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SANDY, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Braian Ojeda hit the crossbar on Real Salt Lake’s final penalty kick, as Minnesota United defeated RSL after a scoreless 90 minutes, 5-4 in the shootout.
Minnesota can win the best-of-three series with a victory Saturday night at home. RSL need a win to force a deciding game three on November 8th.
Dayne St. Clair made six saves during normal time and Minnesota United benefitted from two Real Salt Lake misses during a seven-kick penalty tiebreaker to secure Game 1 in their Western Conference playoff series.
“We’re creating some some really good opportunities,” said RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni. “Whether it’s their goalkeeper or just lack of execution, I think is what’s costing us. There were a couple really clear opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net.”
RSL and Minnesota have now played to five consecutive draws over the last two seasons.
Ojeda and Justen Glad both fired their attempts high, with Ojeda’s miss on RSL’s seventh attempt skimming off the top of the crossbar and sealing the Loons’ 1-0 lead in the series.
Zac MacMath made seven stops in normal time for RSL, which also played MNUFC to a 0-0 draw during their regular-season meeting in Utah earlier this month.
MacMath also denied Michael Boxall’s penalty — Minnesota’s third — to give RSL an advantage it immediately gave back when Glad fired high.
After an uneventful first half, the match sprung to life in the second, though it did not amount to either side taking the lead.
Robin Lod was the provider of the pass on the first two chances, with Kelvin Yeboah forcing MacMath into his first difficult stop in the 47th minute, and Carlos Harvey firing just wide from close range — but a tight angle — in the 49th.
On the other end, St. Clair denied Diego Luna and Cristian Arango in quick succession in the 52nd minute.
Nineteen minutes later, Yeboah got down the left side and spotted Tani Oluwaseyi on the other side of the box. But MacMath pounced off his line, spread his frame and managed to block Oluwaseyi’s effort with an outstretched arm.
Then in the 83rd, MacMath lunged to his left to deny Yeboah’s effort after a slaloming run, and he stood tall quickly enough to block Bongi Hlongwane’s rebound attempt.
In the 85th, St. Clair blocked Diogo Goncalves’ effort from close range with his outstretched right leg, and in second-half stoppage time he had sure hands to catch Arango’s header.
“I think as a group, we played really well,” MacMath said. “They had a really good game plan. No matter what you do, it’s hard to break down. I think we had a couple of chances to get a goal and unfortunately came up short.”
That helped Minnesota preserve its fifth clean sheet in its last six matches.