FC Edmonton was always going to be in tough against Minnesota United FC in their North America Soccer League home opener on Sunday.

Minnesota is graduating to Major League Soccer next season and have loaded up for their final NASL campaign, which included signing former FC Edmonton star Lance Laing.

Minnesota were the superior team on the afternoon, defeating FC Edmonton 2-0, in front of 2,731 fans at Clarke Stadium.

“They’re gearing up for the MLS, so they’re assembling a large squad with some real quality and they still have some real quality coming into the side,” said FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller. “I don’t want to make that as an excuse. For our guys, there is no short of a work-rate, but the difference in quality, at times, in that final third of the field was there for everyone to see.

“It’s an area we have to keep addressing and it was a poor performance from the Eddies. I don’t want to make any excuses from that point of view, because sometimes you get beat by a better side. We were flat, we weren’t at our best and we weren’t on the front foot, as they say, until it got later on in the game.”

Striker Ben Speas scored both goals for Minnesota, finishing off a pass in the Edmonton penalty area in the first half and displaying outstanding skill on an individual effort in the second half.

Minnesota goalkeeper Sammy N’Djock posted the shutout, forced to make just two saves in the contest.

“We’ve started to implement some of the things that we’ve been working on during the preseason and I’m very pleased with it,” Minnesota head coach Carl Craig said. “To be honest, I thought we should have had more than the two goals, but I’m happy with the 2-0.”

Minnesota took the game to Edmonton from the opening kickoff and would have gone up four minutes into the game had it not been for an outstanding save from goaltender Matt VanOekel on forward Christian Ramirez.

VanOekel was kept busy throughout the first half as Minnesota kept the pressure on Edmonton, who were missing captain Albert Watson, out due to suspension. Watson was issued a red card in FC Edmonton’s 0-0 tie, on the road, against Rayo Oklahoma City last week.

“It was a fairly young back-four (defence) and it’s an area that’s a work in progress and they have to learn,” Miller said. “These young players have to play and they have to learn and nobody is making mistakes deliberately. For me, the most important thing is that we learn from the mistakes we’ve made.”

Speas scored in the 16th minute, getting a ball played across the FC Edmonton penalty area by midfielder Kevin Venegas, and slotting it into the far corner past VanOekel.

Edmonton’s best chance of the first half fell to striker Tomi Ameobi, who was unable to get a toe on a dangerous cross in front of N’Djock.

“I don’t think we got started like we had in the past seasons and we gave away a couple of sloppy goals as a team,” Ameobi said. “After that, it was hard for us to put our stamp on the game.”

Minnesota came close to extending their lead with five minutes left in the first half as defender Damion Lowe was able to climb above everyone to head a free kick towards the net. Lowe’s header bounced in front of VanOekel then up off the crossbar.

Speas scored 10 minutes into the second half, taking the ball off a throw-in with his back to the net, flicking it over Edmonton defender Mallan Roberts and firing it past VanOekel.

“I was fortunate, I was glad to get the second goal, and obviously, the win, that’s the most important thing,” Speas said. “That’s something you try a lot of times and it doesn’t work. The one time it does work, was (Sunday).”

Edmonton has not scored a goal in their first two games of the season. They travel to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday before returning home to host the Ottawa Fury on April, 24.

“We have guys that can put the ball in the back of the net,” Miller said. “Our forwards are no mugs and we’ve got guys that can score goals from the middle of the park (midfield) as well as out wide. Nobody is going to shy away from the work here, but it’s Game 2, it’s not panic stations yet, but that (Sunday) is not acceptable.”

Dvandiest@postmedia.com

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GAME REVIEW

Minnesota FC 2, FC Edmonton 0

MAN OF THE MATCH: Ben Speas

Scored both goals in the victory, his second on a great individual effort, flicking a ball over a defender to send himself in alone on goal.

GAME GRADES

Offence D

Defence D

Goalkeeping C

Toughness C

Effort C

WHY THEY LOST

They were second best from the opening kickoff against a team loading up to play in the MLS next season. Minnesota had too much firepower for Edmonton, who were missing their captain, Albert Watson, due to suspension. Once Minnesota took the lead, it was always going to be hard for Edmonton to come back.

BIG PLAY

With his back to the net, Minnesota forward Ben Speas takes a throw-in and flicks the ball over the head of defender Mallan Roberts. Speas runs around Roberts and hammers the ball past goalkeeper Matt VanOekel for his second goal of the game.

BIG SAVE

Early in the game, Minnesota forward Christian Ramirez hammers on a shot on goal, which goalkeeper Matt VanOekel was able to get a hand on to knock away.

UP NEXT

FC Edmonton at Tampa Bay Rowdies, Saturday (5:30 p.m. MT).