In front of a sold-out crowd at Allianz Field on Saturday night, both of Minnesota United's goals in a physical match against San Jose came from bench players. In a 2-2 draw with the Earthquakes, substitutes Brent Kallman and Ramon Abila found the net to extend the Loons' unbeaten streak to seven games despite a slow offensive start.
Minnesota United FC extends unbeaten streak with a draw against San Jose
Brent Kallman, Ramon Abila scored as United extended its unbeaten streak to seven.
July 4, 2021 at 2:12AM
Loons coach Adrian Heath called it a "frustrating evening."
"We put ourselves in the hole that we were in," Heath said. "We've had to use too much energy from the crowd to get ourselves back in it, to get to 2-1. And then in the end, we ran out of that emotion."
San Jose (3-7-2) got on the board first when Cristian Espinoza took the ball off Loons defender Bakaye Dibassy and found 17-year-old Cade Cowell across the box. Cowell delivered a strike to put the Quakes up 1-0 in the 15th minute.
Kallman's goal came in stoppage time at the end of the first half. He came in at center back after Loons captain Michael Boxall left in the 29th minute with an apparent groin injury. Heath said Boxall will have an MRI Sunday to determine the severity.
Franco Fragapane attempted a bicycle kick off a corner from Emanuel Reynoso, but the ball bounced off Kallman, whose tight shot found the back right corner of the net for the tying goal. It was Kallman's first goal of the year.
"I wasn't really expecting it to come right at me, and I took a horrible touch," Kallman said. "I just wrapped my hips as much as I could to try to get it on the target and it went in. It was a strange goal."
Minnesota (4-4-3) got off to a better attacking start in the second half, finding three opportunities in the opening minutes, but all ended in near-misses.
"We had four or five great chances in the second half," Heath said. "Not difficult chances; great chances. It's frustrating."
In the 69th minute, after a video review determined Loons defender Chase Gasper was fouled in the box, Abila lined up for a penalty kick. San Jose goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski stopped his initial shot, but Abila scored on the rebound to put the Loons ahead 2-1.
"Hopefully that'll give him a bit of confidence," Heath said of Abila. "He'll certainly be better for coming on and having 45 minutes. The players have responded being around him. The crowd have responded to him as well."
In the 81st minute, San Jose attacker Benji Kikanovic got past Wil Trapp and sent a shot over the head of Loons keeper Tyler Miller for the equalizer, and the 2-2 score held through six minutes of stoppage time.
"We were playing a little lethargically," Gasper said, "and it cost us."
Three international Loons players returned for the match, but only Jukka Raitala was in the starting 11. He started at right back after missing three matches while playing for Finland's national team in the European Championship.
D.J. Taylor subbed in for Raitala at the start of the second half, making his MLS debut.
Raitala's Finnish teammate Robin Lod was on site but not included in the Loons' game-day roster because of his recent travel. Midfielder Jan Gregus was available as a sub and came in for Trapp late.
Minnesota started only two strikers against Seattle, leaving Sang Bin Jeong and Joseph Rosales to provide the width behind Teemu Pukki and Kelvin Yeboah.
