Robin Lod's first-half goal never felt safe. No Minnesota United lead at Seattle ever has been.
Minnesota United continues futility in Seattle with 3-1 loss to Sounders
Robin Lod scored in the 34th minute, but the Loons allowed three goals in the second half and extended their losing streak to seven games when on the road against the Sounders.
May 16, 2022 at 4:06AM
When Wil Trapp and Bakaye Dibassy pulled down Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan in the box just moments after halftime, that fear materialized. Striker Raul Ruidiaz equalized on the ensuing penalty, just past Dayne St. Clair's outstretched fingertips.
Any hopes of a draw vanished in the 74th when Roldan fired the eventual game-winning strike from outside the box. Nicolas Lodeiro's stoppage-time goal put the icing on top of the Sounders' 3-1 victory over the Loons.
"I'm sick to death of coming here and playing like we do, playing as well as we did in the first half and then deciding that we're going to give them opportunities," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "They're too good for that. It's happened the last two or three times. We got beat here before the other year, and for 80 minutes we were the better team but then decide to beat ourselves. And we keep doing it. As long as we keep doing it, we're going to keep getting the same results."
The Loons have never managed a point in Seattle. With Sunday's loss, they have now lost all seven games they have ever played at Lumen Field and hold an all-time series record of 1-10-1 against the Sounders.
Seattle entered Sunday's game at the bottom of the Western Conference as it focused on the CONCACAF Champions League, which it became the first United States team to ever win earlier this month. Unleashing its full-strength squad in MLS play again Sunday, Seattle dropped Minnesota to 10th in the West and a 4-5-2 record.
"They've got quality," Heath said, "So the last thing we need to be doing is giving them opportunities because of our stupidity."
The Loons looked like the better team in the first half but struggled to find their finishing touch outside of Lod's goal in the 34th minute.
Lod started at the top of the formation, a position he has moved toward in recent weeks from his usual spot on the right wing. After just missing on a rocket from the top of the box in the 12th minute and forcing a one-handed save on a header in the 25th, Lod got his best opportunity in the 30th when Emanuel Reynoso fed him a through ball for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Lod pulled the shot wide right.
He wouldn't miss again when a golden redo opportunity fell in his lap four minutes later. Seattle defender Nouhou Tolo let Franco Fragapane's cross go through his legs for Lod to put Minnesota United up 1-0.
"When we play like we can, we can create," Heath said. "I thought we were excellent at times in the first half, and we didn't have enough to show for it."
All the wheels fell off in the second. Trapp saw yellow for his tackle on Roldan that handed Seattle the penalty, the first of four yellow cards for the Loons. Oniel Fisher, Kervin Arriaga and Reynoso also received second-half bookings.
Add the fouls to continued finishing struggles and defensive miscues, and the Loons never stood a chance.
"We have to stop making the mistakes or we can start changing the personnel," Heath said. "Can't keep doing what we're doing. If teams are going to beat us, let them beat us through their good play, not by us giving them opportunities by stupid mistakes. And that's what we're doing at the moment."
The Star Tribune did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews after the game.
Minnesota started only two strikers against Seattle, leaving Sang Bin Jeong and Joseph Rosales to provide the width behind Teemu Pukki and Kelvin Yeboah.
