Minnesota United extended its MLS regular-season unbeaten streak to three games with Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake at Allianz Field.
The Loons followed 1-0 victories over both Houston and Portland by swapping first-half goals with a resilient opponent that Loons coach Adrian Heath on Friday likened to “having a toothache, it doesn’t go away.”
After starting the season 1-4, Real Salt Lake in now 6-2-4 in its last 11 games and has only lost once in its last 10 including U.S. Open Cup games.
The Loons played on again without injured midfielder Robin Lod (knee surgery) and two-time MLS All-Star Emanuel Reynoso, who participated in the early parts of Thursday training but whom Heath called still likely weeks away from being fit enough to play.
Heath kept striker Luis Amarilla up top and played Joseph Rosales-Franco Fragapane-Bongokuhle Hlongwane across the field behind him. Hassani Dotson and Wil Trapp combined in the central midfield while Heath kept his backline intact with Kemar Lawrence and DJ Taylor running up and down on the wings. Micky Tapias and Michael Boxall anchored at center back with Dayne St. Clair again in goal.
That left recently acquired Sang Bin Jeong, Kervin Arriaga and Mender Garcia as available subs for the evening.
The teams swapped goals three minutes apart in a first half that remained tied 1-1 after 45 minutes and seven more minutes of stoppage time.
Real Salt Lake midfielder Jefferson Savarino scored in the 28th minute his second goal this week.
This one was a beauty of a three-way passing play in which Braian Ojeda sent forward a 30-yard pass that teammate Danny Musovski flicked on a back-heeled pass straight to Savarino on the run.
Savarino’s shot from 12 yards out came before defenders Tapias, Boxall and Trapp could close enough ground on him. It went between St. Clair’s legs and into the open goal for a 1-0 lead that didn’t last long.
It took the Loons three minutes to get the equalizer. It came on another Hlongwane goal that was called an own goal because it went off the near post and RSL defender Justin Glad’s leg before RSL starting keeper Zac MacMath had a chance to react.
Taylor’s perfect pass to Hlongwane sent him behind the Real Salt Lake back line and set up a short, sharp-angled shot.
Real Salt Lake had a go-ahead goal denied in the 44th minute when referee Rosendo Mendoza ruled Musovski tripped Tapias and sent him sprawling before Musovski pushed the free ball ahead and scored on St. Clair before the play was brought back.
RSL’s 18-year-old keeper Gavin Beavers replaced MacMath to start the second half after MacMath was examined on the field under concussion protocol after he was involved in a collision in the first half.
Heath adjusted his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation in the 70th minute when he removed left back Lawrence from the game, sent Jeong in and went with a three-back defensive line.