Rodriguez's late goal hands Minnesota first win in new home

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:23 am

Angelo Rodriguez scored in the 82nd minute to lift host Minnesota United a 1-0 victory over D.C. United on Sunday afternoon and their first at the recently opened Allianz Field.

With defender Donovan Pines pressuring, Rodriguez's slight touch of Romain Metanire's cross beat goalkeeper Bill Hamid for his fourth goal of the season, matching his total from his MLS debut campaign last year.

It was also Metanire's fourth assist from his right back position as Minnesota (4-3-2, 14 points) finally got the victory at Allianz after previous draws against New York City FC and the LA Galaxy in the stadium's first two matches.

The Loons also preserved their second consecutive shutout, on a day goalkeeper Vito Mannone was required to make only one save.

D.C. (5-3-2, 17 points) believed it had scored only moments after that stop midway through the first half, when Pines rose to beat Mannone and head in what would've been his first professional goal.

But after viewing a replay, referee Nima Saghafi ruled D.C. defender Frederic Brillant had impeded Mannone, allowing Pines to head the ball unobstructed.

The loss was the first on the road this season for D.C., which opened the season 3-0-1 away from home, including a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night at Columbus.

D.C. perhaps shaded the first 45 minutes, but Minnesota was the more aggressive side in the second, though that only translated to occasional clear chances.

Hamid reacted well to deny Miguel Ibarra in the 59th minute, and then four minutes later Ibarra saw another promising chance blocked by Pines.

But then eight minutes from full time, Rodriguez made a near-post run and was rewarded with Metanire's early diagonal ball. While he failed to make clean contact with the ball, it was perhaps the unexpected lack of contact that wrong-footed Hamid as the ball bounded across the goal line.

It was Rodriguez's third goal in four games. And after scoring four times in 11 appearances in 2018 following his arrival last summer, he has equaled that total two games earlier this season.