Minnesota United ends undefeated MLS start for St. Louis City, winning 1-0

Then there were three.

Minnesota United's 1-0 victory at St. Louis City SC ended the expansion team's record 5-0 season start and left only three teams still unbeaten six weeks into this MLS season.

Only the Loons, Los Angeles FC and Cincinnati haven't lost yet and Minnesota's 3-0-2 record includes all three victories won on the road, at FC Dallas, Colorado and now St. Louis City. The Loons are also in fourth place in the Western Conference.

Loons striker Luis Amarilla ended the home team's perfect start with a 78th-minute penalty kick that stood as the winner, even after a hectic finish when St. Louis City pushed forward desperately.

"This is not luck," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "We're better than people think."

Amarilla converted his second penalty kick this season after St. Louis City defender Kyle Hiebert's sliding tackle in the 18-yard penalty box. That drew both a yellow card and the penalty kick, which Amarilla powered past keeper Roman Buerki.

A week ago, the Loons surrendered a last-gasp goal in extended stoppage time that left them feeling like they had lost a 1-1 home draw with Vancouver. They did so while playing with six starters (and seven regulars overall) away for FIFA international play.

This time, they survived St. Louis City's late-game pressure and kept 6-3 Brazilian star striker João Klauss and his surprising upstart team scoreless through seven minutes of second-half stoppage.

Everyone gone to their national teams last week was back Saturday except for versatile Robin Lod, who came back from his Finland team with what Heath called a "tummy bug."

"There was never a doubt in our minds that we could come in here and do that job," said goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, back in goal from his Canada team. "There were a bunch of guys away on national duty devastated by that last-minute result and we wanted to come in and make that right."

Klauss scored five goals in St. Louis City's first five games, a least a couple of them gifts from the opposition. On Saturday, he was limited to maybe two good chances at best, including one in the waning seconds, but couldn't score.

Last week, the referee ordered 6 ½ minutes of stoppage time and Vancouver scored in the eighth minute after he ordered more time for delay of game. Saturday, seven more minutes were put on the clock.

"Seven minutes again, is that going to be every week?" Heath asked. "I must have missed that memo. Seven minutes injury time every week. I was a little surprised as that, but we managed to see it through."

Heath praised his team for its resiliency all season, for allowing three goals all season and scoring six without their suspended star Emanuel Reynoso – and without Lod these last two weeks.

"I was so pleased with my group tonight," Heath said. "We've had so much adversity this year, through one thing or another. It's something every week. Last week, it was seven, eight players not available. This week, it's waiting for all your players to come back."

Seven regulars – six of them starters – were back to play in a 4-4-2 formation that again had strikers Amarilla and Mender García together up front.

New Zealand's Michael Boxall and Jamaica's Kemar Lawrence on Saturday returned to the backline. South Africa's Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Honduras' Kervin Arriaga came back and moved into that four-man midfielder Franco Fragapane and Wil Trapp while St. Clair returned as starting goaltender.

Heath also praised Loons supporters – 150 or 200 of them, he estimated – who he said he could hear in the corner of gleaming new and loud CityPark stadium.

"As I'm sitting here now, it has been a really good day to be the coach," Heath said.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.