Club America escapes in PKs over Minnesota United

HOUSTON – Club America didn’t just show up to Shell Energy Stadium. The Aguilas took over Saturday night. An electric atmosphere tinted with yellow and blue along with chants of “Águilas, Águilas!” rang out as fans filled the air with fireworks all throughout Bastrop St. on the East End of the Bayou City.

On paper, the Leagues Cup match between Club America and Minnesota United FC was played at a neutral site. Shell Energy Stadium was anything but neutral, though.

No one in attendance would’ve called it anything other than a Club América home game. Despite the hostile setting, the contest was a tight contest. The sides were tied at 3 after 90 minutes. The match went to penalty kicks after without the benefit of extra time, and Club America won 8-7 in penalties.

‘Hostile crowd’

“It was a hostile crowd,” Minnesota United coach Eric Ramsay said of the raucous crowd of 13,885. “It felt like the game had a real edge to it.”

Sebastian Cáceres, an Uruguayan center back who made his professional debut in 2017 for Liverpool Montevideo, saved Aguilas. His header in the 90th minute tied the score at 3.  Minnesota United took the early lead in the 16th  minute. Tani Oluwaseyi split two defenders and overpowered center back Igor Lichnovsky to give Minnesota United a 1-0 lead.

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America tied the score in the 27th minute on defender Michael Boxall’s own goal. The ball bounced off his head and into the net. Minnesota regained the lead on Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s goal in the 31st minute. Eight minutes into the second half, Jose Raul Zúñiga tied the score at 2 with a header. 

America was left with 10 men when Lichnovsky was given a red card after drawing his second yellow card of the match by dragging a Minnesota player to the ground. Midfielder Carlos Harvey put Minnesota United back in the lead in the 65th minute.

Harvey capitalized on Isaias Violante’s poor clearance. Las Águilas faithful sang “¡Vamos América, que esta noche tenemos que ganar!” (Let’s go América. We have to win tonight!) The song echoed throughout the stadium. 

Sebastian Cáceres tied the score on a header off Brian Rodriguez’s free kick in the 90th minute, sending the game into penalties after a few minutes of stoppage time. Both teams were perfect through their first three penalty kicks.

Luis Angel Malagon saves Aguilas

Then after America took a 4-3 lead in the shootout, Minnesota was denied. Goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon, who helped Mexico win the Gold Cup at Houston’s NRG Stadium last month, stopped center-back Nicolas Romero’s goal. Isaias Violante scored the final penalty kick for Las Águilas to seal their victory over Minnesota United. 

“It was not an easy atmosphere here tonight,” Ramsay said. “I think it would have been very easy to let the tide turn really strongly and find ourselves in a position where we concede consecutive goals very quickly. 

“It’s been a theme for us this year, conceding late goals. We are so often in a position when we are winning late, and I’m really proud of the fact that we can do that so regularly. We’ve improved significantly in being able to close games out.”