Another frustrating home match ended with shared points, as Minnesota United was held to a scoreless draw against FC Dallas on Sunday night. Though the home side had the edge in virtually every statistical category, the numbers that matter most remained at zero for both squads after a lackluster game.
Though the match started slowly, the Loons grew into it steadily. Possession was nearly even, but the quality of play was anything but equal.
United outshot the visitors nine to two, registering three on target. Several crosses from Bongokuhle Hlongwane caused some commotion in Dallas’s penalty area, though nothing came out of the efforts. Hlongwane’s play in the first 45 was bright and encouraging, pushing his team forward and getting the crowd on their feet.
Dallas failed to create any sort of threat early on, connecting passes without direction or purpose in their buildup. The Loons were clearly the better team in the opening half, but their struggles in front of goal continued to plague them. Luis Amarilla continually found himself in great positions, but chance after chance went begging.
The Toros came out of the break with a newfound fire, running in behind the Loons defense and generally making life difficult for MNUFC for the first 20 minutes. Jesús Ferreira came to life, forcing a save out of Dayne St. Clair and leading his team’s high press.
Their lively start began to fade at the hour mark, making way for an open, albeit uneventful, game. A late flurry of opportunities nearly saw the Loons find the breakthrough, but it was the same story on a different day for their attacking corps. Time and time again, close ended with no cigar.
As always, Minnesota’s backline was solid and reliable, squashing most of Dallas’s positive play. After 90 minutes, they had allowed just two shots on target, never looking like they’d allow anything to find the back of the net.
While the center back pairing of Michael Boxall and Miguel Tapias was good, it was the end-to-end play of fullbacks DJ Taylor and Kemar Lawrence that made the biggest difference on the night. Both defenders pushed higher up the pitch than normal, feeding crosses into the box and making tackles in their own defensive third. Though ultimately unfruitful, their efforts were commendable.
Likewise, Wil Trapp’s work rate in the midfield made life easier for his defenders. The club captain was all over the pitch, putting in a massive shift to keep Dallas from finding any real momentum.
Despite outplaying their opponents, MNUFC failed to shake familiar issues from their play. Outstanding defending provided yet another platform for creative attacking play, but a lack of efficiency in front of goal kept one point from becoming three.
After earning four points against Dallas this season, the Loons will be taking on another opponent for the second time this season when they head to Vancouver next weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT, with the match available for streaming exclusively on MLS Season Pass.
UP NEXT
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Minnesota United FC
BC Place | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
05.06.22 | MLS Game 10
9:30 p.m. CT (Watch on AppleTV’s MLS Season Pass)
