Minnesota United scores early, hangs on for 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City
Minnesota United scored a goal in the second minute on Saturday and then beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 at Allianz Field to win for the second time in five home matches this season.
Six days after beating a formidable Charlotte team, the Loons scored a second-minute goal from defenseman Michael Boxall and a 25-minute goal from Tani Oluwase the rest of the night.
Lones are now 5-2-2 overall, Sporting 2-3-5.
SKC star striker Alan Pulido restored the lead with a goal in the 38th minute.
Boxall’s goal was his seventh MLS goal – and first since last season’s finale at Sporting Kansas City – and came before another full-capacity crowd had settled down.
It came from a corner kick that he redirected with a right-footed kick at the far post.
Loons midfielder Robin Loed hit a shot from the near post. The ball traveled straight over the traffic to Boxall at the far end of the line and he was able to lift his right foot high enough to direct the ball into goal.
Oluwase scored his fourth goal of the season – and third in April alone – with a goal in the 25th minute, from a pass near the far post, as the team took a 2-0 lead.
Pulido drew his side within 2-1 with one touch from the top of the 18-yard box that turned SKC captain Daniel Saloi’s cross into a rebound shot that eluded Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
This is Pulido’s third goal this season.
The Lions are without injured rookie defensemen Hugo Bacharach (knee surgery) and Jordan Adebayo-Smith (ankle) and remain without star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso, who for the second straight year in Argentina remains sidelined to start the season.
Midfielder Hassani Dotson, who scored a goal a week ago in a 3-0 win over Charlotte on Friday, was listed as questionable with what coach Eric Ramsey described as a “hamstring grumble.” Ramsey indicated that Dotson might get into the game for some minutes somehow, but Dotson was neither a starter nor a substitute on Saturday night.
Center back Micky Tapias started the night as a substitute on his way back from an ankle injury. He came on as a substitute for Oluwaseyi in the 65th minute.
Veterans Franco Fragappani, Will Trapp and Lud started in midfield under Teemu Pukki and Oluwase at the top and a backline featuring Joseph Rosales and DJ Taylor on the outside while Devin Padelford, Boxall and Kervin Arriaga created a three-man backline between them.
Earlier on Saturday, the Loons signed second-tier goaltender Alex Samir to a short-term deal so he can support St. Clair. He could be called up to the first team again this season for MLS or two more times to compete outside MLS.
Loons forward Sang Bin Jeong returned to Minnesota for Saturday’s game playing with the Korea National Under-23 team in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. But he was not deemed fit for the fixture list after scoring a second-half substitute goal in Korea’s 11-10 penalty loss to Indonesia on Thursday that eliminated them from Olympic contention.
