Minnesota United FC’s home opener Saturday night ended the same way the 2014 playoffs concluded: United believed a controversial call cost them a win.

About five months after United’s season ended in the North American Soccer League semifinals, a late penalty on new goalie Sammy Ndjock gave San Antonio a penalty kick that was converted into a game-tying goal by Rafael Castillo in the 90th minute.

The call that Ndjock fouled Cesar Elizondo on a scoring chance allowed the defending league champion Scorpions to escape with a 2-2 draw against United in front of a franchise-record crowd of 9,233 at the National Sports Center.

United’s middling result before a stellar crowd — coupled with the month-old news that United will move to Major League Soccer in a few seasons — became an opportunity squandered on a bigger stage.

United broke a 122-minute scoreless streak across two-plus games to start the season but remained winless (0-1-2).

“Tough pill to swallow when you battle and you play well,” United coach Manny Lagos said.

Pablo Campos, the 2013 NASL MVP, scored on a header off a picturesque cross from Miguel Ibarra, the 2014 league MVP, in the 34th minute to tie the game 1-1. Christian Ramirez, who scored the most goals in league play last year, gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead with a penalty kick in the 59th minute.

It looked like United would hold on to win until the late call. Replays showed Ndjock punched the ball before he collided with Elizondo.

“For me, it’s no penalty,” said Ndjock, a Cameroonian who joined United in the offseason. “I touched the ball and the guy came and touched me. I touched the ball before the guy.”

Lagos said he would need to review the video before assessing if Elizondo was first offsides and secondly when the contact occurred.

“To me, it seems like it was a referee that had just made some really bad calls for 15, 20 minutes, and it resulted in a really poor one,” Lagos said.

San Antonio coach Alen Marcina said the late call was “100 percent” fair.

“It was a clear PK,” Marcina said. “I don’t know what there is to argue about. The result was fair for both teams.”

United battled back from an early deficit. Scorpions midfielder Zourab Tsiskaridke scored from 70 yards out in the ninth minute. Tsiskaridke’s goal came on a free kick that sailed over the head of Ndjock.

Ndjock, who often comes outside of the 18-yard box, was caught too far out from the goal line, and he couldn’t react in time once he realized Tsiskaridke was looking to score from beyond the middle of the pitch.

“I was too high,” Ndjock admitted.

Campos’ equalizer came amid a stretch when United controlled play and had more scoring chances. Campos tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and it cost him most of 2014, so his goal was the first in about a year and a half.

Campos was paired with Ramirez as the two forwards in United’s formation, a change from the one-forward look they had in the first two games. Campos called United’s play “vivid.”

Then Ramirez’s goal looked to be a game-winner.

“It’s always frustrating giving up a late goal,” Ramirez said, “especially because we thought we were the better team the entire game.”

Follow Andy Greder at twitter.com/andygreder