Minnesota United can't protect late lead in 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake

Minnesota United star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso scored one goal and helped create another in his first start of the season, but the Loons gave up a goal in the last minute and settled for a 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

The Loons goals came 12 minutes apart in the first half. The Real Salt Lake goals came in the last 20 minutes in the second, including Justen Glad's equalizer in the eighth minute of stoppage time that lasted nine minutes.

The Loons (5-7-6) entered the game with four road victories, second in the MLS only to Real Salt Lake's five. Just when you thought they would record their fifth themselves, Glad snatched victory from the Loons' grasp with that very late goal. Minnesota United hasn't won an MLS game since May 20 at Portland and has fallen to 12th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference.

Surrendering late goals that cost the Loons victory or a draw has been a theme for much of this season.

"Obviously, it feels like a defeat at this moment in time," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "We took a point from a game we should have taken three and that's disappointing."

Glad's goal came after RSL forward Danny Musovski scored in the 79th minute to cut a two-goal deficit in half.

On both RSL goals, the Loons allowed long passes over their defense. Musovski held off defender Michael Boxall, just back from international duty in Europe, enough to score past goalkeeper Clint Irwin. Glad's goal came after Diego Luna contained a long pass left of the goal, bounced it off the turf and past defenders to Glad, whose one-time, left-footed strike in the penalty box gave Irwin little chance.

Midfielders Hassani Dotson and Reynoso both scored their first goals of the season in the game's 27th and 39th minutes, respectively, giving their team a lead it kept until late even though RSL possessed the ball 70% of the game.

"I thought Rey was outstanding all night," Heath said. "His contribution to the game. Every time he got the ball, he created something. Every time he got in space, he looked like he would find the pass. Some of his touch and movement, that's what we expect from Rey."

On the road back from knee surgery in April 2022, Dotson scored his first goal in 476 days on Reynoso's short cross that Dotson finished on a second chance within the penalty area.

"Right now, I'm disappointed with the result," Dotson said. "Being up 2-0 obviously feels like we lost two points. But at end of the day, the first one is the hardest. I'm glad to get that out of the way and hopefully contribute more the rest of the season."

Dotson called a game influenced greatly by video review calls both overturned and upheld "pretty controversial … I don't want to get into until I've watched the film."

Heath said he didn't think Taylor's play was a foul, but he also didn't think the Loons committed interference on a shot so far out.

The Loons played without left-side attacker Franco Fragapane, who was listed Friday as questionable because of a hamstring injury. Boxall, Hlongwane and Zarek Valentin all returned from international duty during the recent FIFA schedule break and all three came back to the starting lineup.

Meanwhile, starting goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and recent starter Joseph Rosales remained away with the Canada and Honduras national teams, respectively, for the CONCACAF Gold Cup that runs through July 16. With St. Clair gone, veteran Irwin started in goal.