A preposterous four-goal outburst in less than eight minutes defined Minnesota United’s first win at Seattle.
Loons forward Tani Oluwaseyi scored the opening goal in the 51st minute, and the seal was ripped off. Robin Lod made it 2-0 with a penalty kick in the 54th and Sounders’ Kalani Rienzi scored only seconds later to cut the lead to 2-1.
Then Oluwaseyi slotted in his second goal in the 58th in an eventual 3-2 win at Lumen Stadium in Seattle.
MNUFC (8-3-6, 30 points) ended one of the most lopsided series drought in MLS history: the Loons had zero points across nine MLS games in Seattle before this weekend.
Minnesota created Seattle (7-4-5, 26 points) also suffered its first defeat at home this season.
An own goal from Nico Romero in the 83rd minute cut Minnesota’s lead to 3-2 and brought back nightmares of how MNUFC gave up a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss in this building in the 2020 Western Conference final.
Loons attacking midfielders Robin Lod and Joaquin Pereyra were instrumental in setting up each goal. Lod’s deked out Seattle’s Nouhou Tolo before an assist on Oluwaseyi’s first goal.
Pereyra’s long dribble into the attacking third led to his cross to Bongi Hlongwane, who was fouled in the box for the PK Lod converted.
Then Pereyra’s initial shot was stopped by Stefan Frei, but Oluwaseyi converted the rebound.
MNUFC had the two best scoring chances of the first half, with Oluwaseyi’s header hitting the crossbar in the eighth minute. In the 45th, Julian Gressel’s shot had power but not enough direction as Stefan Frei easily shared the shot.
Loons left wingback Anthony Markanich was lucky to not receive a second yellow card in the 70th minute. Loons coach Eric Ramsay was going to sub out Robin Lod, but after that near miss Markanich was yanked out of the match.
Three tidbits
Owen Gene, 22, made his first MLS start Saturday. The French midfielder, who missed nearly two months with an ankle injury, had played only 139 minutes across seven matches this season. … The Loons signed 17-year-old attacker Darius Randell to a first-team contract and will occupy an off-roster homegrown slot. He is the club’s fourth-ever homegrown player, joining Devin Padelford, Patrick Weah and Fred Emmings. … MNUFC has 10 players — including six regulars — called up to national teams: Dayne St. Clair and Tani Oluwaseyi (Canada); Robin Lod (Finland); Michael Boxall (New Zealand); Joseph Rosales (Honduras); Carlos Harvey (Panama).
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