The perfect game: Loons beat St. Louis 3-2

Minnesota United's win over St. Louis City was the perfect game. And yes, I understand the broader context of what's happening with their season.

The Loons have struggled for most of the year. They hadn't won a home MLS game in 182 days, coming into Saturday. They had one win in 18 games, coming into Saturday. Even after Saturday, they still are five points out of a playoff spot, with four games to play and four teams to leapfrog in the standings, all to potentially play in the #8 vs #9 play-in game - nobody's idea of a successful season.

And it is also true that the game itself was not exactly how the Loons drew it up. They went behind, again, the 16th time in 19 games they've given up the game's first goal. They gave up multiple goals, again, the ninth game in a row their opponent has hung up a crooked number.

But if you were going to draw up a game to be memorable, this is about the kind of script you'd write. A flawed team with its backs up against the wall. A seemingly indestructible opponent, 21 games in a row without a loss.

These are the bones of the plot line of basically every sports movie ever made. Little Milan High, fighting Ivan Drago in Moscow on Christmas Day, with the Wild Thing coming into pitch against the Yankees, despite the fact that - before the Olympics - they'd never ridden in a real bobsled.