ICYMI: Lowe nets a heroic brace and St. Clair shines in midweek action
It was an action-packed week of football across the globe for former Minnesota United players, highlighted by massive performances in continental tournaments and domestic leagues alike. Damion Lowe delivered an absolute masterclass in the AFC Challenge League, scoring a second-half brace from the center back position to spark a near-comeback for Dewa United. Meanwhile, Dayne St. Clair proved impenetrable in the Concacaf Champions Cup, earning Player of the Match honors after securing a crucial road clean sheet for Inter Miami against Nashville SC.
The midweek slate also saw Alejandro Bran find the back of the net against LAFC, Darwin Quintero deliver a clutch late assist in Colombia, and several other former Loons logging heavy minutes in hard-fought draws and gritty defensive battles. From Singapore to Argentina, here is how the alumni fared over the past few days.
Monday, March 9
- Nabi Kibunguchy (Hougang United 1, Balestier Khalsa 2): Kibunguchy started the match up front for Hougang United, but was forced to drop back and plug a hole in the defense after his squad went down to 10 men just before halftime. He played the full match and made a crucial goal-line clearance in the 55th minute to deny a point-blank header, though Hougang ultimately surrendered their early lead and fell 2-1 to Balestier Khalsa in Singapore Premier League action.
- Wessel Speel (Shelbourne 2, Shamrock Rovers 2): Speel started in net and played the full 90 minutes for Shelbourne in a chaotic 2-2 draw against Shamrock Rovers. It was a difficult outing for the goalkeeper, who gave up two first-half goals, including a penalty he conceded in the 32nd minute after bringing down an attacker, and finished the match with a 5.0 rating.
- Darwin Quintero: (Millonarios 2, Cúcuta 0): Quintero began the match on the bench for Millonarios but made a late cameo, subbing into the midfield in the 83rd minute. He made an immediate impact, providing an assist in the 85th minute to help his squad secure a 2-0 victory over Cúcuta in Primera A Apertura action. He earned a 7.0 Fotmob rating during his brief appearance.
Tuesday, March 10
- Franco Fragapane (Independiente 4, Union Santa Fe 4): Fragapane began the match on the bench for Union Santa Fe but made a late cameo, subbing into the midfield in the 82nd minute. He earned a 7.0 Fotmob rating during his appearance as his squad battled to a thrilling, high-scoring 4-4 draw on the road against Independiente.
- Alejandro Bran (Los Angeles FC vs. LD Alajuelense): Bran started in the midfield for LD Alajuelense in their first leg Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 matchup against Los Angeles FC. Bran delivered a massive performance on the road, finding the back of the net in the 44th minute to open the scoring and give his side the lead heading into halftime. He logged a stellar 8.0 Fotmob rating for his efforts before the match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw at BMO Stadium.
Wednesday, March 11
- Samuel Shashoua and Britton Fischer (Birmingham Legion 0, Hartford Athletic 0): Shashoua and Fischer faced off as Birmingham Legion and Hartford Athletic battled to a scoreless 0-0 draw. Shashoua started for Birmingham, playing the full 90 minutes and earning a strong 7.5 rating on Fotmob. He was a highly effective playmaker for Legion, creating five chances and completing 50 of his 55 passes for a 91% completion rate. On the other side of the pitch, Fischer started on the backline for Hartford Athletic and also played the full 90 minutes to help secure the clean sheet. He finished the match with a 7.0 Fotmob rating, logging three defensive contributions and picking up a yellow card during the physical matchup.
- Dayne St. Clair (Nashville SC 0, Inter Miami CF 0): St. Clair started in net and played the full 90 minutes for Inter Miami CF in their first leg matchup against Nashville SC. The goalkeeper earned Player of the Match honors with a stellar 8.3 rating after securing a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw. He made four saves—all of which were from inside the box—and prevented 0.86 expected goals to help his squad grind out the result on the road. St. Clair was also highly effective in distribution, completing 22 of his 24 passes on the night.
Thursday, March 12
- Damion Lowe (Dewa United 2, Manila Digger 2): Lowe put in a heroic shift at center back for Dewa United in the second leg of their AFC Challenge League matchup against Manila Digger FC. After his squad fell behind 2-0 in the match, Lowe sparked a furious second-half comeback by scoring his first goal in the 66th minute off an assist from E. M. Vikri. He then found the back of the net again in the 81st minute to secure a brace and tie the match at 2-2. Despite playing the full match and providing all the offense for his squad from the backline, the 2-2 draw wasn’t quite enough to advance, and Dewa United was officially eliminated from the tournament after falling 3-2 on aggregate.
- Ramón Ábila (Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto 0, Belgrano Cordoba 1): Ábila began the match on the bench and entered as a substitute to play 9 minutes for Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto. During his time on the pitch, the forward recorded five touches, two of which were in the opposition box, and successfully completed his lone dribble attempt. He also won his only ground duel and his only aerial duel, though he completed just one of his three pass attempts. Ábila did not record any shots or create any chances. Ultimately, Estudiantes de Rio Cuarto was unable to overcome the deficit, suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Belgrano Cordoba.
- Aziel Jackson (Vancouver Whitecaps 0, Seattle Sounders 3): Jackson began the match on the bench and entered as a late substitute, playing seven minutes for the Vancouver Whitecaps in their Concacaf Champions Cup clash against the Seattle Sounders. During his brief cameo, he was active on the ball, recording 14 touches—including four in the opposition box—and completing seven of his eight pass attempts. Jackson managed to create one chance and had a shot blocked, but he was unable to spark a late comeback. The Whitecaps ultimately suffered a 3-0 home defeat in the first leg of the Round of 16.
