Did anyone ever actually think that one — admittedly really salty — lake was ever going to get the better of the full force of 10,000? Minnesota United proved that freshwater is the best water tonight, taking Real Salt Lake down by a 3-1 scoreline tonight, completing yet another season sweep of a Western Conference rival, and keeping up their challenge for the top spot in the West.
Coach Ramsay stuck with his tried-and-true lineup, though he swapped Tani Oluwaseyi for Joseph Rosales in the midfield. Joaquín Pereyra took on the advanced role that Oluwaseyi normally fills, turning the 5-4-1 into the more practical and familiar 5-3-2 that Loons fans have gotten used to seeing. While it wasn’t his positioning that did the trick, his presence paid dividends remarkably quickly.
Just six minutes into the match, an early, in-swinging Pereyra corner caught RSL’s Brayan Vera unawares, bouncing off his side and straight into his own net. Credit to the quality of the service, but a stroke of fortune is always welcome in any game. The undermanned hosts responded with energy, getting forward quickly and embracing the space that the Loons were willing to give them. One could say they fell into the defensive trap that MNUFC likes to lay, as they began serving ball after ball into the box. Normally, that isn’t a problem for the Black and Blue to repel, but when an inch-perfect pass comes through, there’s not much anyone can do.
When the Claret and Cobalt broke quickly in the 15th minute, a line-breaking pass sent the Loons’ defense running backward, and the ensuing low-driven cross was precise enough to get past not one, but two sliding center backs to find the feet of Victor Olatunji for the easiest finish he’ll ever have. With the score level again, the Loons began to weather a fresh storm, as RSL sent in a total of 11 crosses in the first half. Some flashes of dynamism from Pablo Mastroeni’s rotated side contributed to a lopsided stat sheet, but the discipline of the Loons saw the most important stat fall their way.
After Pereyra nearly scored himself an olimpico in the 31st minute, Robin Lod stepped up to restore the lead in the 36th after a particularly chaotic passage of play. RSL failed to clear several successive shots from the Loons, and when the ball popped out left to a wide-open Lod, the club’s all-time leading goalscorer made no mistake with the finish, putting his side back up and extending his historic tally.
The second half saw more of the same from RSL early on, with another barrage of crosses coming in thick and fast. The aerial efforts of Nicolás Romero canceled out a fair amount of the danger, seeing his side through what proved to be the most difficult portion of the final 45.
The pressure broke in the 51st minute, when a poor giveaway from the hosts saw Pereyra pounce in the attacking third, combine with Lod, and follow through for the easy finish to double the Loons’ lead. After the third goal — and likely because of the nature of the mistake that led to it — RSL looked deflated and defeated, putting up a disorganized, half-hearted fight during the remainder of the match. Despite outshooting the Loons 26 to 10, they only managed a single shot on target in the second half, opting for increasingly desperate chances in an effort to win the game in a single moment, rather than playing their way back into it.
A professional final half hour from the Loons saw the coaching staff use their full depth, putting on more defensive-minded players and calmly deflecting whatever the hosts threw at them. Frustrated RSL players began dribbling more and more, but they couldn’t get through the disciplined Black and Blue low block.
Notable performances from both Lod and Pereyra put this one to bed rather early, while the classic compact defense of MNUFC saw all but one of RSL’s 26 crosses rendered completely useless. With another three points added to the tally, your Loons are now on 50 points with six games to go, firmly in the race for the top of the Western Conference. They’ll look to keep up the challenge next weekend, when they host the Portland Timbers next Saturday at Allianz Field.
