As the post-season draws closer and closer, Minnesota continued to a streak of dropping much-needed points. The Loons had a number of good looks against Puerto Rico FC, but were unable to put any of their shots in the back of the net. Their games only get harder from here. It’s difficult to see them getting into their final postseason in NASL if they continue to miss opportunities like they did today.
United opened the game well, if a bit passively. The Loons staved off Puerto Rico FC’s attack while managing to build a number of opportunities for themselves. In the 12th minute Danny Cruz received an angled pass while running into the box. He crossed the ball into a crowd of orange and blue jerseys and when the ball came out the other side untouched, it landed at the foot of Justin Davis, who put his shot wide. Cruz received a number of passes while running up the right side of the field, bypassing Puerto Rico’s midfielders and getting a chance to run at their narrow back three. He was unable to create anything out of the space. In the 31st minute Cruz made a rough, studs-up challenge to cut down two Puerto Rico players, which he was lucky not to see a card for.
Puerto Rico started to clog up play around the 20th minute, playing tight to Minnesota when defending and making plodding, careful passes when in possession. This worked well for Las Naranjas. With the momentum shifted their way, they could build through the middle. In the 36th minute, PRFC Pedro Mendes received a pass while standing just inside the box, but didn’t manage to put enough power behind his shot to threaten Minnesota’s goal.
Two minutes later, Mendes sent a ball across the box and into the arm of Brent Kallman. From replays it was clear that Kallman moved his hand toward the ball, but since he was bringing his arm from a wide position closer in to his body, it was unclear whether the handball was intentional. Fortunately for Minnesota, the play was not called for a penalty.
Puerto Rico FC earned their best opportunity of the half in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. They sent a free kick to a wide open Ramón Soria, who was unable to contort his body to put his header on target.
The second half began more open than the first. A few dangerous opportunities for both teams came within the first 15 minutes. Play went quickly from end to end, rather than being held up in the middle like in the first half.
In the 52nd minute, Cruz stripped the ball from Puerto Rico in their own defensive third, slotting the ball to Kevin Venegas, who was unable to make anything out of his cross. Three minutes later, Puerto Rico’s Mendes had an unsuccessful shot from the top of the box, which was followed within a minute by a shot from J.C. Banks that went wide.
In the 72nd minute, Puerto Rico stole the ball from a vulnerable Minnesota backline, putting midfielder Michael Kafari in on Sammy Ndjock with no defenders near. Luckily for Minnesota, it appeared as if Kafari was expecting a whistle to be called on the play, because he hit the ball lightly into Ndjock arms.
Minnesota earned the rest of the opportunities in the match and, while they created many, the Loons were unable to put a single shot in the back of the net. In the 78th minute, Ibson ran onto a pass from Ben Speas, which he knocked just wide of the goal. In the 83rd minute Cruz earned a free kick just outside Puerto Rico’s box. Venegas’s shot sent a ripple through the net, but had only hit it from the outside. In the 88th minute Stefano Pinho dribbled out of a two-man-wall of Puerto Rico defenders and shuffled the ball to Ibson, who quickly grounded his shot just left of the net. A minute later Venegas sent a ball rocketing in from about 35 yards out. He caught goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg off guard, but was unable to keep his shot on frame.
As Minnesota United try to keep their heads above the ever-rising red line, it’s hard to view this game as anything close to a success. The Loons are lucky that Miami FC, one of the teams they are vying with for a place in the postseason, lost today, but it isn’t likely that Miami and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Loons’ other playoff rival, will continue to do poorly for the rest of the season. Minnesota need points from their coming games, points that they’re going to have to wrest from much tougher teams than Puerto Rico FC.
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