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ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Loons captain Wil Trapp spoke Monday about the importance of not taking even a second off during the stretch run to the MLS Cup playoffs.
On Tuesday, Trapp’s midfield partner, Kervin Arriaga, was undisciplined in his high press early in the second half, and the Honduran’s forward movement allowed former MLS MVP Carlos Vela the space needed for the Mexican to use his magical left foot to produce an equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw at Allainz Field.
The brief letdown cost the Loons a win and three points after Brent Kallman’s first half header gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
With Minnesota’s playoff positioning slipping in three straight scoreless losses, a goal and a point will be precious. But they lost points from a winning position at home.
Minnesota (13-12-6) made the smallest improvement and moved up into fifth place with 45 points, while first-place LAFC (19-8-4, 61) continue to lag behind its once torrid pace.
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Minnesota United has been in desperate need of players to get on the end of Emanuel Reynoso’s corner kicks this season. Then Brent Kallman rose up and nodded home Reynoso’s corner in the 45th minute Tuesday.
Reynoso was issued a yellow card in the 88th minute, and he will be suspended due to yellow-card accumulation for another crucial game on Saturday at Sporting Kansas City.
A goal from an unlikely center back source ended a scoreless drought of 321 minutes across three full games and late into a fourth, the 2-1 win over Houston on Aug. 27. The Loons’ MLS-era longest drought is 357 minutes from June and July of its debut season
MNUFC manager Adrian Heath was delighted with his team’s “excellent” play in the first half, but he was livid over how LAFC striker Cristian Arango was only given one yellow card in the first half.
“Still don’t know why Arango has not got a second yellow card, but because it’s LAFC they don’t seem to have the same rules as everybody else,” Heath said on The CW. “Everybody knows it should have been a second yellow … The only person who didn’t give it is the referee (Tim Ford).”
The Loons got a boost when Reynoso passed a pre-match fitness test with an ankle that kept him out of the 1-0 loss to Portland on Saturday. Reynoso started between Mender Garcia and Robin Lod, with Luis Amarilla up top.
Lod exited at halftime with a “little issue,” TV commentator Callum Williams said on The CW.
LAFC started Gareth Bale and Carlos Vela and Arango were together for the first time since they were blitzed in a 4-1 loss at Austin FC on Aug. 26. Bale has been coming info the bench in the three matches since then.
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Arango was done at the half; Bale left at the hour mark.
Briefly
Members of the Gophers men’s basketball team were in The Wonderwall supporters sections seven and eight rows directly behind the south goal Tuesday. … Twins Cuban legend Tony Oliva was the coin toss honoree for the Loons’ Hispanic Heritage game. … Minnesota was without attacker Franco Fragpane, and LAFC missed defender Ryan Hollingshead. Both were suspended due to recent cards.
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