What. A. Game. It’s not often that a goalkeeping performance steals the headlines, but on MNUFC’s way to a 1-0 victory over Club Necaxa, that’s exactly what happened. Dayne St. Clair was without doubt the story of the day—the man of the match, the brick wall that kept a clean sheet despite all odds. This game had a bit of everything, and it got started quickly. Strap in, folks; you’re in for a treat.
Where do I even start? The Loons’ familiar 5-4-1 saw four changes from the starting lineup against Seattle, with Devin Padelford, Tani Oluwaseyi, Morris Duggan, and Robin Lod stepping in. Their almost 4-3-3 shape in possession paid early dividends, as Loïc Mesanvi and Bongokuhle Hlongwane combined beautifully to set up a golden opportunity in the 6th minute of action. A collision with a Necaxa defender kept the young Minnesotan from getting his shot off, and after a VAR check and some lengthy protests, Robin Lod buried the penalty for the early lead in the 10th minute.
The match only got crazier from there, with a frenetic energy taking hold of seemingly everyone on the pitch. End-to-end soccer ensued, the kind of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stuff that has made so many of us fall in love with this beautiful game. Oh, the Loons just shot it? Well, Necaxa is already knocking on the door at the other end.
In the 21st minute, a poorly timed tackle from Hugo Bacharach denied a goal-scoring opportunity for the visitors, resulting in a free-kick and a red card. Though the free-kick didn’t lead to anything, the Loons were brought down to ten men, and Los Electricistas were reveling in that advantage in no time.
Carlos Harvey was tasked with filling the hole left by Bacharach’s dismissal, while Alejandro Bran came in to become the anchor point of what became a hybrid midfield/attacking diamond ahead of the back five. Joseph Rosales was electric every time he got on the ball, leaving defenders for dead and creating something out of nothing with every touch. The Loons were facing plenty of pressure, but the quality of Rosales, Bran, and Harvey did enough to keep the visitors at bay. At least in the first half.
When the second 45 kicked off, the action picked up right where it left off. Necaxa carried their physical play into the second half, either getting touch tight or finding a more emphatic way to make their defensive presence felt at all times. The pace and cadence of the game were wildly different from matches against MLS opposition, and it made for quite an exciting scene.
While there was plenty of good play in the second half, it’s impossible to look past the ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE performance of Dayne St. Clair. The Loons’ keeper made 12 saves (!!) in the second half alone, on his way to a club-record 16-save performance. With him in goal, it was easy to forget MNUFC was down a man, as he felt like an 11-man advantage, nullifying everything Necaxa threw at him. In a word? Breathtaking. Majestic. Amazing. Alright, he deserves a few words.
Necaxa spent the vast majority of the second half with possession of the ball, shifting into what was effectively a 2-5-3 formation and generating an absurd amount of chances. In the end, after 33 shots, 16 shots on target, 21 corners, and 19 crosses, Los Rayos were left scoreless, and I don’t think a soul on Earth could explain to you how.
Well, maybe DSC could tell you.
The efforts of Necaxa’s Diber Cambindo and Kevin Duvan Ante Rosero were admirable and constant, as the pair managed to do everything BUT score before the final whistle. Close is a metric that only counts in horseshoes, though, and with one match remaining in Group F, everything is at stake when Necaxa face Seattle on Sunday. A win from the Sounders puts MNUFC through to the next round, while a Necaxa win would see the team from Aguascalientes, Mexico move on in their stead. A draw would likewise be enough for the Loons to advance, regardless of who wins the shootout. Though far less likely, a Necaxa win by 4 or more goals would also be enough to see Minnesota advance. Watch closely, Loons faithful, watch closely.
