Minnesota United moved closer to avoiding the MLS playoffs’ play-in game with Saturday night’s 1-0 victory at Vancouver.
Minnesota United continues late-season push with 1-0 victory at Vancouver
Hassani Dotson scored on a first-half penalty kick and the Loons made it hold up in their penultimate game of the regular season.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 6, 2024 at 1:50AM
The Loons now have five victories and a draw in their past seven games after the Loons made Hassani Dotson’s 24th-minute penalty kick stand up against the Whitecaps at BC Place.
The victory put them in seventh place, two points ahead of eighth-place Vancouver and four ahead of ninth-place Portland.
If the season ended Saturday — and it doesn’t, the Loons have one more home game against St. Louis City on Oct. 19 — the Whitecaps and Timbers would play the play-in game.
The Loons played a reconfigured starting 11 after they clinched a playoff spot Wednesday with their scoreless draw at Real Salt Lake, their fifth playoff berth in the past six seasons. Center back Micky Tapias was back as a starter for veteran Michael Boxall, who was suspended because of a red card.
They also left stars Kelvin Yeboah and Robin Lod on the substitute list until they entered in the 58th minute, along with Joseph Rosales with the Loons clinging to their one-goal lead.
They were given a rest after playing at altitude on Wednesday in Salt Lake City. Meanwhile, Sang-Bin Jeong and Tani Oluwaseyi were among those who moved into the starting 11.
With their usual penalty kick taker Kelvin Yeboah not starting Saturday night, Dotson stepped forth to take the PK after the Whitecaps’ Mathias Laborda stuck out his heel and tripped defender Carlos Harvey just inside the 18-yard box.
The penalty was called and Dotson took the shot, powerfully beating Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka after Takaoka guessed one way and Dotson scored the other, with a rising rightfooted shot just inside the left post. It was Dotson’s fifth goal in 28 games this season.
The Whitecaps appeared to have tied the score in the 34th minute, when Tapias scored an own goal at the edge of the 6-yard box. But a video review ruled Jeong had been fouled by Vancouver’s Ryan Gauld before Tapias tried to re-direct a cross in front of the goal, only to direct it just under the crossbar instead.
The Loons played on without the suspended Boxall as well as injured striker Teemu Pukki and injured defenders DJ Taylor (thigh) and Zarek Valentin (lower leg).
Hassani Dotson scored on a first-half penalty kick and the Loons made it hold up on the road in their penultimate game of the season.
