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MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United Records Fourth Consecutive Clean Sheet in 1-0 Win Against Vancouver Whitecaps FC

October 5, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


VANCOUVER, B.C. - Minnesota United ended its two-game road trip with a 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday night. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair earned his seventh regular-season shutout of the 2024 campaign while Hassani Dotson scored his first MLS regular season penalty kick. With the win, MNUFC moves to seventh place in the Western Conference standings and will return home to play its final regular season game of the season on Decision Day, October 19 against St. Louis CITY SC.

5' - Early in the match Joaquín Pereyra drew a foul 50-yards out from goal where Sang Bin Jeong lined up to take, striking the ball from distance towards the Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka for an easy save.

20' - Minnesota United created a close chance on goal after Pereyra slipped the ball through the Whitecaps back line to Tani Oluwaseyi who was on the run, finding a one-touch shot from the left corner of the six-yard box but was saved by Takaoka.

24' - Minnesota United was granted a penalty kick after Carlos Harvey was fouled inside the 18-yard box. Hassani Dotson stepped up to take the penalty shot where he was able to convert the kick for the Loons' opening goal.

29' - MNUFC had two consecutive shots, the first shot was taken by Bongokuhle Hlongwane from the center of the 18-yard box but was deflected back out into play by a Vancouver defender. Dotson found the other end of the deflection and took a one-touch shot from the top of the box but was yet again deflected out.

34' - Loons' defender Miguel Tapias scored an own goal after a missed clearance, where he tried to clear the ball but ricocheted the shot into goal. However, upon VAR review it was decided that there was no goal due to the foul on Sang Bin before the shot was taken by Sam Adekugbe, keeping Minnesota in the 1-0 lead.

50' - Vancouver Whitecaps found their first dangerous chance to goal after Stuart Armstrong played the ball to teammate Adekugbe who was able to poke the ball towards the goal but Dayne St. Clair saved the close-range shot.

73' - Once again Adekugbe was a threat on Minnesota's back line after a long ball was sent over the top finding the Vancouver forward on the left flank for a one-touch shot to goal that was saved by St. Clair.

90' + 5' - In the final minutes of stoppage time, Minnesota found the counterattack. Joseph Rosales and Kelvin Yeboah took space up the pitch where Rosales found a wide shot that hit off the goal post before the final whistle.

GOAL SUMMARY

1-0 MIN - Hassani Dotson (penalty) - 24'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

VAN - Ranko Veselinović (caution) - 18'

MIN - Tani Oluwaseyi (caution) - 45' + 5'

MIN - Kelvin Yeboah (caution) - 69'

MIN - Dayne St. Clair (caution) - 75'

MIN - Jefferson Diaz (caution) - 77'

VAN - Ryan Raposo (caution) - 79'

VAN - Vanni Sartini (caution) - 90' + 6'

NOTABLE STATS

5 - Hassani Dotson scored his fifth goal of the season, his first MLS regular season penalty kick.

4 - Minnesota United has kept a clean sheet in each of its last four MLS games, the club's longest run of games without conceding a goal in the competition (since at least 2011). The Loons are also undefeated in their last four MLS games.

405 - Minnesota United has not allowed a goal in 405 minutes, making it the best single-season shutout record for the club.

7 - Dayne St. Clair recorded his seventh shutout of the season.

BELL BANK MAN OF THE MATCH: Hassani Dotson

LINEUPS:

Minnesota United XI: GK Dayne St. Clair ©; D Anthony Markanich, Miguel Tapias, Jefferson Diaz, Carlos Harvey; M Joaquín Pereyra, Wil Trapp, Hassani Dotson, Sang Bin Jeong, F Tani Oluwaseyi, Bongokuhle Hlongwane

Bench: GK Alec Smir; D Devin Padelford, Joseph Rosales, Hugo Bacharach; M Franco Fragapane; F Samuel Shashoua, Loïc Mesanvi, Robin Lod, Kelvin Yeboah

Vancouver Whitecaps FC XI: GK Yohei Takaoka; D Bjørn Inge Utvik, Ranko Veselinović, Mathias Laborda; M Sam Adekugbe, Andrés Cubas, Pedro Vite, Ali Ahmed, Ryan Gauld ©, Stuart Armstrong; F Brian White

Bench: GK Isaac Boehmer; D Tristan Blackmon; M Alessandro Schöpf, Ralph Priso, Ryan Raposo, Sebastian Berhalter; F Damir Kreilach, Edier Ocampo, Levonte Johnson

UP NEXT:

MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. ST. LOUIS CITY SC

Allianz Field | Saint Paul, Minnesota

10.19.2024 | MLS 2024 Regular Season | Matchday 38

8:00 p.m. CT (MLS Season Pass/1500 ESPN)

MINNESOTA UNITED POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

HEAD COACH ERIC RAMSAY

On what he told the players after the match...

