Despite a weather delay on a hot day in Houston, Texas, Minnesota United rose above the conditions to end their losing streak tonight with a 1-1 draw against the Dynamo. Though the home team created more opportunities on the night, the visitors did enough to earn a positive result in what was a front-loaded performance.
The 5-3-2 formation employed by Eric Ramsay tonight saw Carlos Harvey return to the starting lineup, this time as the right center back alongside Michael Boxall in the middle and Miguel Tapias on the left. Wingbacks Sang Bin Jeong and Devin Padelford gave width on either side of the midfield three of Hassani Dotson, Alejandro Bran, and Joseph Rosales, while Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Robin Lod led the line.
In the early stages of the game, the Loons were firing on all cylinders, putting together fluid passing sequences and showcasing Harvey’s quality on the ball in the back. Just four minutes in, two narrow misses from Rosales and Hlongwane nearly gave the Loons an early lead, but it seemed that the opportunities just came a bit too early for both players.
The Black and Blue continued to look sharp for several more minutes, but as Houston grew into the match, the chances became far fewer and farther between. The hosts never fully got into their groove in the first half, though they did generate some mildly threatening attacking sequences as they picked up their overall pace of play. Alec Smir came up with two big saves to nullify their most creative approaches, keeping the score knotted at nil nil heading into the break.
The Dynamo came out of the half strong, with Ibrahim Aliyu nearly rounding Smir for the opening goal in the 51st minute. But alas, the game remained scoreless as Smir closed down the space well, and the Loons’ defense remained composed and compact against the Houston onslaught.
The reinforcements began to come on in the 59th minute, when Teemu Pukki replaced Alejandro Bran and pushed his countryman Robin Lod back to the midfield. I can’t confirm that Steve Clark took his mask off because he was scared of Pukki, but I must say, it seems to be the most logical reason to unmask oneself.
But he was scared of the wrong Finn. In the 70th minute, the Loons stayed high after failing to convert on a corner. Substitute Franco Fragapane’s outside-of-the-boot pass from the top of the box found Rosales back out wide, and the Honduran’s subsequent cross found the feet of one Robin Lod. Lod’s deft touch deflected the ball just inside the post, squeezing it between the outstretched leg of a helpless Clark and putting the Loons in front with his sixth goal of the season.
After scoring, the Loons once again employed a 5-4-1 shape while defending. El Naranja took the space they were given gladly, and they made the most of it. Hector Herrera began to really pull strings from a recessed position between his center backs, setting up some truly magnificent passing sequences.
Though the Loons bent without breaking for most of the match, it felt inevitable that the hosts would find their breakthrough given the kind of soccer they were playing. It finally came in the 82nd minute, courtesy of Sebastián Ferreira capitalizing on chaos created by a Houston corner. More chances came for both sides, but ultimately, the points would be shared in this one.
Hassani Dotson was the standout of the second half, closing down passing lanes and getting involved in everything. His efforts led to what was an overall composed, professional effort from the Loons on the road, ending the losing streak and helping the team to get their feet back under them.
Minnesota United are now ninth in the Western Conference, with 30 points from 23 games. They’ll be back in action at Allianz Field this Wednesday, July 17, as they take on Christian Benteke and DC United and look to build on tonight’s result.
