It was a gorgeous evening for soccer in Saint Paul, but the serenity of a cloudless summer sky certainly wasn’t reflected on the field tonight as the Loons hosted Austin FC in one of the most dramatic matches we’ve seen all year. Maybe there’s something to having old teammates across the pitch in different colors. Maybe last year’s brutal last-minute Open Cup loss to the Verde and Black still polluted the stadium air. Whatever the reason, tensions rose quickly at Allianz Field, and this rendition of Sunday Night Soccer was certainly not short on action.

Devin Padelford drew a foul from former Loon Joseph Rosales to earn an early free kick in a dangerous spot just above the box, but Joaquín Pereyra’s full-power left-footer slammed into Christian Ramírez’s head. A mandatory concussion check brought trainers onto the field, interrupting the game’s momentum before it could really get going.

From there, it only got crazier. Myrto Uzuni’s 11th-minute shot was saved by Drake Callender, leading to an Austin corner executed by Facundo Torres. Torres sent the ball into the box, where Mikkel Desler’s shot was blocked by Nectarios Triantis. Then chaos erupted as Triantis’ defense was ruled a handball in the penalty area, giving Uzuni the chance to put Austin ahead from the spot.

Uzuni’s right-footer to the left put El Tree on the scoreboard, lighting a fire under the Loons (or, really, stoking one that was very much already there). Despite only keeping about 40% possession for the first 20 minutes of play, solid midfield combinations from Tomás Chancalay, Owen Gene, and Triantis created ample chances.

Twenty minutes into play, Anthony Markanich drew a foul in the box and gave Minnesota the opportunity to return Austin’s PK. Kelvin Yeboah stepped up to take the shot against brick wall Brad Stuver, who saved it but didn’t catch the rebound. A second and then a third attempt sent the ball into the net, with the goal given to Triantis for his close-up efforts, but Stuver was out of the net in a second and sprinting to the sideline for an urgent conversation with the official. Whatever unease was on the field was amplified in the stands, the waiting grating on everyone’s nerves as the goal was reviewed.

The official determined that both Markanich and Stuver stepped off their lines before Yeboah’s kick, and he was sent back to the spot for a PK redo. Redemption seemed to be on the horizon, but his shot pinged off the crossbar and sent the game spiraling back into a push-and-pull. You thought friction was high before all the PK hullabaloo? The heat was just ramping up. Jefferson Diaz picked up a yellow in the 29th, players were on the ground and arguing with the ref every other minute, and stoppage time was accumulating like Minnesotan snowfall as play stopped again and again.

Frustration saturated both sides of the pitch, and some very physical play earned yellow cards for Triantis, Chancalay, and Torres in the span of seven minutes. Something massive needed to happen to shift the momentum and break through the fog of pent-up agitation for the Black and Blue. Even a pair of powerful breakaways by Chancalay failed to yield fruit, though Callender’s 45’+8-minute save prevented the lead from doubling and maintained at least some hope for the home team. Pereyra found himself in the books late in a whopping 12 minutes of stoppage time, followed by Austin’s Jon Gallagher. The whistle blew with the Loons down one and a tangible sense of disquiet.

The game picked up right where it left off: with another yellow, this time on Gene, bringing Minnesota’s tally up to five. A series of promising shots had Minnesota fans perpetually on the edge of their seats: a nifty left-footer from Padelford that was saved by Stuver at the post, a Markanich header that went over, and an admirable rebound effort from Chancalay. But none of these attempts were landing in the net.

Aiming to shake up the game, Cameron Knowles made a pair of 63rd-minute substitutions, putting James Rodríguez and Wil Trapp in for Chancalay and Triantis. James immediately started paying dividends, catching the ball just before it crossed the endline, executing a brilliant corner, and showing off his fancy footwork in the midfield, but the scoreline still hadn’t changed since that fatal first-half PK. Trapp broke through in the 69th minute selflessly passed to James from the top of the box, setting the Colombian superstar up for a brilliant pass to the far post, where Markanich — the man always in the right place at the right time — headed in the equalizer.

The stadium erupted. James’ first-ever MLS assist revitalized the home side with 20 minutes left on the clock, turning all the first-half frustration into power. A 73rd-minute shot, saved by Stuver, further cemented James’ status as a bona fide chance creator. And then he doubled down, receiving Pereyra’s ball and holding onto it just long enough to return the pass flawlessly, leading to Pereyra’s phenomenal shot into the far corner. I cannot stress how good this assist was, so just… just watch it. Five times, minimum.

Unfortunately, the 80th minute brought a harsh response from Austin in the form of Superman himself. Ramírez took Torres’ ball to the top left corner to level it with just 10 minutes left. A late Austin corner was snatched out of the air by Callender, and both sides made a final push. 

Yeboah’s 85th-minute header attempt resulted in a head-to-head collision in front of goal, with Jon Bell staying down for a few minutes before being led off the pitch. The pair were kept off the field for several minutes as Austin prepped for a concussion substitution, putting both sides a man down for a stretch ahead of another seven minutes of stoppage. 

A stoppage-time foul resulted in a Pereyra free kick at the most critical moment, and even more drama erupted in the box as Austin’s Dani Pereira claimed to have been stepped on, but no cards came of the altercation. The night of held breaths and clenched jaws ended in a stalemate.

After a chaotic match absolutely jam-packed with action, a draw felt anticlimactic considering the absolute ordeal of this game. But a point is a point, a pair of James assists off the bench was a lot of fun to watch, and nobody was bored. This wild game will serve as the launching pad for the Loons to propel themselves through a final stretch of games before the World Cup break, and you won’t want to miss a second of it.