FC Dallas climb West ranks with draw at Minnesota United

Maarten Paes made five saves for his third clean sheet of the season and FC Dallas moved into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with a 0-0 draw against Minnesota United on Sunday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

It was the 11th career clean sheet for Paes. FC Dallas (4-3-3, 15 points), which is 2-1-2 over its last five games, avenged a 1-0 season-opening loss to the Loons while moving into a tie with the San Jose Earthquakes.

Dayne St. Clair finished with two saves for Minnesota United (3-3-3, 12 points) for his third clean sheet of the season and 15th of his career. The Loons, who snapped a three-game losing streak in MLS play, remained winless in four home games (0-1-3) this season despite finishing with a 17-6 advantage in shot attempts.

Minnesota started strong with a 9-4 edge in shots and the only three shots on target during a scoreless first half.

Paes made a diving stop of a Robin Lod header in front of the right post in the 11th minute and then stopped a weak Bongokuhle Hlongwane straight-on left-footed shot from the edge of the box a minute later.

The Loons' best chance came in the 22nd minute when Michael Boxall passed to Luis Amarilla at the edge of the six-yard box, but Amarilla's right-footed chip shot flew high over the crossbar.

Lod also split through two defenders in the 28th minute and broke in alone on the right side of the box, but a sliding Paes stopped his left-footed five-hole attempt.

The Toros got their first shot on target in the 58th minute but St. Clair stopped Sebastian Lletget's right-footed try from the right side of the six-yard box. A minute later, Jader Obrian had a left-footed try from left side of the box that St. Clair easily caught.

Lod almost had a highlight-reel score in the 73rd minute when he zig-zagged through four defenders, but his right-footed shot from the top of the box just went wide of the right post.