Minnesota United scores twice in two minutes to turn away Colorado Rapids

A Minnesota United team that badly needed to score more goals did so in Saturday night's 3-1 victory over Colorado at Allianz Field.

Starting right-side attacker Robin Lod and second-half substitute Abu Danladi scored a goal each in a two-minute stretch late in the game and goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair robbed Colorado star striker Diego Rubio on one of his shots as the Loons ended a two-game losing streak.

Until Saturday, the Loons had scored five goals in their first six games — and never more than one in any game — until those two goals in the 77th and 79th minutes stood as the difference makers.

This time they scored three and looked dangerous on their set pieces.

"I was pleased for the players," coach Adrian Heath said afterward. "I don't think we've had a lot of luck this year and you need a little bit of luck when you're not playing as well as you'd like to."

St. Clair made seven saves in his fifth consecutive start, none more important than a 60^th-minute stop on Rubio's strike from short range that St. Clair stretched and dove and got just enough.

"One finger, literally," St. Clair said. "My middle finger."

"I got a touch, but I didn't think it was enough," St. Clair said. "I saw it hitting the post. On a different day, it might hit the post and go in. So I was really ecstatic to see it hit the post and not wander to their two attackers who were right there.

"Yeah, it was probably the best save of the night."

That save kept the score tied at 1 after the teams traded goals in the final three minutes of first-half regulation time.

It was defender Bakaye Dibassy's 42^nd-minute header — not a goal from one of the Loons' attacking front four that Heath challenged to be better — that opened the scoring. It came after star playmaker Emanuel Reynoso's one-on-one move created a crossing pass that Dibassy redirected past keeper William Yarbrough.

It was Reynoso's first assist in seven games this season for a team that is now 3-2-2.

In the 70th minute, Heath subbed Danladi and Bongokuhle Hlongwane into the game and moved Lod to move from the right side into the middle.

Lod scored seven minutes later by sweeping from short range with his off right foot a Hassani Dotson pass from the right side on which Reynoso also assisted. It was his first goal since opening day at Philadelphia a month ago.

"We know Robin can play through the middle," Heath said. "He did that in the Western Conference final. He's another goal threat, another option for us. That's for sure. He's deceptively strong."

Heath said he had sent Danladi into the game telling him, "Go make a difference, go show everybody what you can do. There's a football player there for sure. I'm glad he got a little reward for what he has put in since he got here."

Danladi scored on a shot just between Yarbrough's outstretched hands and the goal post for his first goal since he returned last winter to the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2017.

But those 22 minutes he played caused inflammation in the same part of his hamstring which he originally tore in a first-round playoff game last fall.