Minnesota United gets a point but no goals in a 0-0 draw against Real Salt Lake

Carlos Harvey, the team's right center back, somehow earned the best chance of the first half when he shot just wide of the post after Minnesota's first sustained pressure of the game. Harvey, overlapping on the right, also scored the team's first official shot on goal in the 55th minute, although it looked more like an attempted cross that was blocked by goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

Dayne St. Clair made several top-level saves, none better than in the 69th minute when he parried a shot from Chicho Arango over the crossbar and went out of play. Arango, as always, was a constant threat to the Loons' defense, leading all players in both shots and shots on goal.

Real Salt Lake defender Brayan Vera was sent off in second-half injury time for a strange incident in which he hit Minnesota's Michael Boxall while appearing to spit in the defender's direction. Referee Ricardo Montero sent Vera off the field for what he called a “spitting offense” after checking the video replay monitor.

It was the latest incident in a physical game with Montero handing out yellow cards from start to finish; The Loons scored four goals of their own, with Jefferson Díaz scoring the first in the fifth minute.

Minnesota have never won an MLS game at Real Salt Lake, although they can still claim some reasonable success, having now held RSL to a draw in six of their eight attempts. However, if we look back to an earlier era, the Loons – or as they were then known, the Minnesota Stars – can claim a US Open Cup victory at RSL, having won there 3-1 in 2012.

This is Eric Ramsay's 31st game as manager of Minnesota United and also marked a milestone for him as head coach: it was the first time in his career that he fielded the same starting lineup for two games in a row. There's perhaps no better way to illustrate the depth and health the Loons have to draw on these days – although on a night when Minnesota had plenty of depth, they were still lacking in scoring.