Robin Lod scored early and Alejandro Bran tallied late as visiting Minnesota United defeated Austin FC 2-1 on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
The Loons (1-0-0, 3 points) produced the majority of the offense in the game, peppering Austin keeper Brad Stuver with 10 shots on goal in the victory. Minnesota keeper Dayne St. Clair had to make just one save on two shots on goal.
The barrage was started by Franco Fragapane’s header on the mark in the 11th minute that was saved by Stuver at the center of the goal. Four minutes later, the Minnesota United’s Sang Bin Jeong had another header that was stopped by Stuver.
Miguel Tapias had a third header in the 29th minute was turned away by the Austin goalkeeper before Joseph Rosales put another shot on goal that was stopped by Stuver in the 31st minute.
All those chances set the table for Lod’s goal in the 34th minute. The Loons’ midfielder waited at the far post for a pass from across the box from Jeong that Stuver deflected before making short work of the opportunity with a volley that found the back of the net.
Lod and Hassani Dotson had back-to-back chances in the 44th minute to add to the Minnesota United lead but Stuver was up to the task on both attempts.
Austin FC (0-1-0, 0 points) then tried to turn the tables on the visitors a minute into first half stoppage time, but Ethan Finlay’s header was swallowed up by St. Clair, allowing the Loons to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Minnesota kept on the attack, forcing Stuver into saves in 72nd minute on a shot from DJ Taylor and in the 74th as Fragapane came calling again.
Bran sent home the dagger in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, doubling the Loons’ advantage on an assistby Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi.
That was key as Austin’s Guilherme Biro found the net four minutes later off an assist by Owen Wolff, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.
Austin played without star midfielder Sebastian Driussi, who was ruled out just prior to kickoff with a nagging hamstring injury. The Loons were also without a key player, as midfielder Emanuel Reynoso missed the match because of a knee injury that had kept him from playing any friendlies during preseason training.
–Field Level Media