Advertisement

Loons eke out a 1-1 draw with struggling Sporting Kansas City

andy greder, pioneer press
·4 min read

Three steps forward, one step back.

Minnesota United rebounded from a mostly dreadful May and June with three straight wins but couldn’t make it four against struggling and depleted Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday.

The Loons were lucky to lead 1-0 in the first half — a K.C. own goal was the difference — yet that fortune dried up in the second half, with Johnny Russell’s equalizer leaving Minnesota wanting in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Field.

“Four games ago, if you would have said ‘Would you take 10 points?’ We would have snapped somebody’s hand off (to take it), with the run prior to that,” manager Adrian Heath said.

But great teams keep poor ones down, especially at home.

Sporting (5-11-5) was without goalkeeper Tim Melia (shoulder), central midfielder Roger Espinoza (suspension) and Graham Zusi (quad), while leading scorer Russell started on the bench. They began with no Designated Players and a club-record five homegrown players.

Minnesota (8-8-4) made zero changes from Friday’s 3-1 win at Vancouver and was left with Heath lamenting the players’ tired legs.

“I thought we were very sloppy in the first half,” Heath said. “(I) thought we started too slow. Don’t think we put enough pressure on the ball. Didn’t think we moved the ball well enough. Too many cheap turnovers. We allowed a really young side to come in and have belief in what they are doing.”

After Russell’s goal in the 63rd minute, Minnesota had three attackers called offside. The Loons had a late corner in the third and final minute of stoppage time, but no one could get on the end of the loose ball in front of the net before the final whistle.

K.C. had the better scoring chances in the first half but gifted Minnesota the lead. In the 43rd minute, Emanuel Reynoso chipped a ball down the left side, and Kemar Lawrence hustled and got to the ball just before it went over the end line. Lawrence’s cross was kicked by K.C. center-back Andreu Fontas off the back of goalkeeper John Pulskamp and into the net.

Heath told ESPN the opening 45 minutes were “as poor a half as we’ve had,” but with the K.C. bailout, Minnesota “managed to get out of jail.”

Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who was named to the MLS All-Star Game on Tuesday, made four saves.

The Loons entered the game three points away from 31, which would have been a club record through 20 games, per ESPN. That also would have also been 1.55 points per game, which is right on the average to make a top-four spot in the West over the past few years.

Wednesday’s step back again sets Loons off that pace.

BRIEFLY

The Loons are hopeful to sign 23-year-old Colombian attacker Mender Garcia, with reporter Ricardo Henao Calderon reporting the Loons would sign him to a two-year contract. Garcia has played across the front line for Once Caldas in Columbia’s Primera A, scoring five goals in 2022. … New right back Alan Benitez, who is awaiting immigration paperwork before he’s eligible to play, fills one of the club’s two vacant international spots. Garcia would take the other one, meaning any other moves abroad in the summer transfer window would need a trade with an MLS club for another spot. … MNUFC received compensation when Francisco Calvo moved from Chicago to San Jose but will not receive a sum with Calvo’s move to Konyaspor in the Turkish league. … Fanendo Adi, briefly a United player last season, has been in Minnesota and helping coach MNUFC2. It’s a short-term opportunity and byproduct of MNUFC2 coach Cameron Knowles tenure with Portland Timbers overlapping with Adi’s. … Former MNUFC forward Adrien Hunou scored for Ligue 1 side Angers in a friendly Wednesday against Cholet, which is in Championnat National, the country’s third-tier league. … Wil Trapp left Wednesday’s game with muscle cramps. He got his ninth yellow card of the season in the first half to reach the league lead.

Related Articles