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Loons Fall 4-3 in Wild Back-And-Forth Game

April 19, 2019 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Minnesota United FC News Release

TORONTO, Ontario. - On a rainy evening, Minnesota United faced Toronto FC at BMO Field in a game following close on the team's 3-3 draw against NYCFC in their home opener. Missing key defender Ike Opara, the Loons would have to adjust in order to try to stop a Toronto FC that's caught fire since bringing in Alejandro Pozuelo. In the end, despite a three-goal performance including a brace from Darwin Quintero, Minnesota United would be let down by defensive woes and frustration fouls, dropping a tough one on the road 4-3.

"We played against one of the best teams in the league and for large swings of the game, we controlled possession," said Head Coach Adrian Heath. "I thought we looked very good going forward, we had a good shape about us, but we've conceded poor goals again. It's another game where we've scored three goals and come away with nothing. It's something we have to address."

Despite the soaking wet conditions, the teams moved the ball around the pitch well in the early going. Although the early edge would have to go to Toronto, the two sides largely took turns working in possession. In the 12th minute, Minnesota strung together a strong sequence of passes in Toronto's box with good work from defender Romain Metanire to get the ball in and forward Angelo Rodriguez to hold it up and cause problems.

Nothing would come of it, though, and moments later, it was Toronto's turn. The Reds worked the ball around the edges of Minnesota's box, probing for a crack to exploit, but they too would find themselves stymied.

It would be the visitors who would jump on top first. In the 17th minute, midfielder Jan Gregus played a long ball out ahead of the pack as midfielder Darwin Quintero made a break for the goal with defender Richie Laryea draped all over him. Quintero won the header, tapping it over goalkeeper Alex Bono and then he easily toed it in to put the Loons on top 1-0.

Toronto would rally quickly though, tying together enough opportunities to win a corner kick on the other side. Goalkeeper Vito Mannone couldn't quite control the cross and defender Laurent Ciman fired it back at the net, only to be rebuffed by the Minnesota defense. On the ensuing corner kick, midfielder Michael Bradley snuck in front of Francisco Calvo and headed it onto the far post and nearly in.

Despite the apparent desire for each side to play through possession, it was once again the counterattack that would pay dividends. MNUFC had set up shop in Toronto's final third in the 28th minute, when a long pass back out of the box found Alejandro Pozuelo open in space after Gregus and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso had pushed up high. With Michael Boxall left to shut him down on his own, Pozuelo got the defender on the wrong foot and struck and right-footed shot that curled into the upper corner of the goal and drew the Reds level at 1-1.

"He finds really good pockets of space and for the first goal, I knew that it was going to drop to him," said Heath of the Reds' latest acquisition. "We didn't heed the lessons and the more time and the more space he got on the ball, the more he caused us problems. He's a quality player. You play a lot of money, that's the quality you get."

Hardly two minutes later, it was once again Pozuelo who would make Minnesota pay for a defensive mistake. Following a turnover down Minnesota's right wing, defender Justin Morrow found an opening and pushed the ball up the field. He found Pozuelo in the box with space and the Spaniard buried it to put the home side on top 2-1.

Despite a few more chances for Toronto - including Mannone denying Pozuelo a hat trick and Altidore skying a sitter directly in front of goal - the teams would head into the locker room separated by a goal and with Toronto with a slight edge in the stats.

The second half opened up with Minnesota on the front foot, lining up chances but repeatedly frustrated until the 57th minute. Following a long patient string of passing that found the ball moving between Metanire, Finlay, Gregus and Alonso on the right side of the field, a diagonal pass out to Metanire in the corner led to the defender firing in a hard cross that curled away from Bono and directly onto the head of Rodriguez. Rodriguez snapped it in and bounced it off the crossbar and in to level it at 2-2.

It would be Rodriguez's hard work in the 70th minute that would put the Loons back on top. Quintero fired a low pass into him on the top edge of the box and the forward fought off the Toronto defense well enough before being taken down to earn a penalty. Quintero stepped to the spot and drilled it into the left side of the net when Bono guessed right.

That 3-2 lead, though, would evaporate quickly following Toronto's decision to sub in Jordan Hamilton in the 73rd minute. The homegrown player provided an adrenaline shot to the Toronto attack, getting in behind the Minnesota defense in the 77th minute and threading the ball past Vito Mannone and then taking advantage of Boxall's inability to get a head on the ball after Altidore chipped Mannone in the 80th minute. Hamilton snuck past Boxall's shoulder and got his brace, putting Toronto on top 4-3.

"They changed their shape," said Heath, "and they started to take a few more chances to push men forward and it was another cheap giveaway from us in the middle of the park after we won possession back and then we're in that transition mode where people are starting to move forward and then we turn it over cheaply and next minute, it's in the back of the net. "

From there, Minnesota's efforts to pull even were eventually frustrated when Gregus was given a red card for a hard tackle on Pozuelo borne of frustration in the 89th minute and then another red card for Calvo after he carelessly kicked defender Auro. Down to nine men, the Loons were powerless to counter and conceded all three points to the home side in a 4-3 loss.

