Ozzie Alonso draws another yellow card, will miss Minnesota United season finale

Two yellow cards issued in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City left Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath puzzled.

Loons captain and defensive midfielder Ozzie Alonso received one in the 72nd minute that suspends him for Sunday's season finale at L.A. Galaxy. The second came in the 85th minute when Sporting Kansas City's Amadou Dia's hard slide knocked Emanuel Reynoso flat on the field near his team bench's sideline. Alonso ran into Sporting K.C. midfielder Gadi Kinda from behind, tripping him near midfield, It was a costly yellow-card accumulation for him.

Dia came from afar and slid right through Reynoso's right leg, leaving him writhing on the field while the referee, linesmen and video review officials consulted and determined it not worthy of a red card.

"I said this before, I don't know what a good or bad foul is anymore," Heath said. "Ozzie gets the yellow card same as (Dia) does, for running into the back of somebody? To say I was worried (about Reynoso) would be an understatement. The referee was right there. The linesman was there, fourth official, obviously somebody upstairs who didn't think it was a bad tackle."

Calling Dotson

Alonso now won't play next week in L.A. because of too many yellow cards. That likely leaves young and versatile Hassani Dotson as the starter alongside Wil Trapp in midfield.

"The way Ozzie's been playing, it's going to be a huge miss," Heath said. "He has been incredible the last six, seven weeks; the level of performance and drive. I said to some of the younger guys, if you're going to emulate any football in MLS, don't look any further than your captain. He just epitomizes and shows everything that's good about what modern-day football is."

He's OK

Reynoso said he's fine after Dia's dangerous slide knocked him hard to the turf.

"It was a hard tackle where, thank God, it didn't end badly," Reynoso said. "But yes, I believe it was a bad tackle, where I think the referee should have made another decision. But it's fine. It's the decisions they have to make and we have to respect that."

Backs are back

The Loons' only change to their 11 was Chase Gasper's return to left back, after he served a one-game suspension in Vancouver on Wednesday for yellow-card accumulation.

Sporting KC played without injured star striker Alan Pulido.

Up and at 'em

Sunday's game was a rare noon start for ESPN.

"It's not ideal," Heath said. "I don't think anybody enjoys it, apart from the TV maybe. But certainly players and coaches prefer late afternoon and evening games. You're not really awake, you're having your pre-match at 7:30 in the morning. It's not the same, but it's the same for both teams."

Happy Halloween