United takes advantage of red card to defeat Fort Lauderdale

With each Minnesota United FC game, Damion Lowe's stock climbs higher.

He scored his first goal of the spring season Saturday and showed accountability on the defensive end. The Loons rolled to a 3-0 victory against Fort Lauderdale, and praise for Lowe reached a new peak.

"He was the man of the match tonight," United coach Carl Craig said. "Earlier in the season, he wasn't as calm, but now he's playing like a seasoned pro."

The rasp in first-year coach Craig's voice came from shouting instructions over what he called the loudest National Sports Center Stadium fans he has heard since the first leg of the 2012 championship series.

An announced crowd of 9,050 attending the season opener in Blaine cheered goals from Lowe and forward Christian Ramirez.

"It's always good to know the coach is crediting you," said Lowe, a Jamaican-born defender on loan from Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders. "It means that I've done a good job today."

Minnesota received a man advantage for much of the match and did not squander the opportunity.

Fort Lauderdale forward Geison Moura, a United player last season, didn't last long in his return to Blaine. Fouled and knocked down by Loons defender Jeb Brovsky, Moura kicked his feet toward Brovksy, was shown a red card and ejected.

The Strikers (0-1-1) were a man down from the 21st minute until the game's end.

Aware a wounded team remains dangerous, Lowe helped the Loons (2-1) take advantage.

He surged through traffic and used his 6-3 frame to head a Ben Speas corner kick home in the 40th minute.

Ahead 1-0, Minnesota forward Christian Ramirez kept the pressure on teammates.

"I was screaming at the guys that we need to punish them and get the next goal before half," Ramirez said.

Ramirez led the way. His heads-up play gave the Loons a 2-0 edge moments before halftime. He distracted Bruno Cardoso by staying in the flight path of an aerial ball dropping toward the Strikers' goalkeeper. Cardoso misplayed the ball and Ramirez put it away for his second goal of the season.

"Before the game, guys were saying their goalie is known for coughing up some balls so I just had to make it a little tough for him," Ramirez said. "That goal was exactly what we needed at that moment."

Lowe concurred.

"To get the goal before the half kind of broke them," he said.

A Fort Lauderdale own goal in the 69th minute closed out the scoring.