Minnesota United takes 1-0 lead in MLS Cup first round with win over Real Salt Lake

It didn’t take a genius to predict that Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake would take Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series to penalty kicks — not after the teams had drawn all four of their last four matches in the past two seasons.

It also didn’t take a genius to predict that Dayne St. Clair would come out on the winning side of the shootout, given his sterling record against penalties in his career.

Justen Glad and Braian Ojeda both airmailed their penalties over the goal in the penalty shootout, with Ojeda hitting the crossbar, giving the Loons a 5-4 victory in the shootout, following a scoreless 90 minutes.

“When one guy misses, and with my record, I think they’re probably thinking in their head, ‘Well, he’s due for a save on this next one, so I’ve got to put the ball in the top corner,’ ” said St. Clair. “Today, the crossbar was a good friend of mine, so hopefully me and him continue to be in a good relationship.”

All week, Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay stressed to his team that the goal of the team’s trip to Real Salt Lake was simple: Avoid a return trip for Game 3. It took Minnesota keeping another clean sheet in Utah, and a nerve-racking set of penalties, but now the Loons can clinch the series with a win at home on Saturday.

Whatever the result of the shootout, the goalkeepers were the heroes for both sides. St. Clair and RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath traded astonishing saves throughout the second half.

The first half contained perhaps only one good chance for both teams combined, but in the second half, the game opened up. Robin Lod created a pair of chances in the first five minutes of the second half, but the Loons couldn’t convert either.

First, Lod stole a pass, beat a defender, and got Kelvin Yeboah open for a shot in the penalty area that flew straight at keeper MacMath. Moments later, Lod fed Carlos Harvey in behind the defense on the right, but while Harvey’s chip beat MacMath, it bounced wide of the far post of the goal.

Stats from Minnesota United’s victory Tuesday

Three minutes later, RSL had its own golden chance. The home side caught the Loons defense napping on a restart at midfield, and Matt Crooks slipped a pass in behind for a wide-open Luna. St. Clair, though, rushed out of the goal to smother Diego Luna’s shot, then saved a rebound shot from Chicho Arango.

In the final twenty minutes, MacMath turned into a sudden Goalkeeper of the Year candidate. First, Yeboah and Tani Oluwaseyi got a 2-on-1 breakaway — and though Yeboah managed to feed the ball across to Oluwaseyi, the Canadian striker couldn’t drag the ball over an onrushing MacMath.

Ten minutes later, MacMath came up with an astonishing double save, first palming away a close-range shot from Yeboah, then getting back up and getting across the goal to take a Bongokuhle Hlongwane blast off the chest.

It was fitting that the game came down to a goalkeeper showdown in the shootout. MacMath made the only save — but it was St. Clair who gets to claim the victory.

Minnesota has now conceded just one goal in its past six games.

“It’s through the roof,” said St. Clair, of the team’s defensive confidence level. “But at the same time, we know that if we go on a bad stretch, it means nothing. If we don’t concede, we put ourselves in with a good chance to get closer to moving on.”