Loons barely win a blunt Open Cup contest

120 minutes couldn't decide the match and neither could a normal round of penalties. After a nil-nil 90 followed by a scoreless extra time, and Twelve rounds of kicks later we finally got a winner. Minnesota United won their 3rd Round match over Sacramento Republic 9-8 on penalties in one of the longest shootouts in Open Cup history.

Talking to the media after the game about selection, MNUFC Head Coach Cam Knowles said

I think just in general with the schedule congestion, there's going be an opportunity for us to balance minutes out, across the squad, and that's why this game was really important in making sure that there was a body of work and being able to stretch some guys that haven't played a lot of minutes that we might be calling on in the next week or two.

Yeah, I think when you put it in the context of those guys haven't really played a competitive match with each other either it is one thing to come in and having not played, and it's another to not have the chemistry that some of the other guys have and the continuity of playing week in, week out, and I thought the guys did well we certainly would want to create more chances and put a goal in regulation time, but I thought when you look at the body of work of some of those guys who haven't logged a lot of minutes for us, especially some of the younger players, I think there's a lot to take out of it.

On the Quails' side, Spaulding played from the start despite being an injury question in the buildup.

The opening twenty minutes went by without either goalkeeper really being stretched. Minnesota's unusual back four passed the ball uneasily in their own area, offering Republic a potential counter opportunity. Nonetheless, with half an hour gone, play was mostly around the defenses rather than through them. Bongi had the best chance, with a header in the six-yard box which bounced wide.

It took until the 39th minute for Republic to get a shot on Smir's goal, from distance, and it was comfortably saved. It took until the hour mark for the game to liven up from goalless and largely unremarkable.

It was Sacramento who put its foot on the accelerator first, with the cumulative effect of speeding up the entire game. Spaulding nearly served up a go-ahead goal, but it was missed from point-blank range. Then, on 66 minutes it was the turn of Tomás Chancalay & Joaquín Pereyra - both of whom would feature in the display of collective bluntness.

Minnesota grew back into the game with 75 on the clock. A flicked header from the Loons hit the post with Vitiello stranded. It was the Loons who put the forward pressure on in the last ten against a determined Sacramento defense and Devin Padelford missed a golden opportunity in the penalty area just at the end of regulation time.

The game rolled into extra time, and it degenerated into Loon attacking and Quail defending. With 100 minutes on the clock, substitute Mauricio González hit a shot high and wide from close range for the Loons. Chancalay blasted one, but the rebound was somehow missed by Anthony Markanic.

Sacramento unexpectedly found the reserves for a run in the last few minutes of extra time, with the Loons lucky not to concede, although it was Chancalay, again, who had the last chance before play ended in kicks from the penalty mark.

It took 12 rounds of kicks.

Talking to media after the end of the game, Coach Knowles acknowledged the farcical nature of the night's events :

Man, I've been part of some ridiculous [penalty shootouts]. this is, it just… I don't know, it's becoming ingrained that we're just having these ridiculous, ridiculous penalty shootouts. But, I'm really pleased that we just came out on the right side of it. I think the experience has served us well and knowing that, you have to kind of ride the ups and downs through each shooter. I think the huge moment is Al [Alec Smir] making that save and you know what that must have felt for him, that sort of personal redemption to be able to go from missing to then keeping your team in. That is huge to have that compulsion in that moment. It is truly remarkable. To see Al from the time he was in MLS NEXT Pro and the saves he would make in shootout for us back then and getting into it much like when we had Dayne St. Clair last year, that he is a guy that makes saves. We knew that Al would have a couple saves and I just didn't know it would be to that length and in that fashion and I am pleased with him.

The Coach addressed the bluntness of the performance:

I think just in general, we talk about breaking the last line and runs in behind, and there were moments where you look at that Sacramento team and they were holding quite a high line and still being quite passive. I think those are moments where we could have tested them a little bit in behind, we could have done a little bit better. We talked before the game about getting around the outside of them, getting two-v-ones down the side, and getting the ball into the box, and I don't think we saw enough of that. But, [those are] things that we can work on, and a group of players that haven't logged, again, a lot of minutes.

It is the oldest of Cup cliches that teams must survive and advance.

Yeah, look, it's a [Lamar Hunt U.S. Open] Cup game. They're [Sacramento Republic FC] a good team. We knew it was going to be difficult coming in and you want to get through to the next round, and that’s job done. Maybe not in the fashion or in the 90 minutes that we would have hoped, but, we're on to the next round, and it gives us a chance at continuing to compete for a trophy.

The Loons move on to the Round of 16 and will play the winners of San Jose Earthquakes v Phoenix Rising match happening later today.