Red Bulls Match Minnesota Late To Earn Draw

 

Omar Valencia firing in a corner kick in the 8th minute. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Red Bulls started strong early, and had to finish that way, to earn a 2-2 draw with Minnesota United FC on Saturday night at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

The Red Bulls threw the house in the opening minutes, as they fired in a few shots and earned a couple of corner kicks.

In the 11th minute, the Red Bulls broke through when Eric Choupo-Moting sent a cross to Emil Forsberg in the box, and he buried it to make it 1-0.

The Red Bulls react to Forsberg's goal as Minnesota tends to goalkeeper Wessel Speel. Photo by Jason Schott.

Minnesota goalkeeper Wessel Speel collided with a Red Bulls player in the box amidst the play, and he was on the turf for quite a while in the aftermath of the goal. He was replaced shortly after, in the 20th minute, for Alec Smir.

Soon after, in the 32nd minute, Minnesota broke through and tied it when Joaquin Pereyra sent a pass through traffic to Kelvin Yeboah to tie the game at 1.

Then, in the 45th minute, after Forsberg received a yellow card for a foul, Minnesota stunned the Red Bulls with the go-ahead goal as the first half was expiring. Jefferson Diaz sent a header pass to Anthony Markanich, who fired one over the head of Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.

It stayed that way deep into the second half, in the 90th minute, when the Red Bulls' Kyle Duncan sent a cross to Eric Choupo-Moting, and he buried one to the top of the center of the net, and suddenly the game was tied at 2.

Red Bulls Head Coach Sandro Schwarz took a pair of yellow cards in the match, one of which concerned the referee not awarding the Red Bulls a corner kick in extra time, so he is expected to be suspended from their next match at San Jose on July 5.

The Red Bulls are now in seventh place in the MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 8-5-7, with 29 points. They are tied on points with Inter Miami, but the Leo Messi-led squad has played four less games so far, so they have a record of 8-5-3.