Minnesota United benefits from own goal, plays to 1-1 draw with Sounders

Seattle Sounders defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade scored twice in similar ways during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Minnesota United at Allianz Field.

Both were well-timed leaping headers, the first for his own team in the 17th minute, the second a tying own goal for the Loons in the 56th minute.

For the Loons' many chances — and Seattle's, too — that's all Sunday's game could provide.

"It's football," Loons coach Adrian Heath said.

So that explains it.

The Loons still have beaten Seattle once in all competition during the seven seasons since they entered MLS. Seattle is now 11-1-2 in those games, with the Loons' only victory coming July 18, 2021 at Allianz.

On Sunday, the Loons were without injured leading goal scorer Bongokuhle Hlongwane, while midfielders Robin Lod and Kervin Arriaga are still recovering from surgery.

Star Emanuel Reynoso played all 90 minutes on a swollen ankle, in some discomfort but without noticeable negative effects.

"It's one of them situations where every time somebody tackles him, he gets kicked on it," Heath said. "It swells up after games and certain training sessions. He'll just have to play through it as best he can."

The Loons still have won just twice at home this season, even though they pushed forward and pressured Seattle later in the first half and most of the second half.

"We know it's toward the end of the season," Loons midfielder Hassani Dotson said. "The pressure is on. We know we need to start getting the wins, but I think we have to take the positives from today, how well we played and look how we can capitalize on that great play."

Sunday's draw makes the Loons 2-2-7 at home. They have won six times on the road.

Seattle's goal in the 17th minute countered the Loons' strong start when Nico Lodeiro curled a cross from the left wing to Yeimar, who had created space in the six-yard box in front of center back Micky Tapias and behind Michael Boxall. He rose up over the crowd and redirected the ball with a contorted header for his second goal this season.

"You don't expect people will get a free header in the middle of the goal, which he was," Heath said.

In the 36th minute, Boxall rose over everybody in the six-yard box on the opposite end facing an open goal and headed Reynoso's chipped cross over the crossbar.

"Rey gave the perfect ball in," Boxall said. "I think I just leapt up early. It feels like you have so much time. I just messed it up completely. … You don't get judged on playing 88, 89 minutes. It's moments like that you get judged on."

Yeimar scored his second goal with another leaping header. This one was intended to clear Reynoso's long, curling free kick away from danger, but knocked it up and over keeper Stefan Frei's outreached hands and into the goal's upper left corner.

Heath praised Dotson and Joseph Rosales for their midfielder play outside with Reynoso in the middle. Dotson started at Hlongwane's right-side position, but played two other midfield positions, too.