Minnesota turn it round with three goals in 16 minutes

Minnesota United beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 after falling behind, with the winning goals arriving in a burst that the chance figures alone would not have predicted.

Minnesota United were behind for most of this one and still finished with three goals to their name. Taylor Calheira gave Sporting Kansas City the lead in the 31st minute, and the visitors held it until the 72nd, when Anthony Markanich levelled with Joaquín Pereyra providing the assist. Mauricio González Carabalí put Minnesota ahead four minutes later, and Kelvin Yeboah added a third in the 88th, from a Tomás Chancalay assist.

Minnesota had 58% of the ball, well above the 43.8% they average at home this season. They also took 18 shots against a usual 14.6, and eight of those were on target, with 16 coming from inside the box. VAR cancelled one of González's goals early in the second half, so the goal that counted came later.

Expected goals is a way of scoring each shot by how often shots of that kind go in, and Minnesota's total of 1.85 is exactly the figure they average at home over the season. That means the quality of their chances was normal. What changed was the quantity, with more shots coming from them, and the late goals arrived in a burst rather than from a sudden rise in danger.

Kansas City had 42% of the ball, under the 47.4% they average on the road, and they took 10 shots against a usual 13.7. Their expected goals of 0.78 sat below their away average of 0.97, so they created less than they normally do. Only two of their ten shots were on target, so most of what they produced never tested the Minnesota goal, and their single goal came from a side that was not generating much.

S. Cleveland made five saves for Kansas City, which tells you how often Minnesota were testing him. The visitors conceded three goals, where their away average is 2.4, and the match slipped away from them in the closing quarter of an hour.

Across this league a match usually produces 3.4 goals, and this one had four. Teams here average 13.4 shots each, which puts Minnesota's total above the norm and Kansas City's below it. The league norm for expected goals is 1.51 per side, so Minnesota's figure sits above it and Kansas City's chance total sits below it.

Minnesota are 13th in the table on 35 points from 31 matches, with eight wins, 11 draws and 12 defeats, and they have scored 47 times this season. Kansas City are 15th on 22 points, with six wins, four draws and 21 defeats, and they have conceded 77 goals.

Player of the matchM. Gonzalez1 goal8.2

T. Calheira1 goal7.6

N. Triantis1 assist7.6

K. Yeboah1 goal7.5