Dayne St. Clair stellar in shootout as Minnesota United completes 1st-round sweep of Real Salt Lake

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Emeka Eneli scored the equalizer for Real Salt Lake in the 75th minute of a 1-1 tie in regulation, but Dayne St. Clair had two saves in the shootout as Minnesota United came out on top 3-1 to finish off a sweep of Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

No. 6 seed Minnesota United beat third-seed Real Salt Lake on the road on penalty kicks after a scoreless tie during regulation play in the best-of-three first-round opener.

St. Clair turned away PK shots by Diogo Gonçalves and Diego Luna and had one by Matt Crooks sail over the crossbar. Kelvin Yeboah, Hassani Dotson and Sang Bin Jeong scored for the winners. Cristian “Chicho” Arango scored the lone goal for RSL on the club's first attempt.

Eneli pulled Real Salt Lake even with his first postseason goal in his fourth appearance after scoring once in 54 previous appearances with the club over the past two regular seasons. Crooks notched his first postseason assist in his first season in the league on the score, and Arango snagged his first in his seventh playoff appearance, the last four with RSL.

Neither club scored until Minnesota United's Joseph Rosales used assists from Kelvin Yeboah and Robin Lod in the 53rd minute to score his first postseason goal in his fourth appearance. Rosales has one regular-season goal in 78 appearances over the last four seasons. Yeboah's assist was his first in two playoff appearances in his first season in the league and Lod's was his second in eight postseason appearances — all starts.

St. Clair totaled one save for Minnesota United in his seventh career postseason start with the club.

Zac MacMath started in goal for Real Salt Lake for the sixth time in the playoffs and saved four shots. MacMath had two starts in the 2016 postseason for the Colorado Rapids.

Real Salt Lake had played nine straight playoff matches on the road before hosting the opener.

Both clubs scored two goals in four matchups this season. RSL entered the postseason after scoring a club-record 65 goals, eight more than its previous high set in 2013.

Minnesota United will play the second-seeded Los Angeles Galaxy in the next round. The Galaxy swept the Colorado Rapids in a first-round matchup.

AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah, right, reacts during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United defender Devin Padelford (2) attempts a goal while Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath (18) saves the ball during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath (18) saves the ball after a Minnesota United corner kick during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad, left, loses the ball to Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah (9) during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United midfielder Hassani Dotson, right, gets a header over Real Salt Lake forward Cristian Arango (9) during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath (18) kicks the ball into play during the first half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against the Minnesota United in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

The Minnesota United celebrate after winning a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair saves the ball on a Real Salt Lake penalty kick during a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, left, and forward Jeong Sang-Bin, center, embrace as they win a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in a penalty shoot out against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (97) and defender Michael Boxall, center, thwart an attempted goal by Real Salt Lake midfielder Diogo Gonçalves (10) during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath reacts after missing a save during a penalty shoot out of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against the Minnesota United in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Francesco Montali (98) and midfielder Hassani Dotson (31) react after Dotson scored during a penalty shoot out in a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against the Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair reacts after making a save on a penalty shoot out of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United forward Jeong Sang-Bin (11) waits to kick a penalty shot during a shoot out in a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United midfielder Will Trapp reacts during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli, right, scores a goal on Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (97) during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United defender Michael Boxall (15) reacts after Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli, left, scores a goal on United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, center, during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (97) reacts to an official's call during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs against Real Salt Lake in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

Minnesota United midfielder Will Trapp (20) and Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna (8) vie for the ball during the second half of a first-round soccer match of the MLS Cup playoffs in St. Paul, Minn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)