Minnesota United didn’t get the response they wanted. Days after their U.S. Open Cup exit, the Loons fell 3-0 at home to the Chicago Fire — a second straight loss that has raised questions about form, fitness, and focus with the playoffs approaching.

Now, they don’t have long to dwell. Minnesota travels to Colorado to face the Rapids tonight at 8:30 p.m. CST, a match that could help steady momentum before the postseason.

Will Trapp: “You can’t let one loss spill into another.”

Veteran midfielder Will Trapp pointed to flashes of promise in possession, but admitted that conceding early changed everything.

“We had little spells where we moved the ball well and found pockets underneath, and you saw flashes of the things we wanted,” Trapp said. “But once the first goal goes in, then the second, the plan starts to change.”

The challenge, he added, is to compartmentalize and not let frustration linger.

“Eric’s point about flushing it quickly is super important,” Trapp said. “If you let these things dwell, you start to overthink, and then it carries into the next result. And the playoffs can end quickly if you don’t snap out of it.”

Despite the injuries piling up, Trapp said the group has no choice but to adapt: “You play the hand you’re dealt. We’re here to adjust and not be victims of ourselves.”

Eric Ramsay: “We have to recapture what’s made us competitive.”

Head coach Eric Ramsay didn’t hide his disappointment, calling the performance “a tough watch.” He acknowledged the heavy rotation and new lineups but stressed that his team should have been better.

“There was enough on the pitch to be more competitive,” Ramsay said. “The way in which we conceded, especially the first two goals, was really disappointing.”

Set pieces again proved costly. “We gave away really cheap fouls, really cheap corners,” Ramsay said. “Against a team with their effectiveness, that’s a naive starting point.”

Still, he was clear: this is not a moment for overreaction.

“We’re not going to become a different team or start sending the players new messages,” Ramsay said. “It’s about very quickly recapturing what we’ve been for most of this season. The top four is still very much in our sights.”

Dayne St. Clair: “It’s about pride in defending.”

Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, visibly vocal with his backline throughout the match, said conceding twice from set pieces was especially disappointing.

“First and foremost, it’s about eliminating the amount of set-pieces we give away,” he said. “Once we’re in those moments, it comes down to pride in defending. It’s not always about size, it’s about throwing guys off and winning that first contact.”

St. Clair also stressed that younger players got a crash course in MLS standards. “The best way is being thrown into the fire like today,” he said. “Now they see what level we need to reach. The level we showed, especially in the first half, wasn’t enough to win.”

Like Trapp and Ramsay, St. Clair emphasized the importance of moving on quickly. “It was an emotional week, no doubt,” he said. “But now we can file that away, have a good week of prep, and get back on track with what’s ahead.”

What’s at stake in Colorado

The Rapids come into tonight’s match sitting firmly in the Western Conference playoff race, having won three of their last four. Chris Armas’ side has leaned on Cole Bassett’s creativity and Rafael Navarro’s finishing while turning Dick’s Sporting Goods Park into a difficult place for visitors, particularly at altitude.

For Minnesota, the stakes are simple: avoid a third straight loss and keep pace in the chase for a top-four seed, which would secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. A win in Denver would also provide a much-needed psychological reset after a draining week.

Flush it, reset, respond — that’s the only path forward for the Loons.