Dayne St. Clair kept an impressive clean sheet and Luis Amarilla scored a stunning volley to lift Minnesota United FC past the New York Red Bulls 1-0 Sunday night, spoiling New York's home opener at Red Bull Arena.
Gerhard Struber's squad had a golden opportunity to open the scoring just 14 minutes in when referee Lukasz Szpala pointed to the penalty spot following a Video Review check that found Minnesota defender Hassani Dotson guilty of a handball. However, St. Clair was there to bail out his teammate, diving to his left to deny Patryk Klimala from 12 yards out – setting the tempo for the rest of the match.
That miss would prove costly for the Red Bulls because six minutes into the second half, off a Dotson cross, Amarilla sent a brilliant volley past a sprawling Carlos Coronel to put the Loons ahead. New York continued to press but ultimately were unable to solve St. Clair, who finished with eight saves on the night.
Goals
- 51' – MIN – Luis Amarilla | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Although the Red Bulls outshot Minnesota 19-5, they were unable to solve St. Clair, who notched his first MLS clean sheet since Dec. 3, 2020 – a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. It's the first loss of the year for Gerhard Struber's side, who will feel they deserved better. For the Loons, they pick up their first win of the season and remain unbeaten through three matches, despite facing stiffer competition – Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC and now the Red Bulls – to start the year.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The Red Bulls started on the front foot, earning a penalty kick just 14 minutes into the match. Unfortunately, that was the momentum shifter that Minnesota needed thanks to a massive save from St. Clair.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Dayne St. Clair. The 24-year-old goalkeeper was the difference on Sunday, making at least three crucial stops to preserve Minnesota's victory.
Next Up:
- RBNY: Sunday, March 20 vs. Columbus Crew | 2:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, DAZN in Canada)
- MIN: Saturday, March 19 vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 8:00 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, DAZN in Canada)
