Minnesota United Loons absorb a loss to a Vancouver team resting its best players

Minnesota United finally scored another goal, its first in its last three games.

Unfortunately, by the time the Loons managed one, the Vancouver Whitecaps had already scored three.

Minnesota’s eight-game unbeaten streak became a three-game winless streak when the Loons were humbled 3-1 at home by the MLS-leading Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday. Sebastian Berhalter scored in the second half to get Vancouver off the mark, then Pedro Vite tallied twice in five minutes to bury the home team at Allianz Field.

An 80th-minute goal from Wil Trapp broke the scoreless run for Minnesota. Trapp has scored the past two Loons goals this season, improbable for a team that plays so many attacking weapons every week.

The loss ended Minnesota’s unbeaten streak at eight — and the Loons have just two points in their past three games, despite playing twice at home and once against Toronto, perhaps the worst team in MLS.

“I was really disappointed, that’s for sure,” coach Eric Ramsay said. “One of the worst days we’ve had here since I’ve been here, for lack of energy, lack of spark, lack of intensity, both with and without the ball.”

For the third consecutive week, Minnesota was playing a team that was missing a huge chunk of its starting lineup. Toronto and FC Dallas were beset by injuries, but Vancouver was simply looking at the bigger picture; the Whitecaps played Inter Miami in a CONCACAF Cup semifinal Thursday, and the return leg is Wednesday.

The Whitecaps began the game without leading scorer Brian White, their entire three-man midfield and three of their four starting defenders. Only two outfield players remained from their victory Thursday over Miami; only one, center back Ranko Veselinovic, played more than a half in that game.

BOXSCORE: Vancouver 3, Loons 1

MLS standings

At halftime, though, Vancouver subbed in Berhalter, one of the three members of that starting midfield. It took him just 10 minutes to create a great chance for striker Daniel Ríos. Dayne St. Clair saved that one, but a minute later, Berhalter put a screamer from nearly 25 yards out into the top corner of the net.

Not much later, the Whitecaps brought on Vite, another member of the normal starting midfield — and three minutes afterward, he, too, was on the scoresheet. When he scored again, four minutes later, the Loons were done for.

“It just shows you that this is a league in which, even if it’s a rotated squad, you can lose games, and if you don’t approach it with the right respect and the right focus to push and try to win, then any team can beat you on any day,” Trapp said.

When Berhalter’s goal went in, the Minnesota fans roared anyway — because the assistant referee had his flag up, signaling the Whitecaps were offside. However, a review showed that attacker Emmanuel Sabbi had gotten an almost imperceptible touch on a pass, which put the ‘Caps onside after all — and made Berhalter’s goal stand, after a review.

Give or take a few minutes for stoppage time variations, Minnesota went about 250 minutes without allowing a goal, from near the end of the NYC game to just after halftime against Vancouver. The Loons’ own scoreless streak ended up checking in just short of six full hours.

The Loons travel to Austin next week to take on a squad whose profile might seem awfully familiar to Loons fans: excellent defensively, comfortable without the ball, problems finding the back of the net. Los Verdes have given up only 10 goals in 10 games this season, with five of those coming in just one game against Vancouver. Despite spending a ton on attacking talent in the offseason, including $10 million on striker Brandon Vasquez, Austin has scored just seven times this year.