RSL Suffer Playoff Shootout Elimination in Minnesota 

ST. PAUL, Minnesota. (Sat., Nov. 2, 2024) - Despite finishing the 2024 season with an eight-game unbeaten streak, Real Salt Lake (16-7-11, 59 points, 3rd West) was eliminated from the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs at the hands of Minnesota United FC Saturday. After a 1-1 draw in regulation time, RSL dropped a 3-1 penalty kick shootout tiebreaker at Allianz Field on Saturday night.

Second-year RSL MF Emeka Eneli netted a 75th-minute equalizer through the legs of Minnesota GK Dayne St. Clair from close range inside the box to cancel out Joseph Rosales’ early second-half opener for the hosts. The 1-1 scoreline after 90 minutes forced yet another penalty shootout decider in the series, with the Loons emerging in Tuesday’s game one via the same mechanism.

Eneli’s late strike represented the 25-year-old’s first career postseason goal as well as his second in total on the 2024 season, while RSL GK Zac MacMath once again turned in an exemplary performance during regulation with a total of four saves throughout the match to keep RSL in contention. The stalemate after 90 minutes also extends RSL’s unbeaten streak to eight games consecutively, with only two goals conceded in the last 450 minutes over the last 30 days.

Coming into Saturday night’s contest, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made two personnel changes to the side that started Tuesday’s series opener at America First Field. FW Anderson Julio was drafted into the starting lineup in place of captain Chicho Arango, who was forced to settle for the substitutes bench. DF Brayan Vera also made his return to the lineup alongside Justen Glad in the heart of defense, following the completion of the Colombian’s three-match suspension, with Jamaica international Javain Brown shifting across to occupy his more natural right-back position, and Eneli once again picked to start at the base of midfield.

The first half proved a mostly complicated affair for the visitors, who again struggled to break down and penetrate the hosts’ deep defensive block and were forced to rely on the services of MacMath in goal to help keep the score level at the interval.

RSL intensified proceedings at the start of the second half, and were unfortunate to have an early goal chalked off for obstruction in the buildup, when a strike from Vera rifled through the 18-yard box and into the bottom right corner. However, MF Matt Crooks was adjudged to have impeded St. Clair’s line of sight during the ball’s travel, the game remaining officially scoreless.

Just six minutes later the hosts went in front through Joseph Rosales, who found MacMath’s bottom left corner with a well-placed effort. Pablo Mastroeni’s charges, however, delivered a more convincing account of themselves throughout the second period and deservingly leveled the scores through Eneli, who managed to find time and space in the box to bury an effort through the legs of St. Clair and into the back of the net.

The ensuing penalty shootout, though, would pay RSL no favors. Captain Arango assumed the mantle of the first kick and duly tucked his effort away before a slew of three missed spot kicks from Diogo Gonçalves, Crooks, and Diego Luna - the latter seeing his shot saved and deflected off the post, sealing the result in favor of Minnesota, ending RSL’s 2024 season.

RSL 1:1 MIN

GOALSCORING SUMMARY

MIN: Joseph Rosales (Kelvin Yeboah) 53’: A simple throw-in down the Minnesota right side released Robin Lod to race down the flank and into the half-space, before laying off a pass towards Kelvin Yeboah, in the center, who in turn released a through-ball straight into the path of an onrushing Rosales for a pinpoint first-time left-footed finish into the bottom right corner.

RSL: Emeka Eneli (Matt Crooks, Chicho Arango) 75’: A smooth attacking sequence saw Eneli assume possession of the ball in midfield before playing a one-time pass forward toward Crooks, who exchanged passes with captain Chicho Arango near the top of the penalty area. A deft through-ball forward and back set up Eneli, making an underlapping run into the box, meeting his teammate’s pass with a low, hard finish through the legs of St. Clair.

PENALTY KICK SHOOTOUT SUMMARY: RSL 1:3 MIN

RSL - Chicho Arango: GOAL

MIN - Kelvin Yeboah: GOAL

RSL - Diogo Gonçalves: SAVED

MIN - Hassani Dotson: GOAL

RSL - Matt Crooks: MISSED

MIN - Wil Trapp: MISSED

RSL - Diego Luna: SAVED

MIN - Jeong Sang-Bin: GOAL

NOTES FROM RSL 1 : 1 MIN

• RSL extends its unbeaten streak to eight matches to conclude the 2024 campaign, with the 1-1 draw in full time, and only two goals conceded during the team’s last five games and 450 minutes played. RSL’s last loss was a Sept. 14 setback at Houston, and its last home loss was on Aug. 24 to San Jose.
• Midfielder Emeka Eneli’s strike represented the 25-year-old’s first career postseason goal as well as his second goal in total of the 2024 season with his first arriving during a 2-1 home loss to Colorado on March 9.
• The 1-1 draw marks the sixth consecutive stalemate between RSL and Minnesota, dating back to early in the 2023 season.
• RSL have now suffered defeats in its last three consecutive penalty shootout competitions - two this season to Minnesota and last year’s leg three at Houston - and in four of its last five, dating back to the 2022 knockout round MLS cup Playoff match at Austin.

LINEUPS:

Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath; Javain Brown, Justen Glad ©, Brayan Vera (Nelson Palacio, 61’, Noel Caliskan, 90)’, Alex Katranis; Emeka Eneli, Braian Ojeda (Diogo Gonçalves, 61’); Dominik Marczuk (Maikel Chang, 83’), Matt Crooks, Diego Luna; Anderson Julio (Chicho Arango, 72’)

Subs not used: Gavin Beavers, Andrew Brody, Marcelo Silva, Lachlan Brook

Minnesota United FC (5-4-1): Dayne St. Clair; Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Carlos Harvey, Michael Boxall ©, Jefferson Diaz, Joseph Rosales; Robin Lod (Tani Oluwaseyi, 83’), Hassani Dotson, Wil Trapp, Joaquin Pereyra (Jeong Sang-Bin, 70’); Kelvin Yeboah

Subs not used: A. Markanich, DJ Taylor, F. Fragapane, A. Smir, L. Mesanvi, M. Tapisas, T. Pukki

Stats Summary: RSL / MIN

Shots: 10 / 14

Shots on Goal: 2 / 5

Saves: 4 / 1

Corner Kicks: 5 / 5

Fouls: 8 / 10

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:

RSL: Matt Crooks (Yellow card - 90’+9’)