Seattle Sounders defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade scored both goals in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Minnesota United at Allianz Field.
He scored each with a well-timed leaping header. The first was for his own team in the 17th minute, the second an own goal for the Loons in the 56th minute.
The Sounders were 11-1-2 against the Loons in all competitions since Minnesota entered the league in 2017. The Loons’ only victory was July 18, 2001 at Allianz.
The Loons still have won just twice at home this season, even though they pushed forward and pressured Seattle later in the first half and most of the second half.
Sunday’s draw makes them 2-2-7 at home while they’ve won six times on the road.
Yeimar scored the game’s first – and the first half’s only – goal on a gorgeous, rising header in the six-yard box that finished off teammate Nico Loderio’s curling cross from the left wing in that 17th minute.
He got behind Loons defender Michael Boxall and in front of fellow Loons center back Micky Tapias, elevating above them both for his second goal this season.
In the 36th minute, Boxall had his chance himself on a header inside the six-yard box with Sounders keeper Stefan Frei helpless. But he headed the ball over the crossbar and into the fans on the Wonderwall.
Yeimar scored that own goal inside the six-yard box as well. This time, he rose above the crowd on Loons star Emanuel Reynoso’s curling free kick from beyond 30 yards.
But instead of clearing it away, he deflected the ball up and over Frei and into the upper, left corner of the goal.
Both teams played their second MLS regular-season game since their Leagues Cup games.
The Sounders didn’t advance out of their group play after losing both their games to Monterrey and Real Salt Lake. They then lost at home 2-0 to Atlanta in their first MLS game back last Sunday.
The Loons advanced from group play all the way to the tournament’s quarterfinals before they ran short a player because of a red card and lost their quarterfinal 5-0 at Nashville.
Before that, they beat Liga MX’s Puebla, Columbus and Toluca, winning those last two games in a penalty-kick shootout.
Hlongwane trained inside on his own Saturday after banging his knee Sunday in New York City. Heath called him a game-day decision, but clearly an unlikely one.
Hlongwane wasn’t designated either starter or sub. The Loons miss his speed on the counterattack, but they still pushed forward and dictated much of the play through halftime,
Without Hlongwane, Heath started newly reacquired Jan Gregus in a central midfield role alongside Wil Trapp and moved Hassani Dotson from Trapp’s partner to Hlongwane’s right-attacking position alongside Joseph Rosario’s on the left and Reynoso in the middle.
It’s the same move Heath made when Hlongwane went down injured during the first half of Sunday’s 2-0 victory at New York City FC. It took Gregus about 15 minutes to break a scoreless tie and deliver a 53rd-minute goal that ended up the winner.
The Sounders played without star Cristian Roldan who was out because he’s in MLS’ concussion protocol.