Loons blow lead, off to worst home start

ORLANDO CITY 2, MINNESOTA UNITED 1

Minnesota has only two points after three St. Paul matches

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese (1) stops a shot by Minnesota United forward Sang Bin Jeong (11) in the first half Saturday night in St. Paul. PHOTOS BY JOHN AUTEY — PIONEER PRESS PHOTOS

Minnesota United forward Sang Bin Jeong makes a sliding tackle on Orlando City forward Gastón González (22) during the first half of Saturday night’s MLS match at Allianz Field.

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By Andy Greder

agreder@pioneerpress.com

Minnesota United has taken a one-goal lead in each of its three home matches this season, but the Loons have given away all three at Allianz Field.

After the Loons settled for 1-1 draws in the first two home games, Orlando City erased MNUFC’s 1-0 lead in the 66th minute and scored the winner in the 88th minute for a 2-1 victory Saturday.

The Loons have now dropped seven points from leading positions at home this season, and their two total points is a franchise worst start through three matches since the club joined MLS in 2017. They had three points in 2021.

“The frustration part is we have had the lead in all of those games and just collapsed,” Robin Lod said.

After a five-game unbeaten start, Minnesota (3-2-2) has dropped two straight.

Bongi Hlongwane put MNUFC up in the 58th minute when he finished inches from goal after Lod and Hassani Dotson put it on a platter for the South African.

The Loons held the lead for less than 10 minutes as Orlando attacked down the left flank and crossed it to Ivan Angulo, who rippled the back of the net in the 65th minute.

In the 88th minute, Orlando went down the left again, Angulo’s shot hit the crossbar, but Duncan McGuire pounced on the rebound with a free header in the six-yard box for the winner.

Orlando coach Oscar Pareja praised the Loons’ center backs but wanted his wingbacks to go after Minnesota outside backs and then cross the ball into the box. “Knowing that weakness, we exploited (that) very well,” Pareja said.

Minnesota had two quality scoring chances to take a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes. Lod’s shot from near the penalty spot was fired over the cross bar in the 81st minute, and Franco Fragapane’s close-range attempt was denied by Pedro Gallese.

MNUFC led in shots 17-12 and shots on goal 4-2, but Orlando capitalized on its pair.

“Especially (Saturday) we had enough (scoring) chances to score and win,” Lod said. “We just have to be more precise in the final third. That was the issue.”

Bongi Hlongwane had a scoring chance in the second minute, but his shot went wide, and his shot in the 17th minute was on target.

New South Korean attacker Sang Bin Jeong had a shot on frame in the 42nd. Lod fed Jeong from roughly 12 yards out, but his shot went straight to Gallese. Jeong put his head in his hands over not capitalizing on the quality chance.

“It’s a difficult one to take, but that’s football -- small margins at either end,” manager Adrian Heath said.

Without an open play goal in two and a half games coming into Saturday, Heath had reshuffled his attacking foursome atop a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Jeong made his first MLS start as the central attacking midfielder, with Hlongwane on the left and Lod on the right.

The Loons had a league-low 42 percent possession across six games, and Heath wanted more concerted possession in the attacking half. They weren’t much better on Saturday with only 46 percent.

Briefly

>> The Loons will travel to face the Seattle Sounders next Saturday, where they are 0-8-0 all-time in MLS play.

>> Dotson made his 100th appearance in all competitions in its MLS era since 2017. He joins the 100 club, including Michael Boxall, Brent Kallman, Ethan Finlay and Lod. Dotson replaced Wil Trapp in the starting XI.

>> Left back Kemar Lawrence had an injury scare in the first half, taking a hit to the head while making a clearance. After concussion tests with medical personnel, the Jamaican stayed in the match.