Minnesota United continues late-season push with 1-0 victory at Vancouver

Across three time zones and from altitude to sea level in a week, Minnesota United brought home from Vancouver on Saturday night their first fourth consecutive clean sheet and a 1-0 victory.

The Loons followed last weekend’s 3-0 home victory over Colorado and Wednesday’s scoreless draw at Real Salt Lake with a gritty performance that moves them further away from the MLS playoffs’ play-in game for the eighth and ninth seeds.

They are now firmly seventh in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the eighth-place Whitecaps and four ahead of ninth-place Portland. They are also only two points from fifth place Houston.

Versatile midfielder Hassani Dotson’s penalty kick — the first one he’s attempted in his career — in the 24th minute stood as the winner.

The Loons have five victories and a draw in their past seven games and are 5-2-1 since Leagues Cup play ended in late August. They have one game remaining, in two weeks at home against St. Louis City.

Call it a tale of two seasons. And call Loons coach Eric Ramsay delighted.

“We fulfilled what I hoped but probably had no right to expect,” he said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with what they’ve done and what they’ve shown, the sense of togetherness and spirit that is requires for what we did tonight, which is put on a very disciplined workmanlike performance on a pitch and in a context where it’s a very difficult place to play.”

The Loons (14-12-7) are 8-6-3 on the road compared to 6-6-4 at home.

BOXSCORE: Minnesota United 1, Vancouver 0

The Loons played a reconfigured starting 11 after clinching a playoff spot for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Center back Micky Tapias returned to the lineup for veteran Michael Boxall, suspended with a red card.

The Loons also left stars Kelvin Yeboah and Robin Lod on the substitute list until they entered in the 58th minute, along with Joseph Rosales.

They were given a rest to start the game 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 lineup.

“We wanted to be sure with started the game with a real freshness and energy and I did not want to look at the lineup and second guess how players were going to cope with the exertion it took in Salt Lake,” Ramsay said. “We sat on a game plan that hopefully — and did — allow us to start the game strong and finish the game strong.”

With their usual penalty taker Yeboah not on the field, Dotson stepped forth after the Whitecaps’ Mathias Laborda stuck out his heel and tripped Loons defender Carlos Harvey just inside the 18-yard box.

Dotson powerfully beat Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka after Takaoka guessed one way and Dotson went the other with a rising right-footed shot just inside the left post, his fifth goal in 28 games this season.

“We’ve got some confident guys on the pitch and we’ve got a harmonious group in the dressing room that is free of huge egos,” Ramsay said. “It has situation, Hassani thought he could do the job and he did it really well. The players make that call in the moment. Everyone has a good feel who can take a good penalty and who struggles.”

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 the ball crossed the line.