Minnesota 0-0 Salt Lake (Oct 29, 2024) Match analysis

Dayne St. Clair made six saves during regulation time and Minnesota United capitalized on two misses from Real Salt Lake in the seven-penalty tiebreaker to clinch Game 1 in the playoffs after a 0-0 draw Tuesday night in Sandy, Utah Western Conference series.

Salt Lake's Justen Glad and Braian Ojeda both fired their shots high, with Ojeda's miss hitting the top of the crossbar on RSL's seventh attempt, sealing the Loons' 1-0 series lead.

Sixth-seeded Minnesota will host Game 2 on Saturday night and has a chance to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Zac MacMath made seven regular-season stops for RSL, which also played to a 0-0 draw with MNUFC in their regular-season meeting in Utah earlier this month.

MacMath also saved Michael Boxall's penalty – Minnesota's third – to give RSL an advantage, which they immediately gave back when Glad shot high.

After an uneventful first half, the game picked up pace in the second half without either team taking the lead.

Robin Lod provided the pass for the first two chances, with Kelvin Yeboah forcing MacMath into his first difficult stop in the 47th minute and Carlos Harvey firing narrowly wide from close range – but from a tight angle – in the 49th minute.

On the other hand, St. Clair was denied by Diego Luna and Cristian Arango in quick succession in the 52nd minute.

Nineteen minutes later, Yeboah came down the left and found Tani Oluwaseyi on the other side of the penalty area. But MacMath jumped off his line, spread his body and managed to block Oluwaseyi's attempt with an outstretched arm.

Then, in the 83rd minute, MacMath leapt to his left to parry Yeboah's attempt after a slalom run, and he got up quickly enough to keep out Bongi Hlongwane's rebound attempt.

In the 85th minute, St. Clair blocked Diogo Goncalves' close-range attempt with his outstretched right leg, and in second-half stoppage time he had sure hands to intercept Arango's header.

That helped Minnesota keep its fifth clean sheet in its last six games.

–Field level media