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After 12 days without a match due to two postponed matches Minnesota United finally returned to the pitch tonight. the first half wasn’t dominated by the Loons on the pitch but the scoreboard showed different. An Ethan Finlay brace gave MNUFC a 2-0 halftime lead against Houston Dynamo. Memo Rodríguez would end Dayne St. Clair’s shutout streak at 34 minutes with a 59th minute goal. Houston would draw the match even late with an odd 83rd minute goal by Niko Hansen that finished out the nights scoring and solidified a 2-2 scoreline.
Minnesota United would be forced to make some changes from their last home match. Ján Greguš (International Duty), Jose Aja, and Emmanuel Reynoso would be out of the 18 with only the latter of the two being out since the last match. Chase Gasper and Ozzie Alonso would take their spots with Fred Emmings also joining them on the bench.
#MNUFC https://t.co/LjwgXIw5GV pic.twitter.com/Z5Fi3rqCWG
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 18, 2020
Shortly into the match Houston’s Adam Lundqvist would be issued a yellow (yes for some reason not a red card) for this tackle on Hassani Dotson.
Just a minute later Minnesota United would score when Robin Lod had a beautiful breakout after a touch by Kei Kamara. Lod would send the ball over to Finlay who would place it in the back of the net for the opening goal of the night.
Chase » Kev » Kei » Robin » Ethan
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) October 19, 2020
Loons up 1-0. pic.twitter.com/PQtp60WVN0
However the 15th minute would see some not great news as the potential injury to Hassani Dotson brought him off the pitch being replaced by a returning Ozzie Alonso.
16th minute sub for #MNUFC. Hopefully Dotson is ok pic.twitter.com/HwBSO0gADk
— E Pluribus Loonum (@EPluribusLoonum) October 19, 2020
Ethan Finlay would come up big again for the Loons getting a second goal on the night for a brace.
CLINICAL. @EthanFinlay13 nets his second on the night and @MNUFC lead 2-0! #MINvHOU pic.twitter.com/gGNccKEWfc
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2020
Not but a few minutes later Dayne St. Clair would make a huge save to keep the match 2-0 in favour of Minnesota United.
That 2-0 lead would not hold as long as Minnesota would have wanted it. Memo Rodríguez would absolutely blast one past DSC into the back of the net in the 59th minute. Not only did this bring the match to 2-1 but also ended St. Clair’s shutout streak at 349 minutes.
HAMMERED home from @40_jrod #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/4AlwPQbn7F
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) October 19, 2020
The Loons would make two more changes in the 69th and 70th minute when Marlon Hairston and Aaron Schoenfeld came on for Ethan Finlay and Kei Kamara respectively.
We have a substitution for . . . #MNUFC pic.twitter.com/1fUWevJjSd
— E Pluribus Loonum (@EPluribusLoonum) October 19, 2020
Houston would draw the match even in the 83rd minute with this very odd play that ended up happening.
Niko Hansen brings @HoustonDynamo level! #MINvHOU pic.twitter.com/6uJiXKssqV
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2020
This would end up being the second consecutive time the Loons faced off with Houston, went up by two, and squandered the lead and ended up with a 2-2 draw.