Minnesota United Edges Seattle in Penalties to Progress in MLS Cup Playoffs
Minnesota United, down to ten players, staged a comeback to knock out Seattle with a 7-6 penalty shootout win following a gripping 3-3 draw on Saturday, securing their spot in the next stage of the MLS Cup playoffs.
The outcome hung in the balance until the tenth round of spot kicks, where Seattle's backup goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, who had stepped in for the shootout and got hurt on a save in the first round, struck the ball against the crossbar.
Minnesota clinched the best-of-three Western Conference first-round series 2-1, earning a second-round clash against the victor of Sunday's decisive first-round match between Portland and the top-seeded San Diego.
Seattle levelled the score at 3-3 in the 88th minute through Jordan Morris's goal, assisted by Cristian Roldan off Albert Rusnak's corner.
With ten minutes of added time failing to produce a winner, the game headed to penalties, prompting the Sounders to replace Stefan Frei with Thomas in goal.
Minnesota's Joaquin Pereyra sent the opening penalty wide to the right, and Thomas injured his hand while diving but continued playing.
Morris clipped the crossbar in the second round, keeping the sides tied as they moved into sudden-death kicks.
Thomas denied Minnesota's Anthony Markanich in the seventh round and Hassani Dotson in the eighth with key saves.
Yet Seattle squandered their opportunities to seal it, as Obed Vargas struck the left post in the seventh round and Osaze De Rosario's effort was stopped by Minnesota's Dayne St. Clair, the league's Goalkeeper of the Year.
Still even after nine rounds, St. Clair fired a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner in the tenth, paving the way for Thomas's miss and handing the Loons the triumph.
St. Clair conceded twice in the opening eight minutes of the do-or-die encounter, allowing the Sounders to take control right away.
Slovak midfielder Rusnak netted in the fifth minute, and US winger Danny Musovski added one from near range in the eighth for Seattle.
Argentine midfielder Pereyra responded for Minnesota in the 19th minute, unleashing a left-footed strike from just outside the box off a free kick.
Minnesota dropped to ten men in the 41st minute after left back Joseph Rosales received a red card for violent conduct following a foul on Seattle's Jesus Ferreira.
Despite that, United equalised when Colombian centre back Jefferson Diaz headed in during the 62nd minute, courtesy of an assist from Morris Duggan.
Markanich put Minnesota up 3-2 in the 71st minute, the US forward nodding home from Pereyra's corner to the back post, teeing up the tense finish.
Two upcoming Eastern Conference first-round deciders pit Nashville against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Columbus versus Cincinnati, with the victors facing off in round two.
Miami aims to dodge a third first-round knockout in four years, having lost to Atlanta last season and New York City in 2022.
The Herons must cope without key Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, sidelined for one match by MLS due to violent conduct in their defeat at Nashville last week.