A point’s a point, as they say in the biz. Minnesota United was held to a 1-1 draw against Austin FC tonight, despite generating 17 shots and doubling the visitors’ expected goals tally. The home side simply couldn’t capitalize on chances created, leading to a night of what-ifs and almosts in Saint Paul.
The Loons rolled out the same lineup that took on St. Louis last weekend, with the lone change coming at right wingback, where Julian Gressel stepped in for Bongokuhle Hlongwane. The boys came out looking fresh, pressing a tad higher than usual in the opening minutes to keep Austin from finding too much joy early on.
Some creative play from the likes of JoaquÃn Pereyra and Carlos Harvey saw the Loons getting forward effectively, but a disciplined Austin side wasn’t giving away anything easy. Though they ceded possession early, the Loons gradually kept more and more of the ball as the half progressed, starting attacks from the back and building pressure in the first quarter-hour of the match.
In the 16th minute, the pressure made diamonds, as Nicolás Romero recycled a corner kick with a lovely pass to the back post, where New Zealand’s own Michael Boxall was waiting patiently for the tap-in header to give the Loons a deserved lead. A jolt of energy following the goal rounded the stadium, pushing the home side to continue to threaten to double the lead for several minutes before the game settled back into normalcy.
As they’re known to do, the Boys in Black and Blue were generating chances via set pieces effectively tonight, through corners, free kicks, and the classic long throw in. While each set piece swing tested Austin’s resolve, the visitors took advantage of a particularly high line following a long throw in the 27th minute, clearing the ball past the recovering Boxall to find Osman Bukari in acres of space. Bukari’s inch-perfect ball into the middle set up the equalizer, punishing the Loons in an area that has normally been quite the strength. Though Coach Ramsay and company likely felt they deserved the lead at the break, it was knotted at one apiece at half.
The remaining 45 minutes saw the Loons dominate offensively, adding 10 shots in the second half alone. Substitutes Joseph Rosales, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, and Kelvin Yeboah changed the game when they entered, giving the home team different skills to call upon in dangerous areas and allowing the 5-2-3 shape they were operating in to really spread the field as Austin got progressively more tired.
Despite a flurry of opportunities, close calls, and some fancy footwork, there was no go-ahead goal to be found in this one. A last-ditch effort from Boxy in the 90th minute may very well have saved the game, as he halted a promising Austin counter that could have produced an absolute dagger for the visitors.
After putting forth what was an overall solid performance, the Loons were unlucky not to grab at least one more goal, leading to a bit of a frustrating result. Austin really only produced a handful of clear chances in this one, and a moment of great quality when it was needed helped them make the most of their creative efforts, however lacking. No one ever turns their nose up at a point, but when three points are within your reach, it’s always disappointing not to grab hold of the whole kit and kaboodle. That said, the Loons managed to keep their positive run going, and will be looking to rediscover their fine finishing in Vancouver this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. CT on MLS Season Pass.
