Minnesota United’s Hassani Dotson scored the tying goal in the 90th minute, and the Loons went on to beat the host Columbus Crew 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw in the Leagues Cup’s round of 32 on Friday.
In the last minute of regulation, Minnesota’s Emanuel Reynoso intercepted a pass in Columbus territory, dribbled into the penalty area and passed to Dotson at the top of the box. Dotson bounced a right-footed shot past diving Crew goalie Evan Bush.
Columbus had taken a 3-2 lead on a Christian Ramirez goal in the 83rd minute. Malte Amundsen and Alexandru Matan also scored for the Crew, while the Loons got two goals from Bongokuhle Hlongwane, one in each half.
In the shootout, the first three players scored for each team before the next two missed for both teams. In the sixth round, Loons goalie Dayne St. Clair saved an attempt from Amundsen before Miguel Tapias knocked in the winning kick.
Minnesota United advances to a round-of-16 matchup against Toluca on Tuesday in Saint Paul, Minn.
The Leagues Cup began with every team from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX competing. The group stage narrowed the field to 32 for the start of the single-elimination knockout rounds, which began on Wednesday. The final is scheduled for Aug. 19.
The two Leagues Cup finalists and the third-place teams all earn berths into the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Nashville SC 1, FC Cincinnati 1 (Nashville wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Nashville goalie Elliot Panicco, subbed in just for the penalty shootout, saved an attempt by Matt Miazga to lead his team to a victory at Cincinnati.
Every shooter for both teams scored in the tiebreaker except for Miazga in the third round. Panicco dived to his left and stopped the shot. Nashville’s Dax McCarty subsequently tapped the winning penalty kick into the bottom right corner.
Nashville opened the match’s scoring on a tally from Anibal Godoy in the 64th minute. Cincinnati pulled level when Brandon Vazquez scored on a penalty kick in the 85th minute.
Next up for Nashville is a matchup with Club America on Tuesday.
Tigres UANL 1, Whitecaps 1 (Tigres advance 5-3 on penalty kicks)
Tigres converted all of their attempts in a penalty-kick shootout and goalie Nahuel Guzman stopped a shot by Ranko Veselinovic to earn a victory at Vancouver.
Fernando Gorriaran connected for the clincher in the fifth round.
Andre-Pierre Gignac brought the visitors level in the 53rd minute on a bicycle kick from 10 yards off a cross from Javier Aquino.
Vancouver’s Pedro Vite opened the scoring with a 20-yard volley after a failed clearance by the Tigres defense in the ninth minute.
Tigres move on to a Tuesday matchup against Monterrey.
Club America 1, Fire 0
An own goal from Chicago’s Gaston Gimenez in the 64th minute was the difference as visiting Club America got the victory.
On the second phase of play after a corner kick, Leo Suarez drove a cross into the penalty area. Gimenez reached out his right leg in an attempt to block the pass, but knocked the ball into his own net.
The visitors had to survive a red card issued to Richard Sanchez in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. Sanchez put a hard challenge on Brian Gutierrez, with his studs going into Gutierrez’s groin.
Real Salt Lake 3, Leon 1
Danny Musovski produced a second-half brace as Real Salt Lake came from behind to beat Leon at Sandy, Utah, in a match that had been postponed from Thursday due to a lightning storm.
Leon jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute on a goal from Ivan Moreno, but Musovski leveled the score in the 69th minute when he knocked home a cross from Jefferson Savarino.
Two minutes later, Andrew Brody’s pass over the top of the defense connected with an on-rushing Musovski, whose left-footed shot found the net from 14 yards out. Cristian Arango sealed the victory with an 81st-minute goal.
Real Salt Lake move on to a Tuesday road match against Los Angeles FC.
Toluca 4, Sporting Kansas City 1
Two first-half goals in a three-minute span sent Toluca on its way to a victory in Kansas City, Kan.
An own goal from Dany Rosero in the 29th minute gave the visitors a lead, and Pedro Raul doubled the advantage in the 32nd minute.
Second-half tallies from Robert Morales (54th minute) and Juan Dominguez (63rd minute) bumped the lead to 4-0 before William Agada got a consolation goal for Sporting Kansas City in the 88th minute.
Monterrey 1, Timbers 0
Maximiliano Meza’s goal in first-half stoppage time was the difference as Monterrey posted a victory at Portland.
Luis Romo started the decisive play with a move down the left flank. He squared the ball to an unmarked Meza, who fired a right-footed shot into the top right corner of the net.
The Timbers failed to break through despite having a 17-13 shot advantage. Monterrey had five shots on goal to Portland’s four.
–Field Level Media
