Joaquin Pereyra scored a brace Sunday night, and Cherrion Valerius added a goal as visiting Minnesota United continued their late-season surge with a 3-1 defeat of LAFC.
Minnesota (10-12-11, 41 points) improved to 3-0-3 in its last six matches and heads into Decision Day on Saturday two points behind Seattle and Colorado for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Minnesota must win at home against San Jose and hope for losses by the Sounders and Rapids.
The Loons looked like a playoff side against LAFC (12-10-11, 47 points), who saw their unbeaten run end at four matches (1-0-3) but had already clinched a playoff berth.
LAFC held a 22-6 advantage in shots and a 7-3 edge in shots on target but couldn’t find the back of the net until Sergio Vasquez scored in the 90th minute.
By then, Minnesota was in cruise control, thanks to a five-minute stretch late in the first half when it took advantage of defensive lapses to score twice and seize control.
Pereyra opened the scoring in the 29th minute when he collected a loose ball in the box off Valerius’ long throw-in from the left side and fired a left-footed shot into the right corner. LAFC was slow to react to the deflection off Kelvin Yeboah’s shoulder.
Valerius doubled the lead when he ran into the box and volleyed a pass off Yeboah’s head into the right corner for his first goal in six starts. The sudden offensive outburst was a reversal of fortunes for Minnesota, which had been shut out in its previous four matchups against LAFC.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender kept the Loons in control with six saves, preventing LAFC from pulling a goal back until it was too late.
Frustration mounted for LAFC as Igor Jesus slammed a ball into the turf in front of referee Joe Dickerson late in the first half and received a yellow card.
Pereyra sealed the outcome in the 80th minute with his second goal, blasting a shot into the lower left corner and past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
–Field Level Media
