There was nothing to separate the waterfowl from the water features tonight, as Minnesota United earned a point against the Colorado Rapids in a 1-1 draw in Commerce City, Colorado. It was a match that required some innovation and a moment of brilliance from the Loons, but the spoils were split, and the visitors took another step toward securing a top-four finish in the Western Conference.

A slow start to the first half saw an initially patient, possession-heavy approach from the Loons make way for the more familiar defensive setup that we’ve seen all season long. Neither side proved particularly threatening during the opening 45, managing a combined xG of less than 0.5 at the halftime whistle. Though it looked like they’d be scoreless at the half, a late free kick for the home side saw Rafael Santos fire one past Dayne St. Clair, giving the home side the lead in stoppage time.

The late dagger forced a change from the visitors, as Coach Ramsey brought on both Dominik Fitz and Joseph Rosales for the second half. These changes came with a rare formation shift as well, as the Loons exchanged their tried-and-true 5-4-1 for a more attacking 4-2-3-1, with Bongokuhle Hlongwane leading the line ahead of the attacking talents of Joaquín Pereyra, Robin Lod, and the aforementioned Fitz. The backline of Rosales, Michael Boxall, Morris Duggan, and Jefferson Díaz proved to be more than enough to handle the Rapids, giving the Loons an extra man up the pitch and changing the flow of the game.

Fresh legs and fresh tactics gave the visitors an added pep in their step, as promising signs of possession with purpose foreshadowed the eventual equalizer, though no one could have guessed how it would ultimately come.

As the game got increasingly stretched, spaces were left behind the attack, leaving room for late-arriving midfielders to get on the ball and pick their pass—or their banger. Nectarios Triantis leveled the score in the 65th minute with his second MNUFC goal, this time stepping a bit closer to the goal mouth. His screamer from 25 yards out came as a result of the ball bouncing out of what had been a promising Loons attack at the top of the box, finding the midfielder in enough space to give him time to pick out the top right corner.

From there, the Loons continued to put threatening attacks together, but after a few minutes, the hosts found their feet again as well. An open, back-and-forth closing 20 minutes could have easily seen either side find a winner, but a point was probably a fair result in the end.

Though they started slow, the Loons demonstrated a kind of flexibility that we haven’t seen much this season, changing their shape and relying on their new signings to make a difference. Triantis’ impact has been hard to miss, and the dynamic runs of Fitz have consistently added a spark to this MNUFC side whenever he’s been called upon. Form is more important than ever as the postseason approaches, and tonight’s point was a good start toward recovering from last week’s tough results.

The Loons will be back in action against their friendly rivals Sporting Kansas City next week in the last home game of the regular season. Come on out to Allianz Field for the club’s Fan Appreciation Night, or catch the match on MLS Season Pass on Saturday, October 4, at 7:30 p.m. CT.