Gameday preview: Loons at FC Dallas
August 9, 2019 at 11:55PM
Keeper Mannone a key in Loons' surge
Preview: United veteran goalkeeper Vito Mannone made a penalty-kick save in second-half stoppage time that allowed the Loons to defeat FC Dallas 1-0 at Allianz Field on July 13. He got his eighth shutout this season, a club career record, in a 1-0 win over Portland last Sunday. Mannone's 78 saves are third-most in MLS. "He has been immense the last two, three weeks," coach Adrian Heath said. "The top goalkeepers always save you when they need to with the big save, in the crucial moment." … United's 38 points in MLS this season (11-7-5 overall, 4-6-1 on the road) are two more than it reached in each of its first two seasons. Eleven games remain … Sunday's victory moved United into second place in the Western Conference; Dallas (9-9-6) is seventh — the final playoff spot. … Keeper Bobby Shuttleworth is headed on loan to Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship league after Saturday so he can get some action. "If anything happened to Vito, then Bobby would be a little sharper to get his mind in match game again," Heath said.
Injuries: None reported by United; Dallas F Edwin Gyasi is out.
JERRY ZGODA
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Minnesota started only two strikers against Seattle, leaving Sang Bin Jeong and Joseph Rosales to provide the width behind Teemu Pukki and Kelvin Yeboah.
