Check out my gamer and notebook from Minnesota United's 3-2 victory against Real Salt Lake on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. And as you will have read in my gamer, lots of negatives around this three points. But here's a blog where I'll share some of the good things.
Winger Miguel Ibarra said the offense was working well, especially on passing.
"Offensively, we keep the ball well. We move it around. We create a lot of opportunities," Ibarra said. "That's been throughout the entire season. And ever since Darwin [Quintero] got here, it's been even more. I think we just have got to continue doing that. And like I said, our biggest weakness right now is our defense. Which, for me, we've got to get a clean sheet when we're winning 3-0."
Center back Michael Boxall said the shape was one of the main positives from the first 75 minutes of the game.
"In the first half, we struggled a little bit because they were coming at us and pressing quite high, so it took us a little bit to adjust there," Boxall said. "But in the second half, you see Ibson and Darwin go into space. Once they beat one player, then everything opens up for us. Miguel was absolutely relentless tonight. He was quality. I know [Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick] Rimando is a little bit shorter, but surely he watched the Toronto game."
The last sentence I think he's referring to Quintero's chip-over-the-keeper goal. He had two of those against Toronto and did it again against Rimando.
Coach Adrian Heath had a little less to say about the good things his team did.
"I thought we were competitive. I thought we did the right thing. Did what was asked of them," Heath said of everything but the last 15 minutes of the game. "Needed to win the game and set us up [for the rest of the homestand]."
Now for some more negatives! I embedded a video below of Salt Lake coach Mike Petke's postgame comments, which were even more vehement than Heath's. His complaints were mainly about the refereeing, though, particularly when the Video Assistant Referee is used and why there isn't more transparency about the refs' decisions.
Heath talked to Petke as he walked off the field after his ejection. And this is what he said to him:
"I just didn't want him to get himself in trouble," Heath said. "I know what it's like, he was frustrating. And the one thing is, it's not going to change. You know, he wears his heart on his sleeve. I like Mike a lot. I think he's done a great job there. I just didn't want to get him in trouble. He did get himself in trouble tonight."
Rewatch my Facebook Live below or click here. Watch those postgame videos from Heath and Petke as well.
