The Loons come out on top from a playoff tie that will be remembered for years. St. Clair stepped up to clinch game three with a spot kick of his own after saving a penalty. The Loons battled to overcome early setbacks and made the most of their set piece plays to move onto the semifinals. 

Earlier in the week, Minnesota had fallen to Seattle at Lumen field, after winning the first leg on penalties at Allianz Field. Just a few days ago in Seattle, the Sounders roared to a three-goal lead. Two stoppage-time goals in the first half gave the Loons hopes of a comeback, but costly mistakes early on and a bit of bad luck proved too much to overcome.Obed Vargas was the hero of that match in Seattle, scoring two goals from the top of the 18-yard box to sink Minnesota. 

As for the Loons, Nectarios Triantis and Robin Lod scored in first-half stoppage time in Seattle to bring them within one goal. Despite gaining the momentum, the Loons were unable to create many chances as Seattle dominated possession in the second half and ultimately put the game to bed late in the second half. That match ended 4-2. A disappointing result, but one that guaranteed Allianz would see one more home match. 

Post-match analysis showed that Minnesota needed to improve defensively and win more 50-50 balls to advance. The Loons had made too many small errors and were slow to second balls. Yet, the final match of the tie began much like Game 2 in Seattle.

The stakes were high as Minnesota faced Seattle in a match that would determine the fate of their season. The game took place on a balmy Minnesota afternoon, with the victor advancing to the conference semi-finals. The stadium buzzed with nervous excitement as the Loons prepared to take on one of their toughest rivals. Prior to this season, the Loons had only beaten Seattle once—in 2021, thanks to a lone Robin Lod goal. But the script flipped this year, with Minnesota winning both of their regular-season matches against Seattle. 

Despite the promising recent history, Minnesota’s start was far from ideal. In just the 5th minute, Albert Rusnák put the Sounders ahead with a wonderful first-time hit off a chipped pass over the Loons’ defense from Daniel Musovski. The night went from bad to worse when Morris Duggan’s block landed at Musovski’s feet, allowing him to double Seattle’s lead in the 8th minute. The game risked shaping up like Game 2 and sending the Loons out of the playoffs—but the theme of the night would be Minnesota’s resilience. 

Minnesota clawed their way back within one goal through a stunning Joaquín Pereyra  free kick in the 19th minute. The goal reignited the Loons and led to a spell of attacking football from both sides. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s chances were hindered by an off-the-ball incident that resulted in a Joseph Rosales red card in the 41st minute. The stadium erupted in frustration toward Seattle’s Jesús Ferreira, who fans accused of embellishing the contact. However, replay would confirm a headbutt—and justified the decision. Down a man, Minnesota struggled to find opportunities, and the half ended 2-1 in Seattle’s favor. 

As the second half began, temperatures—and Minnesota’s playoff hopes— started to drop. When in doubt, the Loons turned to their set-piece prowess to pull them level, and it paid off. Jefferson Díaz found the equalizer in the 62nd minute from a trademark Michael Boxall long throw, assisted by Duggan.

Minnesota weren’t done. They again found a bit of set-piece magic to take the lead when a corner kick in the 71st minute found Anthony Markanich at the back post to nod home the third, giving Minnesota a 3-2 advantage. 

Seattle applied heavy pressure to equalize, resulting in a late 88th-minute Jordan Morris goal to make it 3-3 in regulation and send the game to penalties. Minnesota United’s season now relied on spot kicks. The Loons, with MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair had already bested Seattle in penalties after Game 1— but the Sounders had a plan, bringing on their penalty specialist Andrew Thomas. 

Penalties are always unpredictable, and this shootout was no exception. Thomas went down with a hand injury after saving the first spot kick but was able to continue after a delay for treatment. Both sides missed a penalty in the initial rounds, sending the shootout to sudden death. Allianz Field came alive, urging the Loons on. Thomas made two saves in sudden death to bring Seattle to the brink of qualifying and give Seattle the edge. But each time Minnesota rallied — with Dayne making an incredible save of his own and the post helping out to save the Loons from going out. 

After nine rounds it was up to the goalkeepers to convert their penalties. Dayne stepped up and calmly passed the ball into the net. Thomas opted for power —and his shot crashed off the crossbar. The miss ended Seattle’s playoff run and sent Minnesota through. 

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Minnesota United once again made life difficult for themselves with early mistakes and a red card, but they battled back and leaned on their set pieces to steal the win. The night ended with three Minnesota United set piece goals: A free kick from Pereyra, a header from Diaz after a long throw, and a point blank finish from Markanich at the back post following a corner. Minnesota will relish this moment but must find composure in the semi final matchup against San Diego or Portland. Individual errors have too often dug a hole for the Loons, but their resilience throughout this tie shows the fight needed for a deep playoff run. 

Minnesota will soon learn their next opponent and will hope to bring the semi-final back to Allianz if Portland advances. In the meantime, the Loons will sharpen their set-piece routines and tighten their defense.