Kelvin Yeboah’s headed goal on a pass from Devin Padelford in the 90th minute helped Minnesota United come away with a 2-2 draw against host Austin FC on Saturday in the season-opening match for both teams.
Yeboah waited unmarked in front of the net for Padelford’s pass, directing the shot past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver in what amounted to little more than a layup which allowed the Loons to split the points.
Myrto Uzuni’s deflection in the goalmouth of a shot by Jon Gallagher in the 76th minute put Austin in front and had the hosts in the catbird seat. Uzuni used his chest to assure Gallagher’s shot from just outside the six-yard box would make it over the goal line.
Gallagher’s shot was preceded by a spot-on, cross box pass by Robert Taylor that turned the Loons’ defense and set the table for the scoring play.
The Verde almost immediately reaped dividends from Facundo Torres, their flashy, designated-player acquisition this offseason. Torres worked hard in the offensive zone to earn a corner kick and then took it, passing directly onto the head of Brendan Hines-Ike, who directed the ball past Minnesota keeper Drake Callender and into the net in the seventh minute.
Hines-Ike tried to beat Callender with another header in the 13th minute but the keeper made the save.
Minnesota had an excellent scoring chance in the 32nd minute but Yeboah’s header off a corner kick by Tomas Chancalay went over the crossbar.
The Loons equaled the score in the 40th minute as Morris Duggan leapt to head a corner kick from Joaquin Pereyra through the legs of Stuver and into the net. Duggan’s goal came directly after Stuver stopped Chancalay with a save on the doorstep.
Stuver made a diving save on a point-blank shot by Yeboah two minutes into first-half stoppage time to keep the game tied at 1-1.
Callender recorded saves on shots by Torres and Gallagher in the 53rd and 58th minute, respectively, to keep the Loons level early in the second half.
Austin played without dynamic midfielder Owen Wolff as he recovers from a sports hernia surgery. Minnesota was without much-ballyhooed signee James Rodriguez, the Colombian megastar who was inked on Feb. 6. Rodriguez is not yet in game shape and did not travel with the team to Austin.
–Field Level Media
