conceded a second goal in a nearly identical fashion. Another cross sailed into the penalty area, where Chicago defensive midfielder Tah Ange Innocent D’Avilla Dje rose above the crowd to head the ball perfectly into the net. While headers are difficult to defend, questions must be raised about the Loons’ midfield and outside backs, who allowed yet another dangerous ball to find its way into the box.

The two goals from curling crosses were eerily similar to a 4-2 loss earlier this season against San Diego FC. Following that match, veteran midfielder Will Trapp was quoted in the Star Tribune stressing the team’s need to improve its defending against crosses.

“A big thing we talk about with our group is blocking crosses,” Trapp said after the San Diego game, “and I think if you look at that, especially the third goal, can we get out and maybe affect it a little bit more?”

The first half against the Fire showed that this same vulnerability remains the Loons’ Achilles’ heel.

Shortly after the half, at the 55’ mark, Ramsay pulled a quadruple substitution: Joaquín Pereyra, Michael Boxall, Robin Lod, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane came in for Randell, Trapp, Gene, and Fit. The substitutions brought some energy, but it wasn’t enough. In the 66th minute, it looked like Bongokuhle Hlongwane had pulled one back for the Loons, but the goal was waved off. The Fire responded immediately. Attacking midfielder Philip Zinckernagel broke through the Loons’ disheveled defense on a quick counter-attack and smashed home a third goal. It was a perfect summary of the night for Minnesota: toothless in the final third and nonexistent on defense.

The last 15 minutes were more of the same. The Loons showed signs of life, but it was too little, too late. In the 84th minute, Chicago won a penalty after a Loons’ foul. St. Clair came up big again, saving the shot, but a scuffle and shoving match broke out in the box as tempers flared. It was an unnecessary display, but a reminder that the second-place team in the Western Conference still had some fight left in them, even if the match was already decided.

The final stats paint a clear picture of the Loons’ struggles. While they managed 12 shot attempts and 6 corners, they only put 4 shots on goal. The Fire, by comparison, had 18 shot attempts and 9 on target. They truly dominated the match, leaving the Loons searching for answers heading into the final stretch of the season.