MLS Minnesota United FC

Minnesota Withstands Late Real Salt Lake Rally to Win 3-2

Published on July 14, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota United welcomed Real Salt Lake to TCF Bank Stadium on a toasty Saturday night for the start of a three-game homestand that will ultimately go a long way to determining whether the team will be able to make its way above the red line and into the playoffs. To that end, they got off to a good start, taking all three points in a win that nonetheless had them sweating down the stretch as Real Salt Lake scored two late to make it 3-2.

Over the first 15 minutes of the first half, MNUFC successfully dominated possession and certainly looked like the team most likely. Whenever Real Salt Lake got the ball, they rarely had the time or space to do anything with it and when the Loons got it, they repeatedly got it into dangerous positions on the wing. Nevertheless, the home side couldn't get a ball all the way through for a look at the net. The closest they came early was an outside of the boot shot by midfielder Darwin Quintero in the 13th minute that goalkeeper Nick Rimando couldn't fully contain but managed to scoop up.

Although RSL stepped up the pressure, threatening in the 17th minute when forward Jefferson Savarino got clear enough on the right side to send in a hard, low cross that was cleared by defender Michael Boxall, the Loons stayed patient. They seemed content to work the ball around the midfield and find their way into the game, despite RSL's high press, which was a major part of keeping MNUFC from finding a goal.

In the meantime, the Claret-and-Cobalt were doing their best to take what the game was giving them, and they ended up with just two shots on goal in the first half. Those two looks, though, were better than any shots that Minnesota got. In the 31st minute, forward Corey Baird got loose and fired a low shot that went wide left and then in the 45th minute, forward Damir Kreilach went unmarked in the box and fired a right-footed shot that Bobby Shuttleworth gobbled up.

Although by halftime the Loons' possession had dwindled to 48%, they had to like their chances heading into the break. The home side had looked more in control and had only wanted for chances they could actually finish off.

The second half quickly turned into the Darwin Quintero show. In the 51nd minute, Francisco Calvo found Quintero on the right side where he controlled the long pass into the box. He cut it back to the middle, holding it long enough for forward Christian Ramirez and midfielder Ibson to get into the box and then he hit Ibson with a low pass that Ibson finished smoothly with his right foot to give MNUFC a 1-0 lead.

Real Salt Lake Head Coach Mike Petke was livid at the referee's decision not to review the goal and found himself sent off by the 53rd minute. In the 62nd minute, Calvo won the ball back and turned quickly upfield before finding Quintero in space on the right side. Much as he did against Toronto, he sized up the keeper and chipped him, sending a ball over Rimando - who had pulled up with what looked like a hamstring issue minutes earlier - that didn't touch his fingers but found the upper left corner of the net to double the Loons' lead.

Six minutes later, it was Miguel Ibarra who would be the beneficiary of Quintero's work, with Quintero once again getting free down the right side before sending it across to Ibarra. Ibarra floated from right to left through the box and finished it past an outstretched Rimando and into the left side of the net to make it 3-0. Interesting note: Against RSL last year at TCF Bank Stadium, Rimando gave up goals in the 52nd, 62nd and 68th minutes. This year, he did the same in the 51st, 62nd and 68th minutes.

"Offensively, we keep the ball well," said Ibarra. "We move it around. We create a lot of opportunities. And I think that's been throughout the entire season. And ever since Darwin [Qunitero] got here, it's been even more. I think we just gotta continue doing that."

MNUFC had to withstand a late push by RSL, who were energized by the substitution of forward Joao Plata in the 66th minute for Baird. Plata got to work quickly, scoring a goal in the 77th minute off a free kick just outside the box. Plata nudged the free kick to midfielder Albert Rusnak who teed it up for him, allowing him strike a hard ball past Shuttleworth on the keeper's left. It was Plata again in the 85th minute when Lennon sent in a long diagonal cross early that the forward struck with a pretty header and into the back of the net to make it 3-2.

It was no surprise that Head Coach Adrian Heath was none too happy with the team letting it get that close when asked about how he viewed the game.

"Three points," he said. "Did our best to throw it away. Tried to throw away 75 minutes of good work by people deciding that they know best. They'll do what they want rather than doing what we know is right."

In the end, though, it was too little too late for the visitors and MNUFC hung on for three desperately needed points at home and now have to quickly prepare themselves for the arrival of the New England Revolution on Wednesday, July 18. That match is presented by Target and kicks off at 7:00 p.m. with pre-match coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North and MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.

Lineups

Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Shuttleworth; D Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Francisco Calvo; M Miguel Ibarra, Alexi Gomez, Rasmus Schuller (Maximiano 79'), Collen Warner, Ibson (Collin Martin 72'); F Darwin Quintero, Christian Ramirez (Mason Toye 87')

MIN Unused Subs: GK Matt Lampson; D Eric Miller, Wyatt Omsberg; M Frantz Pango

Real Salt Lake Starting XI: GK Nick Rimando; D Domino Acosta, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Brooks Lennon; M Kyle Beckerman, Sunday Stephen (Pablo Ruiz 85'), Albert Rusnak; F Damir Kreilach (Luis Silva 79'), Jefferson Savarino, Corey Baird (Joao Plata 66')

RSL Unused Subs: GK Andrew Putana; D Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler; M Sebastian Saucedo

Match Events

Goals

51' - Ibson (Quintero, Calvo) - MIN

62' - Quintero (Calvo) - MIN

68' - Ibarra (Quintero, Ramirez) - MIN

77' - Plata (Rusnak) - RSL

85' - Plata (Lennon) - RSL

Discipline

21' - Schuller (YC) - MIN

34' - M. Silva (YC) - RSL

47' - Warner (YC) - MIN

MNUFC QUOTE SHEET

MNUFC HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On how he looks back at this game ...

