After Wil Trapp scored a rare goal in Minnesota United’s 2-1 win over New York City on Sunday — and the midfielder did so from outside the 18-yard box — Michael Boxall had jokes ready for his teammate and friend in the visiting locker room at Yankee Stadium.

“I said there was going to be a ‘Dubious Goal Committee,’ and we are going to take it away as an own goal or something,” Boxall teased. And the Loons’ defender, who has yet to score himself this season, added: “I think me and Wil Trapp are in a race to 20 goals this year.”

Trapp’s first goal since June 2024, and only his third total since joining MNUFC in 2021, ended up being the game-winner after NYCFC was more aggressive in the second half and Keaton Parks scored in the 89th minute to tighten the match.

But unlike the Kansas City and L.A. Galaxy draws last month, the Loons (4-1-2, 14 points) didn’t surrender this lead against New York (2-3-2, 8 points).

Here are three takeaways:

A New York minute

Tani Oluwaseyi’s opening goal registered at 59 seconds into the match — only eight seconds later than the club record for fastest goal.

Robin Lod’s still holds that mark. The Finn found the back of the net 51 seconds into a 2-0 win over Houston in September 2021.

Head coach Eric Ramsay said a major point of emphasis is on starting games well.

“That is being reflected in most games so far,” he said. “We set the course for a really good 45 minutes that followed. A very dogged, gritty, determined 45 minutes to close the game out.”

Coming off two goals against Salt Lake last weekend, Oluwaseyi now has five total goals across his last three MLS matches. Oluwaseyi’s fifth goal broke a tie on the team with Kelvin Yeboah.

Set piece success

The Loons have scored 11 total goals this season; five coming on set plays. Trapp’s was the latest.

On a short free kick from Joaquin Pereyra, Trapp sent in a low shot from about 19 yards out. It took a deflection and beat goalkeeper Matt Freese in the 29th minute.

Trapp is not known for accurate shots from distance, but he had three on target from long range on Sunday.

Playing it short was part of the menu of of set-piece options presented to players pre-match, Ramsay said.

“Within a certain set-up, we will have multiple options available to the players, and we give them a lot of liberty to play the situations as they see fit,” Ramsay said. “I think so far, across the seven games, we are in a good place when it comes to the danger we can cause teams in almost all set-play situations. That was certainly the case (Sunday).”

PK blunder

United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair keeps inducing — or benefitting from — opponent misses from the penalty spot. It was a major theme in Minnesota’s sweep of Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup Playoffs last fall. And Alonso Martinez kept the theme alive when he put a PK off the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

Martinez has shot to the goalkeeper’s right in recent PKs, and that is where St. Clair dove, but the shot wasn’t inside the frame.

Before the attempt, St. Clair talked to Martinez before the PK; Martinez smirked back at him. That mind game might have helped St. Clair.

“He had a few words for him,” Boxall shared on St. Clair. “You are going to have to ask him exactly what. You know Dayne, full of confidence. He probably wants me to give up more penalties so he can save them. He backs himself that much.”

Another factor in the miss might have been the few-minute delay while VAR reviewed whether Boxall’s action was worthy of a PK.

Three tidbits

New York didn’t register a shot on target until the 77th minute but ended with four. Loons tallied nine on target across the match. … With Yeboah’s goal production, Ghana might come calling for him to join the men’s national team. He was born in Accra, Ghana before moving to Italy. … Boxall was reinserted into the starting XI, with Morris Duggan dropping to the bench.