SEATTLE – It’s rare for an entire crowd to be upset seconds into a match.
Minnesota United managed to have Sounders fans riled by the third minute of the Game 2 playoff match at Lumen Field on Monday.
Dayne St. Clair, who woke to news he was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, started time wasting with his goal kicks from his first touch. Teammate Joaquin Pereyra wallowed in apparent pain after mundane contact with Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan in the fifth minute. And referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere had to pull the captains together for a reset in the sixth minute.
Suddenly it seemed the “dark arts” typically left for the close of a match were going to cloud the entire game in addition to Minnesota’s compact defense squeezing the life out of the Sounders’ offense.
The antidote was still netting a goal for fifth-seeded Seattle to remain in the best-of-three series. Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas contributed two to help seal a 4-2 win and force a decisive Game 3 on Saturday. The match will air at 1 p.m. from Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn.
In addition to avoiding being swept in the series, the Sounders denied Minnesota a sweep in play at Lumen this season. The Loons are the only MLS team to beat Seattle at home this year, a first since Minnesota joined MLS in 2017.
Sounders forward Jordan Morris helped create the opening score opportunity with a run in the box that was blocked to earn a corner kick. Albert Rusnák floated a ball in that was defended well by Minnesota.
But it fell to Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas, who unleashed a low, left-footed shot at goal. It was too powerful for St. Clair to stop, giving the Sounders a needed goal in the eighth minute.
The fourth-seeded Loons slightly loosened their defending and the Sounders continued with quick intricate passes to get in scoring positions.
Seattle pelted St. Clair, again, in the 21st minute when Roldan won a ball and got a cross to Jesús Ferreira. The winger headed a pass to Morris deep in the keeper’s box, tap a shot out to St. Clair’s reach for a 2-0 lead.
Despite the deficit, St. Clair and the Loons continued with their gamesmanship. And the majority of the 30,085 in attendance released a synchronized boo every time the keeper touched the ball.
The Sounders finally looked like themselves in the 41st minute. Yeimar ignited a build up on the right side where five Sounders players had successful passes to get a goal for forward Danny Musovski. Lumen erupted with Musovski, who has a career-best 17 goals through all competitions this season.
Lauziere signaled for eight minutes of stoppage time that nearly ended the party.
Minnesota broke character and were able to net two goals of sloppy turnovers. Loons forward Robin Lod intercepted a pass between Vargas and Morris, flipping it into a smooth counterattack Nectarios Triantis finished off with a right-footed goal.
Yeimar played around on the ball too much four minutes later to give the Loons another chance. He was picked off and another counterattack ended with a left-footed goal from Lod. Sounders keeper Stefan Frei tried to make the save outside the keeper’s box but missed.
Seattle entered the half leading 3-2. The expressions on the players’ faces were as if they were losing.
Halftime did little to settle the Sounders in the must win match.
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer subbed off right back Alex Roldan for Kalani Kossa-Rienzi at the break. With tension still high, including a no-call for Musovski getting clipped inches outside the box, Schmetzer replaced the forward for winger Paul Rothrock in the 66th minute.
Rothrock had another prime time moment in the waning five minutes of the match. He won the ball on the left wing and muscled his way into the box, spotting an open Vargas at the top. He got the ball to him and Vargas didn’t hesitate in sending another shot at St. Clair. It deflected off Hassani Dotson and into the back of the net for a goal in the 86th minute.
Vargas stretched his arms out and simulated flying around the field as fans cheered.
Schmetzer opted to play two forwards Monday. He replaced Rothrock with Musovski and shifted Morris to the right wing with Ferreira playing on the left. Musovski’s career season was possible, in part, to getting playing time due to Morris suffering multiple injuries.
Minnesota coach Eric Ramsay didn’t make any changes to his starting lineup.