Minnesota United earned a dramatic, late draw against Real Salt Lake in their final match before Major League Soccer’s World Cup break with a 1-1 scoreline at the final whistle. Some notable absences for both teams changed the look of this one from the very start, but a clash in styles made for an entertaining, hard-fought match.
Head Coach Cameron Knowles rolled out a slightly changed lineup for this World Cup-sendoff match, giving Mamadou Dieng the start up top and bringing Owen Gene back into the fold for Wil Trapp. The familiar 5-4-1 shape flexed and moved as we’ve grown accustomed to, with the wingbacks wrapping around the flanks and generally getting involved in the attack to give the likes of Tomás Chancalay and Joaquín Pereyra more space and options going forward.
RSL’s young, energetic squad may have been missing talisman Diego Luna, but the urgency in their approach felt both youthful and threatening in transitional moments. Compared to the patient, composed play of the Loons, it was like watching a bunch of wise old sages take on some promising young upstarts. Where the hosts were liable to put together a dynamic passing sequence to maneuver tight spaces, the visitors were looking to play into space and take their chances with man-to-man battles. This made for a relatively choppy game, and despite the Loons looking like the team in control, saw the Black and Blue fall behind just 22 minutes in. The goal came through a quick switch of the field, allowing RSL’s Zach Booth to drive in from the right and roof a shot for the lead.
Following the goal, the visitors showcased a growing confidence and comfort, with young phenom Zavier Gozo throwing some flair into his electric play. The Loons continued to move the ball with purpose, finding Dieng through on goal on multiple occasions — only to have a pair of near-goals called back for offside.
A fast start to the second half seemed to suggest that RSL wouldn’t be able to simply sit in and preserve their lead, as the Loons immediately dialed the pressure up. Several more passing spells resulted in closer and closer chances, and the workrate of Tomás Chancalay set the tone for the chasing hosts. Alas, the chances weren’t falling quite right, as timing and the slightest bit of bad luck kept the Black and Blue from finding the equalizer they needed.
With the game very much still up for grabs, Coach Knowles turned to his bench, and he used all of it. Bongokuhle Hlongwane came in for Kyle Duncan on the right hand side, Wil Trapp and Dominik Fitz took over the midfield, Mauricio Gonzalez replaced Anthony Markanich, and forward Marcus Caldeira replaced Mamadou Dieng up top. All five of these subs joined the game between the 65th and 82nd minutes, steadily dripping fresh legs into the match to counteract RSL’s energy, and it worked.
With more firepower and plenty of creativity on the pitch, the Loons completely took over the final stages of today’s competition. When six minutes of stoppage time were announced, it felt inevitable that another chance would come, and indeed it did, when Mauricio González got on the end of a cross at the back post to save the point.
Games like this tend to be frustrating, especially when preceding a long break. Despite creating more and simply better chances (1.5 xG to RSL’s 0.4), the Loons were at the mercy of missed opportunities, close calls, and a fantastic moment of quality from the opposition. A composed performance from Gene and Nectarios Triantis in the middle of the field made the Loons look like a true possession-first team, cutting through tight spaces with a composed edge about them. Another day, they score a few. Today, things fell on the other side of the very fine line between one and three points.
Your Loons enter the World Cup break on 22 points from 15 games, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference at the time of writing. They won’t be back in action until July 22, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have soccer to watch. Check out the 2026 FIFA World Cup starting June 11, and get ready to cheer on the Loons repping their national teams at this summer’s tournament. Plus, if you’re looking for somewhere to watch the action, check out our Soccer Celebration in downtown Minneapolis. It’s not Allianz Field, but it’ll give you a taste.
