Coming off the first hat trick in Minnesota United FC history last week, Darwin Quintero hardly slowed his production.
The Loons forward scored a goal and had a hand in his team's other two in a 3-2 win over Real Salt Lake Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Minnesota scored all three goals in the second half, with Ibson getting it started in the 51st minute and Miguel Ibarra adding on in the 68th.
But the home side had to hold on, as Joao Plata, a mid-second half sub, scored twice to cut the lead to one. Plata's second goal was a header in the 85th minute.
Long before that, Ibarra blocked two shots on one Real Salt Lake possession in the 30th minute of a scoreless first half.
RSL's Damir Kreilach had two quality chances in the first 45 minutes, only to be turned away just before halftime by Loons goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth a few minutes after sending a header over the bar.
Goals
- 51' — MIN — Ibson | WATCH
- 62' — MIN — Darwin Quintero | WATCH
- 68' —MIN — Miguel Ibarra | WATCH
- 77' — RSL — Joao Plata | WATCH
- 85' — RSL — Joao Plata | WATCH
Three Things
THE BIG PICTURE: Quintero spearheads a Minnesota United attack that can be quite entertaining and effective, but the Loons can only hope to outscore opponents because of a sketchy defense. They haven't done that regularly enough; hence a losing record. Still, the home fans are seeing wins and the club has yet to debut its transfer window signees, so there is hope. For Real Salt Lake, this result is puzzling yet represents more of the same lack of success on the road this season, with only one win in 10 games. After wins over two top Western Conference foes, this was one they had to feel confident about. Instead, a faulty 17 minutes did them in on Saturday.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH: With a nod to Ibarra and his first-half hustle on defense, Quintero's chip for a goal was special. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando had only moments before been shaken up, and it looked like Quintero tested him and won.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Darwin Quintero. Short in stature but mighty on moves, he attacked and pressed relentlessly, particularly during the run of goals early in the second half, and once again drove his team to victory.
Next Up
- MIN: Wednesday, July 18 at New England Revolution (8 pm ET | TV & Streaming Info)
- RSL: Saturday, July 21 vs. Colorado Rapids (11 pm ET | TV & Streaming Info)
