MINNEAPOLIS ā One could say that Minnesota Unitedās2-2 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday night in TCF Bank Stadium displayed signs of growth. It was, after all, the first time the expansion side had strung together consecutive positive results since April. Loons coach Adrian Heath and his men, however, were none too happy about the result.
āWe lost two points today,ā said an animated Heath, after the match. āIf you want to play a nice game of football, thatās great. I can play a nice game of football. What I canāt do is run fast and make the defense uncomfortable. In the second half, we did that. When we do, weāre good. When we donāt, weāre bang average.ā
Minnesota won the possession battle for every five-minute interval of the match and yet the hosts conceded two goals in the first half, the first on a penalty kick after a hard challenge by goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, and the second off a set piece, where Tony Tchani was left unmarked and found an easy finish. With a two-goal lead on the road, Minnesota knew Vancouver would be tough to crack.
āWe played with a little more energy and forward-thinking,ā Loons midfielder Sam Cronin said of the teamās second half. āWe popped it around nice enough in the first half, but we werenāt threatening their goal enough. With them having a two-goal lead, we know that they would be sitting more. The onus was on us to make something out of the game, and we did, which is great. To play the way we did and only walk out with a point is disappointing.ā
Minnesotaās comeback started with a Francisco Calvo header. The Costa Rican international was happy to open his MLS account, but his sentiments matched those of his manager.
āWe canāt feel like weāre a new team,ā said the captain, looking defeated. āWe can beat any team in this league, I think. Iām disappointed because I know (Vancouver) are happy with one point. We gave away two points that weāre going to need at the end of the day.ā
This continues a trend over the season of Minnesota conceding early goals. The Loons have allowed their opponent to score first in 13 of their 17 matches thus far.
āGet out from the start from the whistle and try to get three points,ā Calvo suggested, when asked how to change the teamās luck in the early goings. āWe donāt have to wait for them to score two goals to wake up. Itās the smallest details that make a difference. We need to work on that.ā
While the Loons walk out of the week with four points from games against Western Conference foes Portland and Vancouver, the club appears ready for the Secondary Transfer Window to open.
āWe canāt wait until halftime and have me lose my voice to get the reaction that we had,ā Heath warned. āIf we do, itās not going to be enough. Weāll have to change things. Weāre down to bare bones at this time. We need to bring some reinforcements in.ā