Minnesota United busted two streaks with Sunday's 1-0 victory over unbeaten Seattle in which one could argue Loons midfielder Robin Lod scored twice.
Minnesota United ends Seattle's league-record streak with first win ever over Sounders
Loons ended Seattle's MLS-record streak to start a season undefeated at 13 games and beat the Sounders for the first time in nine league games.
July 19, 2021 at 11:51AM
Lod's tap-in goal in the 81st minute came while the referee waited for a dead ball so he could determine by video review whether Lod drew a foul in the 6-yard penalty box — and whether the Loons deserved a penalty kick with the clock clicking on a steamy afternoon at Allianz Field.
They needed only one goal to defeat a deeply depleted Sounders team that hadn't lost all season before Sunday. It went on an MLS-record 13-game unbeaten streak — 8-0-5 — to start a season.
The Loons ended an eight-game winless streak vs. Seattle. Until Sunday, they had never beaten the Sounders in MLS play — seven losses, one draw in eight games — dating to Minnesota United's inaugural 2017 season.
The victory was coach Adrian Heath's 50th regular-season one with the club.
"I would have liked to have been a bit quicker," he said, "but there you go."
Heath called himself pleased for his players and the club's supporters, whom he said were "magnificent" on a sunny summer Sunday that required hydration breaks for players.
"I thought that was as good an atmosphere as we've had in the stadium," Heath said of the announced sellout crowd. "They got us through in the end."
Lod's goal got them through, with assists from star playmaker Emanuel Reynoso and second-half substitute Niko Hansen.
Hansen entered the game in the 73rd minute for starting striker Adrien Hunou. Heath put Hansen in Lod's right-side position and moved Lod up top into Hunou's spot to add some pace to the game.
They created two scoring chances in the next seven minutes. On the first one, Lod was brought down inside the penalty area, but referee Alan Kelly didn't call it. Heath said Kelly told him after the game that he intended to video review the play had Lod not scored the game's only goal before the next break in action.
"I mean, I only scored one, but we should have a penalty at least on the other situation," Lod said. "I haven't seen it on the replay, but live I thought it was."
Mere moments later, the Loons turned a Seattle turnover near midfield into the winning goal. Reynoso's pass through a defender's legs gave Hansen space to create on the right side near the goal line. He chipped a ball past another Sounders defender to Lod at the far post, and he scored easily.
"We just thought Niko might give us a bit with his energy," Heath said. "All you do is make those decisions hoping they have an influence on the game. We bring Robin up there and got a goal. Makes it look like you know what you're doing."
Depleted by injuries and absences, the Sounders played on without nine players, including the midfielding Roldan brothers: Cristian was gone to play with the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Alex with El Salvador's team. Their substitute list included two "hardship" recalls from Tacoma. One reserve is 15 years old.
The Loons, again without starting defenders Michael Boxall and Romain Metanire, won after an 11-day schedule break. Heath used that time to cancel a long weekend off after a lousy 2-0 loss at Colorado on July 7. Heath seethed after that game and beamed after Sunday's, which atoned a little for a late 3-2 loss at Seattle in the Western Conference final in December and a season-opening 4-0 loss there in April.
"Colorado was really low for us," Lod said. "The work rate wasn't there. People didn't play their best. I'm happy the team bounced back and worked hard. We deserved the win, for sure."
Minnesota started only two strikers against Seattle, leaving Sang Bin Jeong and Joseph Rosales to provide the width behind Teemu Pukki and Kelvin Yeboah.
