More of the same: Loons draw 1-1 with Los Angeles FC at Allianz Field
Minnesota United still has won just twice at home this season. The Loons also still has never lost to defending MLS champion Los Angeles FC, either, not after their 1-1 draw with them Saturday at packed Allianz Field.
The Loons won 5-1 the first time the teams played there, in LAFC's inaugural 2018 season.
The teams played to a 1-1 the next three times they played in St. Paul.
Make that four times now after the Loons and LAFC swapped first-half goals within four minutes of each other.
Saturday's game drew an Allianz Field record crowd of 19,954 fans who came to see a LAFC team that's MLS champions. LAFC started the season 8-0-4, but later lost four consecutive games before it beat West-leading St. Louis City 3-0 on Wednesday.
The Loons had their chance at the go-ahead goal when star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso on the run approached goalkeeper John McCarthy alone before he slid a pass to teammate Bongokuhle Hlongwane on a full run.
His shot went well wide in the 77th minute.
The two teams exchanged first-half goals three minutes apart, starting in the 21st minute.
That's when LAFC star Carlos Vela scored first after the Loons had controlled much of the play in the first 20 minutes.
Vela capitalized when Loons defender Michael Boxall misplayed the ball in his own end, an error that drew both Boxall and goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair well out of position. That left Vela with the ball on top of the 18-yard box with an open goal before him.
Boxall attempt to make a sliding save before the ball crossed the goal line failed and Vela — the 2019 MLS Golden Boot winner with 34 goals — scored his eighth goal this season.
LAFC's lead didn't last, or it last just three minutes before Reynoso scored the fourth goal of his abbreviated season that started four months late while he attended to a personal matter.
Teammate Kervin Arriaga did the work in small spaces inside the 18-yard box before he chipped the ball over a defender. Star midfielder Reynoso slipped behind the defensive back line and with his left foot popped it past McCarthy.
Heath revised his preferred 4-3-2-1 formation out of necessity by starting veteran Bakaye Dibassy at left center-back for injured Micky Tapias, who rolled his ankle during Wednesday's 3-0 victory at Houston.
Loons injured left-side attacker Franco Fragapane remained out, so central midfielder Hassani Dotson moved up the field to Fragapane's spot, playing alongside Reynoso in the middle and Hlongwane on the right.
Newly acquired Teemu Pukki started again at striker for a second consecutive game after he scored a goal in his second MLS game and second start Wednesday.
He scored a 20th-minute goal for a 2-0 lead when he efficiently turned Reynoso's exquisite weighted through ball that found Pukki perfectly on the run behind the Houston's defense.
Pukki had his chance to send his new team to halftime leading 2-1, but his last shot of the half dribbled wide of the right post in stoppage time.
He played into the 70th minute, when he was subbed out for substitute Sang Bin Jeong.Loons defender Kemar Lawrence returned after a month with his Jamaican national team. He entered the game in the 76th minute for starter Zarek Valentin.
