Drake Callender made two saves for his second shutout of the season as Minnesota United ended a two-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Sunday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn.
This draw provided a much-needed point for Minnesota (1-2-2, 5 points), which had faced heavy losses, being outscored 9-1 in previous matches against Nashville and Vancouver. They were also coming off a record loss of 6-0 to the Whitecaps.
Andrew Thomas recorded two saves for Seattle (3-1-1, 10 points), who are now tied with San Diego for fourth place in the Western Conference standings. This was Thomas’s fourth clean sheet in five matches this season.
Minnesota, having allowed the most goals in the Western Conference with 11 prior to this match, kept the Sounders from having a single official shot on goal in the first half. Cristian Roldan did have a near miss with a shot that hit the crossbar in the 29th minute.
Kelvin Yeboah had two strong chances for Minnesota in the first half. His first attempt was a right-footed shot from the center of the box that went wide of the right post. Yeboah also had a right-footed attempt off a pass from Joaquin Pereyra in stoppage time, but Thomas made a diving save, marking the only shot on goal for either team in the first half.
Midfielder James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot in the 2014 World Cup for Colombia, added excitement on a chilly afternoon when he made his highly anticipated home debut in the 77th minute. Rodriguez set up Anthony Markanich for a chance three minutes later with a well-placed pass, but Markanich’s shot from the left side of the box went over the goal.