Minnesota United head coach Eric Ramsay wants his team to "grind through" their tough period as they aim to bounce back against Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday.
The Loons are winless in five and have lost each of their last four matches, conceding a stoppage-time winner against Portland Timbers last time out to extend that run.
They have dropped to seventh in the Western Conference, and Ramsay is confident he will get the reaction he needs from his players.
"We've got to take the best from [the defeat] and really try and grind through what is an immensely difficult period for us and come out of the other side well," he said.
"We've got to move forward in as constructive and pragmatic a way that we can. That is the only attitude that can be adopted at the moment. To look at it any other way is ridiculous.
"Ultimately, we have to approach Wednesday's game with a level of enthusiasm. There's no other way to look at it."
Meanwhile, Vancouver can leapfrog Minnesota if they get a road win on Wednesday to build on their impressive 4-3 victory over St. Louis City last time out.
The Whitecaps had to come from behind to earn the victory, and head coach Vanni Sartini praised the character his team showed.
"It was being conscious that we're a good team," Sartini said. "We were always calm and collected.
"Those three points were really important with our two games in hand, and we have to play two very important away games. We have to win both, and we want results in both, but the standings don't look bad."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minnesota United – Bongokuhle Hlongwane
Bongokuhle Hlongwane recorded a goal and an assist in Minnesota's defeat to Portland on Saturday, his fourth regular-season match with a goal and an assist for the Loons, tied with Robin Lod, Darwin Quintero and Emanuel Reynoso for the most in club history.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
Brian White scored his second hat-trick for the Whitecaps in their 4-3 win over St. Louis City on Saturday, the first player in team history with multiple hat-tricks.
Only one other player, Cristian Techera in 2018, has scored a regular-season hat-trick for the Whitecaps in the last decade.
MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN
Minnesota are unbeaten in six all-time home matches against Vancouver (W3 D3), though the Whitecaps managed a draw in their last visit to St. Paul, 1-1 in March 2023.
Minnesota have lost four consecutive regular-season matches for the fourth time and the first since the first four matches of the 2021 season. The Loons have never lost five consecutive regular season matches.
Meanwhile, the Whitecaps overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat St. Louis City, 4-3, on Saturday, the fourth time Vancouver won a match in which they trailed by multiple goals and the first at home since June 2013 against New England.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Minnesota United – 45.7%
Draw – 26.8%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 27.5%
Conte hopes for Ranieri's success at Roma after Napoli clash
Antonio Conte hopes that everything will go well for Claudio Ranieri after he came out of retirement to take charge of Roma, but only after their Serie A clash this weekend.
Ranieri was tempted back into management by a return to where he began as a player. His third spell at Roma comes after the club sacked two coaches already this season and with the team 12th in the standings.
A trip to leaders Napoli is Ranieri's first task, and Conte is looking forward to meeting up with the 73-year-old.
"I am pleased to see Claudio, I have great esteem for him and there is also friendship," Conte told reporters ahead of Sunday's game.
"I am happy with the chance he has been given. It will be a tough game, for us and for them. Last year, Roma finished ahead of Napoli, they are in the Europa League and had a good transfer window.
"They are not performing according to expectations and I hope for Claudio that everything starts to work after Sunday's game."
The arrival of Ranieri in place of Ivan Juric brings with it not just the danger of the 'new manager bounce' but also upsets Conte's plans for the game.
"When a team changes coach there is an important input on a nervous level," Conte said.
"They are at the third change on the bench. It's inevitable that, if Juric had remained, we knew what kind of team we were going to face.
"Now it's an enigma, we don't have much information nor do we know how they will deal with us. So let's think about ourselves, there is a desire and enthusiasm to continue this path."
After a streak of 21 consecutive home wins in Serie A, Conte lost his last home league match (0-3 against Atalanta). Only once in his career has he recorded two consecutive home defeats in the competition: in November 2009, when he was in charge of Atalanta (against Juventus and Roma).
Napoli are top of the table, but Conte knows it is still early, and with just two points separating the top six clubs, which includes the likes of Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, for now, it is a different title race than usual.
"Only 12 games have passed and there are many teams within very few points," he said.
"We are doing well, but so are the others. There isn't one team which has distanced the others. Perhaps there is a little amazement in seeing some teams in those positions in the standings."
Martino resigns as Inter Miami coach after early playoff exit
Gerardo Martino has resigned as Inter Miami's head coach due to personal reasons, the MLS side have confirmed.
The Argentine ends his 17-month stint in charge of the Herons following their MLS Cup exit just under a fortnight ago.
Martino, who oversaw Miami's Leagues Cup triumph soon after his arrival last season, guided the franchise to this year's Supporters' Shield with a regular-season record tally of 74 points.
However, they were eliminated by his former side Atlanta United in round one of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Miami opened their best-of-three series against Atlanta with a 2-1 win, only to lose by the same scoreline in Game 2 before falling to a dramatic 3-2 defeat in the decider.
“It has been an honour to work at such a special club, and to lead such a special team," Martino said.
"I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life.
"I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible."
'It's a shame' - Alonso confirms Leverkusen's Boniface out with thigh injury
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso confirmed that Victor Boniface will be sidelined for some time after picking up a thigh injury on international duty with Nigeria.
Boniface, who has scored eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions this season, was replaced late on in the Super Eagles' 2-1 defeat to Rwanda on Monday.
It is another blow for Leverkusen, who have managed 17 points from 10 games so far this season, the worst start to a league campaign in 12 years by a defending champion.
Only Omar Marmoush and Harry Kane (both 11) have scored more goals in the league than Boniface this term (six).
Alonso revealed that the 23-year-old will miss Saturday's Bundesliga encounter against Heidenheim and their Champions League tie against RB Salzburg next week.
"We will have to see how long he will be out. It is a shame," Alonso told a press conference.
"He has a thigh injury. For tomorrow, for Salzburg and maybe a bit longer. We will have to wait and see.
"It is too early to say but we hope he can still play this year. We have to see with the recovery and improvement but it is not a matter of six or eight weeks."
Leverkusen have dropped points in six Bundesliga games already this season (D5, L1), as often as they did during the entirety of their 2023-24 title-winning campaign (D6).
They come into this weekend's fixture against Heidenheim on a three-game winless run in the Bundesliga (D3), the first time they have gone this long without a victory since between April and May 2023 (five games).
Leverkusen sit fourth in the Bundesliga, already nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich as the busy festive schedule kickstarts on Saturday.
Alonso's side have eight games in just under a month, including a DFB-Pokal round of 16 clash with Bayern at the start of December.
"Eight games in four weeks. It is nothing new for us," Alonso said. "An intense phase is coming up for us and it starts tomorrow.
"We have clear goals for the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup."
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