MLS Minnesota United FC

MNUFC Falls 3-2 to Quakes in Final Match of Season

Published on October 23, 2017 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Minnesota United FC News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. (October 22, 2017) - On a jam-packed Decision Day, Minnesota United found itself with the opportunity to play spoiler to a San Jose Earthquakes squad that needed a win to get themselves past Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas and into the playoffs. Although defender Francisco Calvo stunned the crowd at Avaya Stadium with a late header to level the match, in the end it was not to be as a stoppage time goal by late sub Marco Urena put the Quakes ahead 3-2 and into the postseason.

MNUFC came out in a 4-2-3-1 formation - a new look for the side and one that Head Coach Adrian Heath was likely hoping would plug the gaps in the midfield that were problematic against the Galaxy last week. In the early going, the midfield was falling all the way back to support the backline, putting eight men deep to stymie San Jose's attack. Nonetheless, the Quakes made forays, including an early test in the third minute by forward Chris Wondolowski from a sharp angle on the right side that goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth turned away.

In the ninth minute, San Jose midfielder Vako sent a dangerous cross after breaking down defender Jerome Thiesson that only stayed out of the net because no Quakes player was waiting in the box. As Minnesota found its feet and began to string together possession, the pace slowed and the Quakes began to probe with longer balls over the top. That strategy yielded their first goal as a long ball by defender Florian Jungwirth found forward Danny Hoesen in the middle of the pitch. Hoesen went unmarked up the gut of the defense and put the ball directly between Shuttleworth's legs to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.

The Loons would answer, though, in the 36th minute. Midfielder Ethan Finlay went to work in the box on the right wing but had the ball poked away from him, only for it to land at the feet of Thiesson, who settled it and calmly curled a left-footed strike into the upper left corner of the goal to make it 1-1. With both FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake winning their matches at the time, a draw was not going to get it done for San Jose, so the Quakes threw their weight forward over the last ten minutes of the first half.

They created opportunities for Hoesen and Vako - who sent a ball sailing just over the crossbar that Shuttleworth couldn't quite reach - and in the 45th minute, defender Victor Bernardez got back-to-back looks from near the penalty spot. The first deflected off defender Jermaine Taylor's foot and bounced directly back to Bernardez. The second, he skied over the goal and into the stands. When the whistle blew, the teams headed into the break deadlocked at 1-1.

It would be San Jose who broke the tie in the 55th minute of the match. This time, it was Hoesen's turn to assist as he sent in a cross that defender Michael Boxall couldn't quite reach on its way to Wondolowski, who drove it into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead.

"If you look at the first two goals, one's a long straight ball and the next one's a poor turnover," said Head Coach Adrian Heath. "We work hard, score decent goals, to get ourselves back in it and well, that's a microcosm of the season, isn't it? This game, for me, is our season in a nutshell. 'Very nearly.' And that's what we were, too many times."

Lead in hand, San Jose settled back a little bit, mostly looking to contain the Loons and, for a while, it worked well. Although Minnesota managed some rugged tackles and some promising strings of possession, they couldn't create opportunities against a dug-in San Jose side.

It ultimately took a corner kick to open things up as midfielder Johan Venegas - who had come in for midfielder Kevin Molino - delivered from the left side to the far post where Calvo struck a header directly on goal. The ball was likely going in anyways, but Jungwirth attempted to clear it and ended up heading it up into the crossbar and into the net. With the score 2-2, the stadium fell silent and it appeared as if the Loons might fulfill their chance to keep San Jose from the playoffs.

But the Quakes had other ideas. Urena came on for defender Kofi Sarkodie in the 88th minute, making plain the Earthquakes' desperation to get the ball forward and propel themselves into the playoffs. In stoppage time, forward Quincy Amarikwa struck a hard shot from the left side of the box that Shuttleworth initially deflected. But as the ball trickled out to the right, Wondolowski tapped it back across the face of goal and found the waiting Urena who redirected the ball into the back of the net for a 3-2 win and a ticket to the playoffs.

"Mostly disappointed, because they fought hard," said Heath of the players' emotions following the loss. "That's the least we expect - a fully competitive team. What we need is a bit more quality throughout this group and that's what we'll try and do this offseason, try and work hard to improve the squad all around."

With the final match of the team's inaugural MLS season in the books, that work begins now. After a brutal first month, the Loons took real strides and ended their season with several strong wins and upsets that augur well for the future.

