Tomas Chancalay and Nectarios Triantis scored second-half goals as Minnesota United rallied for a 3-1 Decision Day victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.
Despite the win, the Loons (11-12-11, 44 points), who advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in each of the past two seasons, missed the playoffs for the first time since 2023 and just the second time in eight seasons. Minnesota finished in 10th place, one point behind Real Salt Lake for the final wild-card spot.
Drake Callender made two saves for Minnesota, which ended its season with a seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3).
Preston Judd scored a goal for San Jose (14-10-10, 52 points), which finished in fourth place in the Western Conference. Angus Gunn made three saves but was charged with an own-goal for the Earthquakes, who will face the fifth-place Houston Dynamo in Round One of the best-of-three MLS Cup Playoffs.
San Jose took a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute on Judd’s 17th goal. Niko Tsakiris picked up his 13th assist with a through pass into the middle of the box to Judd, who drilled a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net for his sixth goal in nine games.
Minnesota tied it, 1-1, in the 57th minute when Chancalay rolled a right-footed shot from the left side of the box into the far right corner of the net for his fifth goal. Joaquin Pereyra picked up his 15th assist on the play.
The Loons took a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute when Triantis drilled a left-footed shot from the top of the box that caromed off the right post, skidded across the goal line and off Gunn for the game-winner.
Triantis then sealed the win in the 94th minute with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box that went under a diving Gunn.
–Field Level Media
