Well, that game… happened. Nil nil draws aren’t the reason soccer earned the nickname “the beautiful game,” and anyone that watched Minnesota United take on Real Salt Lake this evening will certainly concur with that point. While both sides found a chance or two before it was all said and done, an ultimately uninspiring attacking performance from both teams saw the points shared after this scoreless affair.
The Loons lined up with the same starting eleven that they used against Colorado, with a back four consisting of Joseph Rosales, Jefferson Diaz, Michael Boxall, and Carlos Harvey. However, in practice, this lineup shifted into more of a 5-3-2, seeing Bongokuhle Hlongwane operate as more of a right wingback than a true winger, similar to what we’ve previously seen from the Loons. The likes of Wil Trapp, Joaquín Pereyra, and Hassani Dotson made up the middle three, while Robin Lod and Kelvin Yeboah stayed further up the pitch.
An organized RSL side stifled the Loons’ game plan early and often, giving the home side the slight advantage in what was a largely uneventful first half. Some flashes from Robin Lod early on didn’t quite work out, and while the Black and Blue clearly had energy to burn, they didn’t seem to have any ideas on how to properly use that energy.
Carlos Harvey’s overlapping run in the 28th minute was the first real sign of life for MNUFC’s attack, though it resulted in a shot just wide of the right post. It wasn’t until the 37th minute that the game opened up at all, with a flurry of chances to create chances ending in the Loons defending a sloppy counterattack from RSL. It wasn’t the kind of half that either team was ever going to be pleased with, and both Eric Ramsay and Pablo Mastroeni were likely happy to hear the halftime whistle.
Tani Oluwaseyi came on for Joaquín Pereyra at half, offering the Loons a more direct attacking threat instead of Pereyra’s controlled presence in possession. While this adjustment certainly changed things and put the visitors on the front foot more often than they had been, the attack proved toothless in the end, without any real threatening chances coming up before the final whistle.
Though chances were few and far between for both sides, Dayne St. Clair was called upon in the 69th minute when he successfully tipped Chicho Arango’s strike from the top of the six over the crossbar. An influx of RSL substitutes, including Diego Luna and Anderson Julio, gave the hosts a slightly more menacing look, but again, not enough to make any tangible difference.
The Loons closed the game out with some disciplined defending, and were it not for Brayan Vera getting a straight red for spitting at Michael Boxall, the game would have finished rather uneventfully. Boxall received a yellow card in the ensuing scuffle, meaning the club captain will have to miss the match against Vancouver—his former club—this Saturday.
Though an overall frustrating night for both teams, the Loons should be proud of earning a point against a team as talented as RSL—especially given the home form they’ve had this season. Slight adjustments in the Salt Lake defense seemed to put the Loons off their game, making their spells of possession less dynamic and making the solid play of midfielders Wil Trapp and Hassani Dotson even more important to the final result. Some good play from both Joseph Rosales and Carlos Harvey offered the visitors some of their most threatening moments, but nothing was quite good enough to tip the scales in this tight match.
While the Loons could've clinched a playoff spot with a win, some help from San Jose did the trick anyway. After the Quakes victory over FC Dallas, the Black and Blue are officially going to the playoffs. Before we get there, though, Minnesota United will be back in action in yet another road match this weekend, taking on the Whitecaps in what could prove to be a crucial match in the race to avoid the Wild Card match.
