Two late goals lift Minnesota United over Houston 2-1

Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath during the week called Saturday afternoon's 2-1 comeback victory over 13th-place Houston the ultimate trap game.

He never specified if he meant it with one "p" or two.

After the Loons delivered an emotional 3-1 victory at Vancouver on July 8, Heath said it took him "nearly having a heart attack to get a response" at halftime in a 1-1 draw at home against lowly Sporting Kansas City.

On Saturday, he saved the temper and simply made a tactical change at halftime, subbing in veteran midfielder Wil Trapp for starting attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane and then brought in young, speedy Mender Garcia in the 68th minute for Kervin Arriaga.

"They told me it was my game," Trapp said slyly afterward.

Those decisions helped change the game and made the Loons 8-0-2 in their past 10. They moved into third place in the Western Conference for the moment and eight points above the playoff cut line.

"I can say the right things to the players and try to make them believe me," Heath said. "But there's nothing like winning games of football to give them that belief and that confidence to keep going."

On Friday, Heath said he warned his players about "complacency" against a Houston team he says is better than its record, now 7-15-5.

On Saturday, the Loons (13-9-5) trailed 1-0 at halftime after Corey Baird's chip shot over Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair in first-half stoppage time. This time there was no inspirational tantrum.

"I don't think it was a lack of effort or lack of energy today," Heath said. "The things that have been really good for us the last four or five weeks have been the movement, the quality of passing, the quality of the final ball and then the execution. If you don't have all of that, you can have the best players in the world but you're not going to score too many goals."

Heath's substitution put Trapp back in the central midfield alongside Arriaga for the next 25 minutes until Garcia entered. The moves pushed both Robin Lod and star playmaker Emanuel Reynoso higher up the field and put strikers Garcia and Luis Amarilla up top for a team that desperately needed the equalizer.

"It makes you a bit vulnerable at times on the counter (attack)," Heath said. "I felt it was a gamble worth taking today."

It paid off.

The equalizer came on a Houston own-goal that tied the game in the 79th minute after Reynoso's free kick just outside the 18-yard box went past a three-man wall. Fafa Picault's attempt to kick the ball out of danger redirected it past helpless keeper Steve Clark.

Five minutes later, Amarilla scored the winner after he had already had two or three good chances. A fancy bicycle kick on a crossing pass went just wide of the goal and a goal he appeared to score was ruled offside.

The winner came on a powerful right-foot shot off a feed from right back Alan Benitez into the 18-yard box.

"The lads were determined at halftime to get something out of the game and they did," Heath said. "We dug one out. It wasn't the best. It wasn't the prettiest. But we dug one out."

The Loons walked away with three points on a day they played with resolve but not necessarily well.

"That's what teams that ultimately do the things they want do in the playoffs have in their DNA," Trapp said. "We were tested today and we came through. Obviously, we don't want to be digging ourselves a hole, but sometimes it's good to see what our mettle is."