Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake played to three draws in three match-ups in 2024. The third came Tuesday in MLS Cup Playoffs and an actual winner was determined in penalty kicks.

MNUFC edged RSL 5-4 in six rounds of penalty kicks to take Game 1 of a first-round series at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. Game 2 will be Saturday night at Allianz Field, with Game 3, if necessary, coming Nov. 8 in Utah.

Salt Lake midfielder Braian Ojeda missed in the sixth round, giving the Loons the victory. MNUFC players Jefferson Diaz, Tani Oluwaseyi, Sang Bin Jeong, Wil Trapp and Kelvin Yeboah each made their PKs.

Loons captain Michael Boxall and RSL veteran Justen Glad both failed to convert in the third round.

The Loons’ win looms. In the first year of the best-of-three opening round in, all eight teams that won Game 1 went on to win the series.

Third-seeded Real Salt Lake and sixth seed MNUFC also played to a scoreless draw in Utah in October and 1-1 in St. Paul in April.

In the 68th minute, head coach Eric Ramsay brought in two of the three players who shifted the 4-1 win over St. Louis on Oct. 19. Tani Oluwaseyi and Sang Bin Jeong, who scored two goals 10 days ago, came in for Robin Lod and Joaquin Pereyra.

Three minutes later, Kelvin Yeboah’s toe-poke pass went to Oluwaweyi, but RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath’s right arm denied the quality scoring chance.

Yeboah and Bongi Hlongwane each had scoring chances denied by MacMath in back-to-back fashion in the 82nd minute.

Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made his own fair share of saves, including one form Chicho Arango in the 92nd minute.

In the first half, the Loons allowed Salt Lake more possession but limited avenues to attack in the middle of the field. RSL had only one shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes, and that was after a poor Wil Trapp giveaway in MNUFC’s defensive third. St. Clair’s left leg denied Diego Luna’s shot in the 12th minute.