Minnesota United falls 1-0 to Austin for second straight loss

Two days before his team's 1-0 shutout loss at Austin FC on Sunday night, Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath called himself confident that his team would score goals.

Now after Austin striker Maxi Urruti's opportunistic 58th-minute goal stood as the only goal of the night at Q2 Stadium, the Loons have scored five goals in six games. They have also lost consecutive games after a 2-0-2 start.

The Loons had scored one goal in each of their first five games before they came to Austin and were undone by Urruti's lone goal and goalkeeper Brad Stuver's clean sheet. They did so the first time they played former teammate Ethan Finlay, who left last winter as a free agent.

Austin FC scored five goals in its first game and another five in its second, and now the second-year expansion team is 3-1-2 and fourth in the Western Conference compared with the Loons' 10th place after also losing to Seattle last week.

Sunday's only goal came after Loons captain Wil Trapp lost possession of the ball near midfield and Austin FC pushed forward. Urruti was knocked down by defender Bakaye Dibassy in the 18-yard box and tried to draw a penalty shot by rolling on the turf injured.

When that didn't work, he got up and almost immediately turned Hector Jimenez's crossing pass into a one-touch, right-footed shot into an open net.

Loons defender Michael Boxall was livid.

"We do the hard part and stop the counter and get numbers back," Boxall said. "Maybe we had some guys watching there and he just floats into that space. Decent ball, decent finish, but with the amount of numbers we had back, we've got to do better than that."

It was all Austin FC needed against an opponent laboring to score goals.

Afterward, Heath was asked if his team's offensive struggles are a lack of combination play or execution.

"A little bit of everything," he said. "I don't think we're as sharp as I would like. Our final ball has been poor at times. We're making the wrong choice. For us to start climbing this table, we need our forward players to start to produce."

Only striker Luis Amarilla has scored more than once and he did so in consecutive games against San Jose and Seattle.

Of the other three Loons goals, Robin Lod, Hassani Dotson and Emanuel Reynoso have one each. Franco Fragapane, who missed two games injured, hasn't scored but has an assist, as does Dotson.

Austin FC coach Josh Wolff said Reynoso "always has some magic," but that has been sprinkled in small doses so far this season.

"We've got to keep faith in him because we know what he's about," Heath said. "We know what he's about. He's fighting his game a little bit at this moment in time. Maybe he's overthinking it a little bit. He's better when he plays instinctively. That's when he's at his best.

"… If we're going to achieve what we want to achieve, then we need Rey to be creative and scoring goals for us because that's what he has done since he has been here."

Heath started young Hondurans Joseph Rosales and Kervin Arriaga together in a 4-3-3 formation used in last week's second half. Veterans Metanire, Oniel Fisher and Fragapane all returned from hamstring injuries — and all as second-half substitutes.

Fisher replaced newcomer Kemar Lawrence after Lawrence went down holding his leg in the 67th minute. Metanire subbed for Trapp a minute later to protect Trapp, who drew a yellow card in the first half.

Adrien Hunou, the Loons' $2.5 million striker, came on in the 80th minute to play for the first time since the season opener. He did so in a game that turned wide open after the Loons pressed forward seeking a tying goal.

The Loons had their scoring chances, but not enough.

"It's tough for him, wasn't it?" Heath said. "The game was end-to-end. It's difficult when you come on only for 15 minutes."

Etc.

The Star Tribune did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the game.