Playing its second game in four days, Minnesota United decided to rotate its squad against the struggling Portland Timbers. Coach Eric Ramsay made five changes to the starting lineup, including putting some of his most effective attackers on the bench.
As it turned out, that just meant that the Loons' scoring would have to wait for the second half.
Robin Lod and Sang Bin Jeong, both starters on Wednesday vs. LA Galaxy but substitutes on Saturday, scored second-half goals for Minnesota, and the Loons came from behind to beat the Timbers 2-1.
The winner came from Jeong, his first goal of the season and just his second goal since arriving in Minnesota last year. DJ Taylor, also a second-half substitute, cut back a pass from the right to find Jeong's late run into the box, and the South Korean took the chance in the 82nd minute — yet another late goal at home to earn points for the Loons.
Minnesota was denied a pair of potential penalty kicks by referee Jair Marrufo, the second after video review overturned the original on-field call of a penalty — then had to play nearly 13 minutes of second-half stoppage time without defender Miguel Tapias, who was sent off for a second yellow card.
"I was really pleased with the way we've won the game," Ramsay said. "Not necessarily from a technical and tactical perspective, but to see the game out in the way we did is really impressive."
For Ramsay, the credit went to the crowd. "You get to that point where you almost feel like you can't lose it, when the atmosphere is like that," he said.
The Timbers got on the board first in the 17th minute, and disconcertingly for Minnesota United, it was a goal that came straight down the middle of the field — the main thing the Loons defense is set up to prevent.
BOXSCORE: Minnesota United 2, Portland 1
It started with a long pass through the middle from a defender to forward Felipe Mora, who laid the ball off for central midfielder David Ayala to send a through-ball in behind the Loons defense for Jonathan Rodríguez. The Liga MX veteran made no mistake, beating goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair one-on-one and giving the Timbers the early lead.
The Loons, though, fought back with a second-half goal from Lod, created by struggling striker Teemu Pukki. The forward beat two defenders along the left sideline to get the ball to fullback Joseph Rosales, who slipped a low cross that Lod deftly deflected over Portland goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, tying the score in the 65th minute.
The goal made Lod the club's all-time leading goal scorer in the MLS era, giving him 28 in all competitions. The midfielder had family in town, who got to see him break the record — and at a more convenient time of the evening.
"It's a pleasure, because they always wake up in the middle of the night to watch the game," Lod said.
Five minutes later, Pukki earned a penalty kick, but the chance was eventually wiped away on video review, as Marrufo decided that Pukki had fouled a defender in the lead-up to the play.
Marrufo was not a popular man at Allianz Field, having also denied the Loons a penalty in the first half after Bongokuhle Hlongwane was knocked over in the area. Surprisingly, that chance went without a VAR check.