"We've had six games on the road, so it's been a tough start for us," said Heath. "If we could have taken something out of this game tonight, it would have been a really good start. It's disappointing now, I know, but I know there'll be some stuff we can work on and there will be some positives moving forward."

Minnesota United's next game is on Wednesday, April 24 against the LA Galaxy at Allianz Field. That game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. CT with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North+, streaming on FOX Sports GO and on MNUFC Radio on SKOR North.

Lineups

Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Vito Mannone; D Romain Metanire, Brent Kallman, Michael Boxall, Francisco Calvo; M Jan Gregus, Osvaldo Alonso, Ethan Finlay (Kevin Molino 82'), Rasmus Schuller (Abu Danladi 82'), Darwin Quintero; F Angelo Rodriguez

MIN Unused Subs: GK Bobby Shuttleworth; D Eric Miller; M Hassani Dotson, Lawrence Olum, Romario Ibarra

Toronto FC Starting XI: GK Ale Bono; D Chris Mavinga, Laurent Ciman, Richie Laryea (Auro 65'); M Jonathan Osorio, Justin Morrow, Marco Delgado, Michael Bradley, Nick DeLeon (Jordan Hamilton 73'); F Jozy Altidore (Eriq Zavaleta 82'), Alejandro Pozuelo

TOR Unused Subs: GK Quentin Westberg; D Ashtone Morgan; M Jay Chapman, Liam Fraser

Game Events

Goals

17' - Quintero (Gregus) - MIN

28' - Pozuelo (Mavinga) - TOR

30' - Pozuelo (Morrow) - TOR

57' - Rodriguez (Metanire, Alonso) - MIN

70' - Quintero (Penalty) - MIN

77' - Hamilton (Osorio) - TOR

79' - Hamilton (Altidore, Pozuelo) - TOR

Discipline

51' - Delgado (YC) - TOR

89' - Gregus (RC) - MIN

90' - Calvo (YC) - MIN

90+1' - Calvo (2YC) - MIN

90+3' - Quintero (YC) - MIN

MNUFC QUOTE SHEET

ADRIAN HEATH - HEAD COACH, MINNESOTA UNITED FC

On disappointing to not walk away with points...

Well, it's disappointing. I'm trying to look for some positives and the positives to me would be the fact that we played against one of the best teams in the league and for long (stretches) we controlled possession. I thought we looked very good going forward, we've got a good shape about us, but we conceded poor goals again. It's another game where we scored three goals and have come away with nothing.

Last week we only got a point so it's something we have to address.

On moving on quickly...

Yeah, obviously. We've had six games on the road so it's been a tough start for us. If we had taken something out of this game tonight, it would've been a really good start. It's disappointing now I know, but I know there'll be some stuff that we can work on and there will be some positives moving forward.

On Pozuelo ...

Certainly the first goal we spoke about preventative marks when we're attacking. He found really good pockets and space. I was screaming from the sideline, the first goal, I knew that it was going to drop to him.

Then the more time and more space he got on the ball, the more he caused us problems. He's a quality player and when you spend a lot of money, that's the quality you get.

On Jordan Hamilton...

Obviously they changed their shape and they started to take a few more chances. It was another cheap give away from us in the middle of the park after we had won the possession back and then we're in that transition mode - people are starting to push forward and then we turn it over cheaply and next minute it's in the back of the net.

Obviously the two red cards, I have to see the first one, I don't know how bad it was but Francisco can't do something silly like that. He didn't really give the referee much choice. I'll have to see Jan's again.

BRENT KALLMAN - DEFENDER, MINNESOTA UNITED FC

How disappointing is it to have the lead in the second half vs a good team and let points slip away?

It's really disappointing. We fought and worked so hard to get back into the game. Not only do they get the equalizer but they take the lead. To give it away like that is not fun. We got to be better and we got to do a better job of being professional to close out the game. That's not acceptable.

You guys probably prepared for Pozuelo coming in, how good was he?

We were doing great with him. He actually had a really bad start to the game and then we weren't set up correctly and the ball pops out to him and starts a counter and makes a great 1 v 1 goal, fantastic goal. He was into the game from there. We fell asleep on him, he pulled off that great goal and he was great for the rest of the game. It is just a concentration thing. We know we need to be set up better than that and it is my job as a centre back to make sure guys are in the right spots so we don't get countered like that. I'll take the blame for that one. We really kick started them by giving them the space to go and start that counter.

How much did things shift when they brought on Jordan Hamilton?

They went to 2 up front and still had Pozuelo in the middle. It's kind of a dangerous situation. They got the ball in the midfield and were able to find pockets and places to play through. It's unacceptable. We know we have to get narrow and make them play through the outside. We can't let them go right through the middle of us.

How important is it to flush this as you have 2 games coming up?

Super important, we can't dwell on the past, especially now that we got 2 guys that won't be available for Wednesday's game. Guys are going to get called upon who haven't played that many minutes this year to step up and be ready.

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