David Martinez scored in the ninth minute and Los Angeles FC held on for a 1-0 win over Minnesota United on Saturday at Allianz Field, snapping Minnesota’s four-game MLS winning streak and ending LAFC’s four-match run without a victory.
Martinez finished from a tight angle after a give-and-go with Timothy Tillman, and Minnesota spent most of the night trying to claw it back. The home side finished with 24 shots, 1.9 expected goals and 62% possession, while LAFC managed seven shots and 0.2 expected goals before improving that figure to 0.8 late. Drake Callender then made three big saves in the final 10 minutes to preserve the result.
The loss landed hard for a Minnesota team that had been rolling at home and had not conceded in three-plus matches, a run that covered 278 minutes before Martinez struck. James Rodriguez made his first MLS start for Minnesota and was involved throughout, delivering most of the service on the club’s 11 corner kicks. One of them nearly produced an equalizer in the 29th minute, when Jefferson Diaz headed toward goal and Tillman cleared it off the line.
Rodriguez also slipped Kelvin Yeboah through in the 58th minute, but the shot was deflected wide. In the 67th minute, Joaquin Pereyra sent in an audacious rabona cross that set up another Diaz header attempt, and that one drifted wide. Minnesota’s pressure never stopped, but the final touch kept failing them.
Cameron Knowles called the defeat disappointing and said his side had done enough to expect more from the match, but Saturday was not its day. Wil Trapp said Rodriguez’s quality showed up in the spaces he wants to find, adding that when he gets into uncomfortable areas for the opponent, his final pass and decision-making make him a high-level player. Minnesota changed five players from the lineup that beat Dallas 1-0 on Wednesday, but the reshuffle did not change the outcome.
LAFC left with three points and Minnesota left with a reminder that control does not always translate into goals. The Loons, now looking to regroup, visit the San Jose Earthquakes in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night, while LAFC will take the lift of ending its skid into the next stretch of the season.
