Loons star tallies hat trick, assist in landslide victory over Carolina

Photo credit: Minnesota United

Minnesota United FC forward Christian Ramirez soared to the top of the North American Soccer League (NASL) scoring chart after scoring a hat trick in the Loons’ 5-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks at NSC Stadium on Saturday. As a result of his performance, the 25-year-old forward was named NASL Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.

In the first half alone, Ramirez struck twice in a span of four minutes and added an assist to send Minnesota on its way to a comfortable victory. With his side up 4-0 in the 75th minute, the Santa Ana, Calif., native completed his hat trick, dispatching a pass from midfielder Danny Cruz.

"It means a lot for our team to start the Fall Season on the front foot like we did this weekend, and being able to score my first professional hat trick at home in front of our crowd was special," Ramirez said. "As a player, you’re always looking to continuously prove yourself and improve, so it’s nice to see all the hard work paying off. But it wouldn't be possible without my teammates and coaches putting me in a situation to be successful and trusting me on the field."

The Loons, who finished the Spring Season just two points behind first-place Indy Eleven, couldn’t have started the Fall Season any better. Head coach Carl Craig’s side jumped all over the visiting RailHawks, going into the locker room with a 3-0 lead at halftime. A goal from Tiago Calvano, plus Ramirez’s third, put United up five goals before Carolina midfielder Matt Watson prevented the shutout with a consolation goal in stoppage time.

With the hat trick, Ramirez passed Indy’s Eamon Zayed for the league lead in goals with eight. The 6-foot-2 forward has been a consistent scorer for Minnesota since joining the club in 2014, and a performance like the one on Saturday suggests he may just be returning to the form that saw him win the NASL Golden Boot award (top scorer) in his first year.

"Christian is the ultimate team player and for the ultimate team player to get a hat trick is absolutely wonderful," Craig said. "It's a lovely reward for a player who does so much for the club, on and off the field. As a club, there's not a single player that would begrudge any accolade Christian receives."

Ramirez and the Loons take their momentum on the road to Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis, where they fell to Spring Season Champion Indy Eleven, 4-2, on May 21. Minnesota will look to get its revenge against Indy this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the game set to be featured on national TV on beIN SPORTS.