Minnesota • Ibson scored and Darwin Quintero added a goal and two assists to help Minnesota United beat Real Salt Lake 3-2 on Saturday afternoon, but the game wasn’t the most interesting part of the day.
Ibson rolled a cross from Quintero inside the post to open the scoring in the 51st minute. Quintero, on the right side of the area, tangled with RSL defender Justen Glad and when the referee did not blow his whistle for a foul, tapped it to Ibson for the side-footed finish, past a diving Nick Rimando.
Rimando immediately jumped up off the ground and charged at the referee about the lack of a call, and RSL coach Mike Petke was ejected after storming along the sidelines, angrily shouting at the referee and the fourth official on the sidelines.
After the game, Petke — best-known for a tirade about the MLS officials last season after a game against Sporting Kansas City — topped last year’s performance.
“What are we doing here?” Petke asked rhetorically during his KMYU postgame interview. "Quintero, on the goal, doesn’t look at Justen. Doesn’t look at the ball. Plays — literally — not the ball, runs in, extends his arm ... and the only thing I get from MLS is ‘stop criticizing the referees.' I want to know where the referees are — right now. Why can’t we ask the referee a question? ... To MLS: It would be better for this league, for the fans, for the owners, for the coaches, for the players. ... And I’ll take the fine. Fine me! I don’t care anymore. So drain my bank account. I don’t give a s--- anymore. OK?” before throwing his headset to the ground and walking away.
Minnesota (7-11-1) has won two of its past three after losing three straight. Quintero, from the top-right corner of the box, chipped it over Rimando’s head into the far corner of the net in the 62nd and then bent a pass around defender to a charging Miguel Ibarra, who tapped in the first-timer from the center of the box that made it 3-0 in the 68th minute.
Joao Plata scored in the 77th and 85th minutes for Real Salt Lake (9-9-2).