Minnesota United scores goal in stoppage time to tie Columbus Crew 1-1
On the road for the first time in 2024, the Crew were seconds from doing something they had done only four times in the regular season last year: pick up a win as visitors.
Playing at Allianz Field on Saturday, Columbus looked to be heading toward a 1-0 victory over Minnesota United with the lone goal coming off the foot of striker Cucho Hernandez, an exact duplicate of the Crew's season opener against Atlanta seven days earlier.
But Minnesota's Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi did not allow for that result to play out, scoring in the final minute of stoppage time to tie the match 1-1.
Oluwaseyi found the top right corner of the net off a throw-in. The ball had a few headers after the throw-in before landing at his feet. It was Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte's first goal given up of the season.
"When we decide to clear the ball, we have to clear the ball, we don't have to just push the ball," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "We didn’t clear the ball, we touched the ball a few times. The goal that we conceded, honestly, this is a goal that we cannot concede because it's a throw -n, and we have to better with that."
Hernandez recorded his second goal in as many games in the 59th minute when he sent the ball past Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and into the lower left corner of the net.
In the opening five minutes of the match, the Crew controlled the possession for over 70% of the time but were struggling to get the ball away from their side of the field. Slowly wearing Columbus down with its press, by the 30-minute mark Minnesota was nearly equal to the Crew in terms of possession.
"The opposition did a good job to press us, and we didn't want to start slow, but they put a lot of pressure," Nancy said. "We were able to come out at certain moments. We could have done better, but it was because of the opposition, they pressed us really well."
By the end of the match, the possession breakdown was favorable for Columbus, who controlled the ball for 53% of the game.
Minnesota's defense in the box was strong throughout the first half, making any shot attempts that the Crew had fruitless. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair recorded four saves on Columbus' eight shots in the first 45 minutes of play.
With Mohamed Farsi ruled out for this game with an ankle injury, Max Arfsten started at right wingback. One of the Crew's clearest looks of the first half came off the foot of Arfsten, who had a shot on which only St. Clair stood between him and the back of the net, but St. Clair made the save.
Arfsten's biggest moment of the match came in the 59th minute when his cross from the right side was knocked down by Yaw Yeboah, leading to the ball landing at the feet of Hernandez close to the top of Minnesota's box. Hernandez quickly lined up his shot and scored.
"Initially we were building up, and I saw Cucho check kind of low and I know he's going to turn," Arfsten said. "So, then I made the run in behind and kind of had my one-v-one, cut inside and saw Yaw was wide open on the weak side. So, I just played him the ball and Cucho did well to get in a good spot."
To start the second half, Nancy subbed Christian Ramirez for Alex Matan at left forward, as it was planned that the starter would only play 45 minutes. Nancy was uncertain until the game who would replace him.
"He brought the link-up play," Nancy said in regard to Ramirez helping the second half performance. "It's also the team, the team found the weak side a little bit quicker, the overload that we can have on the weak side, and we did it better. It was more about the preparation to find between the lines, the players behind the line, and collectively we did it well."
This match was a homecoming for the 32-year-old Ramirez, as he started his MLS career with Minnesota. Throughout his 45 minutes of play, Ramirez got one look at the net, with a shot attempt that was blocked by the foot of Minnesota defender Miguel Tapias.
Crew now shift the focus to their first leg of play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday on the road against Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Minnesota United scores goal in stoppage time to tie Columbus Crew 1-1
