Minnesota United grabbed three points from under the noses of the Portland Timbers Saturday evening at Providence Park thanks to an early goal from Designated Player Adrien Hunou, earning their first road win of the season.
The second minute strike came courtesy of an assist from fellow newcomer, Franco Fragapane, who flanked down the left hand side of the pitch and into the Timbers box, eventually slotting the ball across the six yard box to find the feet of Hunou, who smacked it into the back of the net. Hunou's strike was the fastest goal in club history.
The Loons dominant start to the match slowly eased as the first half went on, with Portland eventually growing into the match and starting to develop more possession-based attacking opportunities.The hosts' best opportunity came through forward Diego Valeri in 45+3 when the Argentine fired inches wide from the top of the box.
Minnesota went into the break with a 1-0 lead following a confident first 45' on the road in nearly 100 degree heat on the warmest day on record in Portland's history.
The Timbers came out of the break firing, though, with midfielder Eryk Williamson nearly finding an equalizer within 60 seconds — the American dribbled through the Loons defense but fired just wide. It seemed as if Williamson would be the driving force for an opener for the Timbers within the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the Loons defense and goalkeeper Tyler Miller remained resilient.
It then seemed to be a battle of goalkeepers as the second half went on, with both Miller and Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark producing some fantastic saves to keep their side in the match.
As the game ticked toward its conclusion, the pressure started to mount from the home side amid deafening chants from the Timbers Army in the stands. Midfielder Dairon Asprilla tried a curling effort late in the 89th minute, and although it tested the eyes of Miller, it went inches over the bar.
The Minnesota defense remained strong despite an onslaught of pressure from the Timbers over the nine minutes of stoppage time, seeing the Loons head home with three coveted away points.
Goals
- 2' – MIN – Adrien Hunou | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The Loons look better than ever, and that's now six games unbeaten following an 0-4 start to the season. New additions Franco Fragapane and Adrien Hunou are the real deal, too. Minnesota claimed a rare three points at Portland and they now return home to a full-capacity Allianz Field to host an out-of-form San Jose Earthquakes side. For Portland, it has to be disappointing to not leave with a draw. Eryk Williamson was brilliant all evening, with a maestro performance in the midfield, but it wasn't enough to find a goal. The Timbers deserved to take something out of the match, but they weren't clinical enough when it came down to the end of things, with only two of their 22 shots registered on target.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark came up with a pair of fantastic saves early in the second half, keeping his side in the match. Clark's stunning goalkeeping gave his side momentum all evening.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Adrien Hunou. The Loons newest Designated Player put all his talents on display Saturday evening, scoring the opener and leading the line for 86 minutes. The Frenchman registered five shots on target and had four key passes, contributing to Minnesota's attack. He linked up well with fellow newcomer Franco Fragapane and seems to have a great understanding of space in the box, too.
Next Up
- POR: Thursday, July 1 at Austin FC | 9:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- MIN: Saturday, July 3 vs San Jose Earthquakes | 10 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
