Over the course of an eight-month-long season, it seems sort of silly to think that every minute matters.

But as we all know, a single moment can change the course of a team’s destiny. A late goal or a point in March could be the difference between making the USL Cup Playoffs or watching from home come October.

Those fine margins are why we love this game so much, and they were on display in a big way on Saturday across the USL Championship as four teams rescued a point with goals in the 90th minute or later.

The drama started in the Eastern Conference, with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC battling back to earn a 2-2 draw with the Swope Park Rangers at Children’s Mercy Park. Tobi Adewole had put the visitors ahead in the 71st minute, but quick-fire strikes from Rodney Wallace and Kelyn Rowe saw the Hounds staring at the possibility of opening the season with back-to-back defeats.

With its back against the proverbial wall, Head Coach Bob Lilley’s squad showed the resolve that saw it lose just five times in 2018. Forward Christian Volesky broke through the Rangers’ defense and won a penalty kick after being taken down by a desperate sliding challenge from Mo Abualnadi. Anthony Velarde kept his cool from the spot in the opening seconds of stoppage time, sending goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas the wrong way as Pittsburgh got off the mark in 2019.