Three points. Did our best to throw it away. Tried to throw away 75 minutes of good work by people deciding that they know best. They'll do what they want rather than doing what we know is right.

On certain players that were off script ...

Doesn't matter who they are. We win together, we lose together. The group. The group scored the goals, the group conceded the goals.

On being up by three goals at home, and then giving up two and if he worries about this becoming a trend ...

What do you think? I think so, don't you? The game should have been over. The games done. 75 minutes. Quality football.

On his long career in this game, and what it is going to take to switch the team mentality ...

For them to understand that they don't know everything. And do what's asked of them. And they'll be okay. There's too many people in and around this football club that have an opinion on it.

On what he said to the team in the locker room after the game ...

Doesn't matter what I said today. I think you understand what I'm feeling.

On what he did like in those 75 minutes ...

I thought we were competitive. I thought we did the right thing. Did what was asked of them.

On what happened on the set piece when Collin Martin came out of the wall to try to block the shot ...

I'll have to have a closer look. My head is elsewhere at the minute.

On if this was the start to a game that the team needed to have ...

Needed to win the game. And set us up. And as I've just said to the players. For us to... for me to be in this mood after we've won a game and played so well for 75 minutes. Is ridiculous. But, we tried to do it against Toronto. We've done it on the road. Did it in Colorado. Maybe, maybe they'll start listening to the coaches instead of everything else that's going around the club.

On what he said to Mike Petke when he left the field ...

I just didn't want him to get himself in trouble. I know what it's like, he was frustrating. And the one thing is, it's not going to change. You know, he wears him heart on his sleeve. I like Mike [Petke] a lot. I think he's done a great job there. I just didn't want to get him in trouble. He did get himself in trouble tonight.

MNUFC DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On Heath's message to the team after the game...

Nothing that I can really repeat. It was the mental lapses again. It was very similar to the Toronto game where the game should be dead and buried. We were up by three goals, against Toronto we were up 4-1, and I don't know what it is. It is hard to put your finger on one thing. On the ball we just make the bad decisions and then we don't press like we should in the final third. That gives them the opportunity to put easy balls in the box. When you're a yard or two off, those are the margins that either make it a comfortable game or people biting their fingernails at the end.

When it comes to that point in the game, everyone has been in that position where we know what to do to see it out. It is not happening for one reason or another.

On if the team took its foot off of the gas late...

It has happened too many times and it can't happen. It should be a comfortable last 20 minutes, but that doesn't mean we should start operating at 40 or 50 percent. There are good players in this league. As we have shown, if you give them a half a yard of space or half a chance they can beat you. I don't know how many more lessons like that that we can get away with.

On the positives of the first 75 minutes...

The shape. In the first half we struggled a little bit because they were coming at us and pressing quite high, so it took us a little bit to adjust there. But in the second half you see Ibson and Darwin go into space. Once they beat one player then everything opens up for us. Miguel was absolutely relentless tonight. He was quality. I know Rimando is a little bit shorter, but surely he watched the Toronto game.

On the gameplan to defend Corey Baird...

There as not anything specific we did to stop him. We know that when we get pressure on the ball they do like to go a little bit direct with their runs in behind. The communication between Calvo, Miguel and myself on my side, we managed to nullify that. Not too sure he caused too many issues for us. We didn't have to do much. I think we did well to keep him quiet.

MNUFC HEAD PLAYER MIGUEL IBARRA

On the taste in his mouth after scoring and a win, but giving up goals late ...

I mean, I think the most important is that we got three points. Unfortunately, we gotta do better closing out games. We had a 3-0 lead. Really comfortable. Playing well. And then they score two goals, and now we're defending at the end. So, I think we just do at the end, be better at closing out the games.

On Adrian Heath in the locker room after the game ...

I mean, he's right. He came in here, he says, we had the whole game in control. 3-0, we were playing really well, and now they score two and we're struggling at the end. The last 15 minutes, I think we just have to close out better.

On players not following the coaching staff's direction ...

I mean, for me, it's just me. I mean, we played well. 3-0, you're up. I don't know, 15 minutes, the last 15 minutes, we just decided to get comfortable. We weren't playing how we were since the beginning. And I think we just gotta be better. 3-0, we gotta act like it's 0-0 still and keep going, or maybe get another one, or just defend. And make sure we get a clean sheet.

On how it makes him feel that his coach is thinking that people don't follow the script ...

I think we're fine. I mean, we as a team talked about it right after he said. He's right, we gotta do better at closing out games, but we got three points which is the most important thing.

On how he would describe the attacking passes tonight ...

Yeah, I mean, offensively, we keep the ball well. We move it around. We create a lot of opportunities. And I think it's been, that's been throughout the entire season. And ever since Darwin [Quintero] got here, it's been even more. I think we just gotta continue doing that. And like I said, our biggest weakness right now is our defense. Which, for me, we gotta get a clean sheet, and when we're winning 3-0.

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