Minnesota United gives up stoppage time goal, loses 1-0 to FC Cincinnati

The first time Minnesota United and FC Cincinnati met, the Loons won 7-1. It's a club record that still stands for most goals scored in a game.

On Saturday, the Loons didn't score at all in a 1-0 second-half stoppage-time loss at Allianz Field.

FC Cincinnati attacker Brandon Vazquez's tap-in finish of a nifty three-way play in the 93rd minute was the winner — the second time in six days the Loons both lost a game very late and at least one point in the MLS standings.

Until Saturday, Minnesota United had beaten FC Cincinnati all three times the teams met in MLS play, including that June 2019 stomping.

Until Saturday, FC Cincinnati hadn't scored a goal in those games.

The visitors had to wait for it until stoppage time, but they got the winner with the clock ticking.

Los Angeles FC did the same to the Loons six days earlier, scoring twice in a game that was scoreless until the 82nd minute.

"When it's as late as that, it's obviously always a kick in the teeth," Loons coach Adrian Heath said of Saturday's loss. "The longer the game went, I always I felt it was going to be a 1-nil game."

Heath's team had its chances, both early and late on a night when Loons starters Robin Lod and Luis Amarilla were out ill.

Surprise starter Adrien Hunou and fellow attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane had first-half chances, but couldn't launch shots good enough to elude FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano.

Afterward, Heath lamented his team for not being "clinical enough" and "cool enough" in the field's final third and didn't play wide enough against FC Cincinnati's five-man backline that eats up space.

"With the opportunities we had this evening, we should have scored a goal at least," Heath said.

Celentano stopped all six shots on target he faced. Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair faced five himself, and the lone goal he allowed he had little chance after he came off the goal line.

He came out to challenge a three-way passing play that went from Luciano Acosta just outside the 18-yard box to second-half sub Calvin Harris outside the right post near the goal line and then to Vazquez alone in the 6-yard box.

With St. Clair down and a Loons defender fallen along the goal line, Vazquez tapped the ball into an open goal.

"I'm kind of at a loss for words," said Loons veteran Niko Hansen, who made his season debut as a second-half sub. "We had some good chances and just don't think we do enough. I know I personally didn't do enough. I think we're the better team, and to go away without a point that is tough."

Six days earlier, the Loons lost at Los Angeles when it surrendered goals in the 82nd and 90th minutes in a 2-0 loss.

Heath was asked after Saturday's game if that was a theme.

"No really, not yet, we will see," he said. "When you are giving corners away and you look at the size they've got with their three center backs, it's a big group they've got."

Before Saturday's game, Heath said he reminded his players they were not facing a FC Cincinnati that had won four games each of the last two seasons. They were facing a team that already had won four in its first nine games — and two of those over Toronto FC in the last week.

He said his team got the message.

"I can't fault the effort today," Heath said. "It's not that the lads didn't try or anything. I don't think there was enough equality in important areas. At the end of the day, you live and die by both boxes."