Lineups

Minnesota United FC Starting XI: GK Bobby Shuttleworth; D Jerome Thiesson, Michael Boxall, Francisco Calvo, Jermaine Taylor (Marc Burch 73'); M Ethan Finlay, Ibson, Collen Warner, Sam Nicholson (Johan Venegas 67'), Kevin Molino (Abu Danladi 67'); F Christian Ramirez

MIN Unused Subs: GK Patrick McLain; D Brent Kallman; M Miguel Ibarra, Collin Martin

San Jose Earthquakes Starting XI: GK Andrew Tarbell; D Kofi Sarkodie (Marco Urena 88'), Victor Bernardez, Florian Jungwirth, Shea Salinas; M Anibal Godoy, Darwin Ceren, Jahmir Hyka (Tommy Thompson 62'), Chris Wondolowski, Vako; F Danny Hoesen (Quincy Amerikwa 81')

SJ Unused Subs: GK David Bingham; D Francois Affolter, Andres Imperiale; M Jackson Yueill

Match Events

Goals

15' - Hoezen (Jungwirth) - SJ

36' - Thiesson - MIN

55' - Wondowlowski (Hoesen) - SJ

81' - Calvo (J. Venegas) - MIN

90+' - Urena (Wondolowski) - SJ

Discipline

23' - Ibson (YC) - MIN

40' - Warner (YC) - MIN

68' - Godoy (YC) - SJ

76' - Danladi (YC) - MIN

85' - Bernardez (YC) - SJ

MINNESOTA UNITED FC HEAD COACH ADRIAN HEATH

On the game overall and the late goal:

"It's a microcosm of the season. Sloppy giveaways, poor decision-making in our own half and then the ball ends up in the back of the net. We worked hard, scored decent goals to get ourselves back in it and well, that's a microcosm of the season, isn't it - this game for me is our season in a nutshell. Very nearly. And that's what we were this year, nearly good too many times."

On the team's emotions afterward:

"Frustration. It's frustration for everybody. We worked so hard to stay in games and then we make decisions, really poor decisions, that cost us very, very dearly. And we've done it all year. But we have to change."

On whether San Jose's late goal was expected given the season:

"No, I think it felt odd today. I fancied it at halftime on the counter-attack, because so much was at stake to them and obviously we paid for it. We knew the result, and we knew what the score was. They had to win this game. I was just saying to the players at halftime, when the ball gets turned over in transition, don't first-pass it there, you will get opportunities. I just don't think we did enough with the first pass today and they worked very hard to get themselves back in, and then it was a poor decision cost us the game."

MINNESOTA DEFENDER MICHAEL BOXALL

On how hard it was to see the late losing goal after fighting so hard:

"It's horrid, really. We fought hard against the odds to come back those two times. And then just to concede like that when we are trying to hang on for a point and we just don't have enough numbers there possibly and there's no excuse for that."

On the team's emotions after the game:

"It's just an overwhelming sense of disappointment that we've felt too many times this year, I think. There's times in games where we feel we can play with some of the best teams and then just far too easily we come apart and come unstuck and find ourselves behind. That's happened too many times this season, and it happened too many times today."

On the season overall:

"I think since I've been here, I wasn't too sure what I was coming into, and I think coming into it, there's a lot of talent in this room. I love playing under Adrian, he gets us going the right way and any time where we failed on the pitch, it's because us players haven't done the job or haven't shown up, so I think over the offseason we need to take a massive look at ourselves and just do everything we have to do to show everyone that we want to be here and we want to do something next year."

MINNESOTA UNITED FC FORWARD CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ

On the stoppage time goal after fighting so hard to come back:

"It's frustrating. I guess that sums up our season in a nutshell today. We sort of beat ourselves. We play well, a Calvo slip, a giveaway in midfield and they have two goals. You can't give away those chances to a team that's hungry like they are. So credit to them, they took their chances. We just have to move on and learn from this and not let this continue next year. We just have to keep building on the good things we did throughout the year."

On what they said to each other afterward:

"Our guys are disappointed in the result. We put in a tough shift today, a good effort. But sometimes that's not enough. It's funny how soccer works, we had that half chance at the end with Abu on the ball and the ball gets stuck underneath him and they counter right away and score. If we put that away it's a different story, so little things like that, as we get more comfortable and learn for next year, we have to take advantage of those opportunities."

MINNESOTA UNITED FC DEFENDER FRANCISCO CALVO

On how it felt to concede the stoppage time goal:

"Disappointment. I'm not happy, because I don't like to lose first of all, and then I think we tried. We tried all the game, but we gave away three goals to them. I think they were playing good, but they really don't deserve to win, to be honest."

On scoring a goal after slipping on San Jose's first goal:

"It's not about my goal. It's about the team. I thank God for the goal, but I'm mad because we lost. The first goal is a football situation that can happen, but we have to do better in the box."

On talking to the team as captain afterwards:

"I said it to them before the final whistle. You know why, because we come here to play well and to win this game, because everybody in this country, every team thinks that they're going to beat us five- or four-zero. And we're a good team. We need more players and other stuff no doubt, but I know next year is going to be better. And I told them, if we are in that situation that we have to win to get into the playoffs, I know San Jose will do the same as we did on the pitch: try to beat San Jose, because this is about our family or their family."

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