Mobile Mini Sun Cup: Houston Dynamo, Minnesota United play 120-minute scoreless draw

The Houston Dynamo played their first game of the Mobile Mini Sun Cup on Wednesday night against Minnesota United. The game was broken in to four thirty minute quarters with a ton of changes to the lineups throughout the game.

The first quarter passed with neither side finding a goal but the Dynamo looked like the stronger team by the time the whistle blew. The Dynamo earned a corner kick in the 21st minute that nearly led to a goal as Romell Quioto sent the ball in from the corner to find the head of Alberth Elis. The forward directed the ball towards goal but it was just wide of the net.

However, Minnesota came out firing in the second quarter. Darwin Quintero forced the newly subbed in Tyler Deric to make a save on his shot in the sixth minute of the quarter. Deric was able to get his fingertips on the ball to force a corner. Minnesota’s Francisco Calvo was shown a straight red card in the ninth minute of the game but the Loons were able to put first round draft pick Chase Gasper into the game and keep 11 players on the field. In spite of the change they continued to test Deric in goal with several shots that put him to work.

By the time the third period rolled around it was time for a massive change to each roster with almost complete changes to each side. Even with the shake-ups to the rosters neither side could break the scoreless deadlock going into the final quarter.

The final thirty minutes of the game were much like the prior 90 with a few chances here and there to break up long periods of nothingness. McNamara had a chance with a free kick but St. Clair was able to get up and grab the ball with little trouble. In the 26th minute, Foster had a chance at the goal off a cross from Hairston, but his attempt went wide of the net. Toye was able to put together several chances at the other end of the field but likewise was unable to convert them to goals.

The game ended with the same 0-0 scoreline that it started with. On Saturday the Dynamo will face the Seattle Sounders at 7 pm CT.

Lineups