MNUFC came into their home opener aiming to right the ship after a 4-0 loss at Seattle to open their 2021 campaign. With a few tweaks to the lineup — including Jukka Raitala getting his first MNUFC start at center back, Ethan Finlay shifting to the left side and Juan Agudelo coming in at forward — Head Coach Adrian Heath and the squad handily won the possession the battle but found themselves undone by a pair of mistakes that the visitors capitalized on ruthlessly. While Robin Lod would get a late goal to cut the lead in half, the Loons would ultimately fall 2-1.
In the game’s opening minutes, things seemed to be going Minnesota’s way. They built their possession methodically, working the ball around the perimeter of the box and picking out targets as they probed the Real Salt Lake defense. To the visitors’ credit, they bent without breaking, despite struggling to put much of a coherent attack together through the opening 20 minutes.
But also during this early part of the game, the home side showed some of the same struggles they had against Seattle. Namely, doing an excellent job in possession but finding it hard to generate clean looks. By the end of the game, MNUFC would have 23 shots to RSL’s 11, but only two on target. Their primary playmaker, Emanuel Reynoso, found himself swarmed by at least two and sometimes three defenders as soon as he touched the ball.
The Claret-and-Cobalt broke the game open in the 31st minute by playing direct and opening up Minnesota’s vulnerabilities on the counterattack. Pushed up high for a corner kick, the Loons’ second shot following the clearance was stymied and the ball went back the other way with a gaggle of RSL players in pursuit. Defender Chase Gasper’s toe poke could only dislodge the ball and it fell to Anderson Julio who finished it with a high shot over goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to make it 1-0.
MNUFC redoubled their efforts in hopes of drawing level before the break, but 10 minutes later, another defensive breakdown led to a second goal for Real Salt Lake. Defender Jukka Raitala and Gasper got their wires crossed on the left side, resulting in a weak back pass to St. Clair. Rubio Rubin jumped on the opening and charged forward to the box before sending the ball past an outnumbered Michael Boxall to Julio, who got his brace and made it 2-0.
For much of the second half, Real Salt Lake looked quite content to sit back and defend without putting too much forward. When they had opportunities, they would hit direct balls over the top and try to make a mess of it in the final third. Seeking to change up the game, Head Coach Adrian Heath went to his bench in the 65th minute and brought in Hassani Dotson and Justin McMaster for Jan Gregus and Ethan Finlay, respectively. The real bite came in with midfielder Osvaldo Alonso in the 75th minute. The team immediately looked more organized and their attempts to get forward started to pile up.
In the 86th minute, Dotson — playing on the right side — got forward on the wing and delivered a cross into the box. Lod tapped it back to McMaster, who then sent it back to Lod. The Finn rounded on it and pulled the Loons back within one at 2-1.
Energized by the goal, the home side tried desperately to get forward and get another goal to at least snatch a draw and a point from the game, but it was not to be. The end of the game was marred by a bit of controversy as Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa booted the ball into the Supporters Section after the final whistle, leading to a confrontation at midfield that ultimately simmered down as the players left the field.
ADRIAN HEATH ON WHERE THE TEAM IS AFTER TWO GAMES
“I don’t know, really. A bit of a mixed bag at the minute in my head. Because, I don’t think we played badly with the ball again. But, I don’t think we’ve been good in the most relevant areas of the field. Which is the last third, both defensively and attacking. Tonight, I thought getting the ball through the thirds was very good, but not enough threat in the final third. And then we’ve made a couple of mistakes for the goals again. You know, at this level, you can’t make mistakes of the magnitude we’re making and expect to win a game. We’ve conceded six goals. I consider the players we’ve got on the field, and I can’t really think of one that… maybe I could look at Dayne [St. Clair] and think, could he have done better? We’ve sort of not helped him out much on that. So, disappointed, obviously, with the results. Disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded. I we’ve moved the ball relatively well. In fact, I thought the first 25 minutes, 30 minutes, we were very good again. And then, you know, we make a mistake that costs us. Our preventive marking wasn’t good enough for the corner. It was our corner. Then obviously, Chase [Gasper] makes a mistake, which, he can do. You know, at this moment, mistakes are costing us dearly.”
MICHAEL BOXALL ON OCHOA'S ANTICS
“He acted like a bit of a clown within the 90 minutes before that, and then decides to top it off with that, which is pretty disrespectful. I mean, I don’t know if it’s his first time out on the field or just doesn’t seem like he knows how to behave. I think we wanted to let him know. And yeah, just a bit of a clown, you can tell him I said that.”
BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH
GOAL BREAKDOWN
- 31' | A corner kick for Minnesota turns into a counterattack for RSL. The Loons' efforts to get back and defend fall short and it's finished off by Anderson Julio. 1-0
- 41' | Miscommunication on the defensive end opens up an opportunity for another breakout by RSL and Rubin dishes the assist across the box to an unmarked Julio, who now has a brace. 2-0
- 86' | Loons have a breakthrough after Dotson centers the ball from the right wing. It finds Lod, then McMaster and then back to the Finn who scores. 2-1
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UP NEXT
MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. AUSTIN FC
Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota
05.01.2021 | MLS Week No. 3 | MLS Game No. 3
7:00 p.m. CT (The CW Twin Cities, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)
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