Last season, Minnesota United recovered from a historically bad start — conceding 18 goals over its first four matches — to finish ninth in the Western Conference. It was a respectable showing for an expansion side that had less than seven months between the announcement it would join Major League Soccer in 2017 and its regular-season debut.
While Minnesota was overshadowed by fellow-newcomer Atlanta United’s success on the field, the Loons’ 1.05 points-per-game bettered the inaugural MLS seasons of current league-mates Philadelphia (1.03), Toronto, (0.83), Vancouver (0.82), and Salt Lake (0.63).
Given a normal offseason ahead of its 2018 campaign, Minnesota’s lack of DP and TAM-level signings this winter has been surprising. Sporting Director Manny Lagos made a much publicized pursuit of Deportivo Cali’s Nicolás Benedetti, but a deal for the 20-year-old playmaker has been reported as unlikely to be completed before July, if ever.
Absent any major signings between now and May 8, it will fall to head coach Adrian Heath to improve his team from within while integrating a handful of low-cost additions to the Loons’ roster. That Heath made use of similar starting XIs in his team’s last three preseason friendlies is perhaps an acknowledgement the Loons need to hit the ground running. Five of Minnesota’s first seven fixtures will be played on the road.
Loons look to find footing against Quakes in their season opener
When: March 3, 9:30 p.m. Central
Where: Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
Broadcast: TV — Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin
Live stream: Fox Sports GO
The buzz: Minnesota is 0-0-3 all-time against San Jose, having lost both meetings last season along with a fourth-round U.S. Open Cup tie in 2012 during its NASL days. In last year’s regular-season finale, Marco Urena scored in stoppage time to lift the Quakes into the playoffs via a 3-2 victory, ending MNUFC’s inaugural MLS campaign on a sour note.
It took until late August for Minnesota to secure a road victory in 2017, and three points on Saturday night would be a significant step in the right direction for the Loons. In the Quakes, they face an opponent that turned over a significant portion of their roster and brought in a new head coach — Mikael Stahre — over the past three months. Noting the absence of any flashy signings, Minnesota’s continuity may give it an advantage this weekend and present the Loons with as winnable a road game as any on their schedule.
Other key matches
March 10 at Orlando City — Minnesota’s second game of the season is an excellent example of the adage, “It isn’t who you play, but when you play them,” as the Lions may be without two of their best players. Definitely out is Sacha Kljestan, who will serve the last of a two-game suspension. His teammate Dom Dwyer’s status remains in question, with Pro Soccer USA’s Jordan Culver reporting earlier this month that a quadriceps strain may sideline Dwyer at the start of the season.
April 1 vs. Atlanta United FC — The specter of the 6-1 drubbing in last year’s “Snowpener” still haunts Minnesota. The Loons were able to extract a degree of revenge in Atlanta with a 3-2, come-from-behind victory in October, but could use another strong showing against the Five Stripes to help bury the past. The additions of Ezequiel Barco and Darlington Nagbe to an already potent Atlanta attack may present a challenge for a Minnesota defense that lead the league in goals conceded last year.
August 25 at Sporting Kansas City – Should the Loons defy current expectations and find themselves in contention for a playoff berth as the dog days of summer arrive, they’ll have to successfully navigate a five-game road swing to keep those hopes alive. Smack in the middle of that stretch is a tie with Sporting KC. The matchup proved a favorite for MNUFC’s travelling supporters in 2017, and the Loons should be able to count on a bit of extra backing away from home.
Check out the full 2018 schedule here.
Notes
- Left back Marc Burch (ankle) and central midfielder Harrison Heath (knee) will likely miss this Saturday’s game, per Meg Ryan of the Star Tribune.
- Attacking midfielder Kevin Molino and forward Abu Danladi have been nursing minor injuries but are expected to be available for selection against San Jose.
- Neither center back Bertrand Owundi Eko’o nor defensive midfielder Luiz Fernando — both acquired this month — have taken part in training yet, per Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press.
Biggest offseason moves
- Brought Brazilian defensive midfielder Luiz Fernando in on loan from Fluminense. The 22-year-old provides important depth as fellow No. 6 Sam Cronin is working his way back from a concussion suffered last season.
- Traded for goalkeeper Matthew Lampson during the 2018 Super Draft. Brought in from Chicago to challenge incumbent Bobby Shuttleworth, Lampson had the better preseason and may find himself in goal for the Loons sooner rather than later.
- Acquired Tyrone Mears in the Re-Entry Draft. It speaks to MNUFC’s offseason that the 35 year-old bears mention on a list of biggest moves. Nonetheless, the veteran looks to have won the starting right back job, and will be given the opportunity to prove he still has gas left in his tank after receiving intermittent playing time in the second half of 2017 with Atlanta.
- Saw Rasmus Schuller return from loan with Finnish side Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi. Not every player finds success in their first season in MLS, but as the likely understudy to a 34-year-old Ibson, the midfielder may yet have an important part to play for Minnesota in 2018.
Roster breakdown
Forwards – Christian Ramirez, 26; Abu Danladi, 22; Mason Toye, 19
Midfielders – Kevin Molino, 27; Ethan Finlay, 27; Ibson, 34; Rasmus Schuller, 26; Luiz Fernando, 22; Collin Martin, 23; Miguel Ibarra, 27; Collen Warner, 29; Sam nicholson, 23; Frantz Pangop, 24; Jose Leiton, 24; Harrison Heath, 21; Sam Cronin; 31
Defenders – Francisco Calvo, 25; Michael Boxall, 29; Jerome Thiesson, 30; Tyrone Mears, 35; March Burch, 33; Brent Kallman, 27; Bertand Owundi Eko’o, 24; Carter Manley, 21; Wyatt Omsberg, 22
Goalkeepers – Matthew Lampson, 24; Bobby Shuttleworth, 30; Alex Kapp, 23