Analysis: Loons' Kelvin Yeboah shows again the right spot matters as much as the right shot

Kelvin Yeboah’s first goal of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy at Allianz Field, like his first goal this season, probably isn’t going to go on his highlight reel.

Not that it won’t look just fine as part of his team-leading tally of four goals.

“I’m also pleased that he’s scoring a certain type of goal at the moment as well,” coach Eric Ramsay said. “I think he’s learning the value of a goal that isn’t the most glamorous, off a set play, and he’s in the right position at the right time and he’s worked really hard at that.”

Yeboah’s first goal Saturday came from a long Loons throw-in, one that fell to Anthony Markanich, who hooked a shot in at Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy. After McCarthy, scrambling, couldn’t hold on to the shot, Yeboah was there to poke in the loose ball.

Yeboah referred to the goal as a “Pippo Inzaghi” goal, something that might have confused those who don’t remember the former Italian striker. Maybe the best way to describe Inzaghi was the following quote, from legendary player and manager Johan Cruyff: “He can’t actually play football at all. He’s just always in the right position.”

Inzaghi, who scored more than 200 goals across four teams in Italy, plus 25 more for the national team, probably would disagree.

Yeboah got his second of the game from the penalty spot, giving him his fourth multigoal game in his first 17 games for Minnesota United. Only Kevin Molino, Darwin Quintero and Emanuel Reynoso had more multigoal games for the Loons in the MLS era. Ethan Finlay also had four.

The striker changed his run-up for the penalty, eschewing his pause in the middle and simply sprinting forward and banging home the goal — a departure from last year, when he scored four times from the spot.

“I have to give them something to think about,” he said. “Because you know, now they’re watching my penalties.”

Morris Duggan made only the fifth start of his MLS career, and it was his first in an important position for the Loons: the center back in a group of three.

“It was definitely a big responsibility, and I really appreciate the coaching team and my teammates to trust me with that, but it felt really good,” said Duggan, who said he had “big shoes to fill” replacing Michael Boxall in the center. “He makes it look really easy, but he’s given me a few coaching tips, and the coach is helping train me to prepare for that.”

Duggan’s chief responsibility in the center of the back three involves communication, trying to organize the defense. It’s a task that’s doubly hard, given that the players on either side, Jefferson Díaz and Nicolás Romero, are not native English speakers — nor is Duggan, who is from Germany.

“I have like four or five words that I kind of repeat at home, and I use those,” Duggan said.

The Loons’ center backs are key players on set pieces, both attacking and defending — and the team scored one goal and allowed one in those situations Saturday, the concession coming in the 90th minute, with the victory there for the taking.

“We pride ourselves to be good in those situations both offensively and defensively, so it feels more like a loss, especially after last game,” Duggan said. “We really wanted to take a step into finishing out games and have that be our strong suit. That definitely was a huge blow.”

Said Ramsay: “The second goal for sure comes from that unfamiliarity with the back line and not being there, really not defending those situations. So some of the line drops very quick, some of the line drops late. We’re not really well connected between the players that should be picking the second balls up and the players that are in the line.

“I put a little bit of that down to concentration and mentality. It was a really disappointing goal to concede. We’ve got to get better there.”

Loons midfielder Hassani Dotson went down injured in the first half, following a leaping header — but it looked as if that might not have been what caused the injury.

A few minutes before, Dotson had taken a kick in the back of the leg from Galaxy winger Gabriel Pec and had gone down clutching his right knee. That appeared to be the leg he was favoring as he limped off.

Ramsay didn’t have an update after the game, but he didn’t sound optimistic. “I don’t think it’s looking great, obviously. Until we have that scanned and confirmed, then we hold out all the hope in the world for him,” he said. “He’s a tough guy. He’s an all-action player, someone that is desperate to stay on the pitch. So you assume that if he wasn’t able to do so, there’s certainly something there.”