"I said, for them to know more than me how difficult it is in this league to keep four clean sheets in a row and to do so in the circumstances that we have where we've needed to win, we've really needed to show some grit and some resilience in some very difficult places to go. With the wider context of continuing to need points in order to push to improve our position in the playoffs. That's no mean feat in what we've done over the course of this week, when you consider the travel, the altitude and the quality of the sides we're playing, it's really impressive. It's just added to what has been for me, an incredible achievement post Leagues Cup to fulfil what I'd hoped but probably had no right to expect that we would finish as the best team in the West in these last 10 games. And depending on how the results go tonight, then we'll certainly be number one if not number two and then we'll have a really good chance of doing so on the last day. So, I couldn't be more pleased with what they've done and the discipline that they've shown in the sense of togetherness and spirit that is required to do what we did tonight, which was put in a very, very disciplined, welcomed like performance on a pitch and in a context that's difficult to play.

On how important it is to avoid play-in games...

"I'm not focusing on that all that much. We've overcome a really sticky patch for all the reasons that you guys know mid-season. If someone had said two months ago or three months ago that we would have been in this position come this point in the year, I'd have bitten their hand off. I think for us to be where we are and possibly depending on how things go tonight to finish as high as fifth, that's a really impressive achievement. If we end up in the top seven, great, if we end up in the eight or nine game, then we'll give it a really good go.

On the reason for changing the lineup...

"We wanted to make sure we started the game with a real freshness and an energy, I didn't want to be looking at the lineup and be second guessing as to how players are going to cope with post huge exertion up in Salt Lake altitude, more travelled turf pitch, I didn't want to have too many question marks in my mind around that. So I wanted to make sure that where we felt we could justify chances, we changed. We set a game plan that would hopefully and did allow us to start the game strong and finish the game strong. Albeit we obviously defended our box for a large portion of the last 15, 20 minutes or so. That's just indicative of a team that number one can do it but number two is ahead, desperate to win, and wants to make no mistakes. The guys that came into the game brought us that, certainly brought us that discipline and energy that we needed. So all in all, it was probably a justified way of approaching the game."

On Hassani Dotson taking the penalty kick...

"Beyond Kelvin [Yeboah] it wasn't something we thought about a great deal today. We've got some confident guys on the pitch and we've got a harmonious dressing room that is free of huge egos in those situations and Hassani [Dotson] felt he could do the job in that situation and he did it really well. The players make that call in the moment. Everyone has a good feel for who can take a good penalty and who struggles so in those situations it's the hierarchy who decides."

On Miguel Tapias performance...

"It was a point I made in the dressing room at the end of the game because I was really pleased with Micky [Tapias]. He showed real personality after a tricky couple of months and the first half incident didn't help that, but it was a clear foul. Fortunately one that we can erase from our memories. In the second half, given that that happened he showed incredible personality and character and was really crucial for us in the closing stages. Defending the box with that level of discipline, aggression and intensity, I would say the same for Carlos [Harvey] and Jefferson [Diaz] alongside him, [they all] dealt with a direct crossing team in a really big way. That was pleasing and mostly we were pleased for Micky."

On the own-goal...

"It looked like a clean foul to me. I don't think there were too many arguments once it was watched back."

On Anthony Markanich...

"We have been waiting for a suitable opportunity for Anthony [Markanich] to play in. We have Devin Padelford as well, I think Anthony is more of a like for like for Joseph Rosales, someone who is more attack-minded. Closer to a winger than a fullback in that sense and we benefited from what he brought to us over the course of the first 15-20 minutes. He brought a real composure on the ball and a competitiveness and a discipline and towards the 55-60 minute mark he tried a touch, but that is as you would expect for someone who hasn't played a game at this level for a little while. Another piece that we can add to our puzzle and hopefully someone that can contribute along with Dev [Devin Padelford] and Jo [Joseph Rosales] on that side as the season goes on."

On having a week off due to an international break...

'We have had a tough run of games and it has taken its toll, particularly this week. These are quite unique circumstances, you spend the week away from home, you are in a hotel all week, you are in altitude, you are back on a plane, you are playing on a turf pitch, it is a lot to contend with. It's a unique league in that sense and we have handled it really well. We feel really strong as a group, we feel really well equipped to deal with a double game week. We have lots of players in good form, we have got a really good sense of team, group momentum. We have really consolidated that over this week and now we have a chance to give the guys a couple of days off and those who go away with their international teams, it continues for them, but perhaps the novelty of the environment is something that gives them a bit of freshness but we will certainly be coming back together next week with a real sense of purpose as we approach that final game."

On having multiple players leaving for international break...

"It's tough, but it is what it is and we will get on with it. We will do our very best to make sensible decisions when they get back as to what they do, whether they play. We are fortunate in that we've got some sensible guys going away, particularly Boxy [Michael Boxall] who is racking up the most miles, who knows how to handle himself and handle his body and his situation. Frustrating, it kills the rhythm a little bit, but we will adapt as best we can."

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