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For Adrian Heath, Minnesota United’s 1-0 win over Orlando City last May at TCF Bank Stadium was a nice appetizer, but a victory in Florida on Saturday over the club that fired him in July 2016 would be the juicy entree.
The Loons lineup that will try to bring three points north from Orlando City Stadium — the soccer-specific home Heath helped build — will be a weeklong focal point for Minnesota’s second-year head coach.
United lost its season opener 3-2 to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. After Minnesota’s defense was exposed by San Jose’s three-goal opening hour, most of any potential changes would come on the back end of the pitch. Here are five intriguing positions to watch for the Loons this week:
STRIKER
Heath, a former English goal scorer with an affinity for attacking play, will want to score multiple goals in his return to Orlando, the club he brought from United Soccer League into Major League Soccer in 2015. Injuries to Abu Danladi and Christian Ramirez in San Jose complicate that prospect. Danladi exited in the 29th minute after aggravating a left hamstring injury. Ramirez came on as a sub only to soon roll his left ankle. He finished the game, but his foot swelled afterward. “It doesn’t bode well for the weekend,” Heath said Saturday night.
CENTER BACK
“Stupid” is how Heath initially described the first two goals allowed to the Earthquakes within consecutive first-half minutes. How the Loons weren’t able to shed the sieve narrative from a year ago must irk the club and could produce a change. Most armchair tacticians back in Minnesota on Saturday night wanted Woodbury’s Brent Kallman instead of Michael Boxall as the partner to Francisco Calvo in central defense. Heath played Boxall 225 minutes in three preseason games in Charleston, S.C., compared with only 45 for Kallman, so he clearly rates the New Zealand native higher than Minnesotan, who is healthy after a few setbacks at end of last season. Heath said Kallman’s playing time will come this season, but will it be this soon?
FULLBACK
When describing his starting back line last week, Heath added nuance that his pick of Jerome Thiesson at left back was affected by the ankle injury Marc Burch picked up in preseason prep. “Burch has picked another little knock up in preseason, so Jerry is the natural fit there,” Heath said last week. Heath seems to rate Burch higher after sports hernia surgery sidelined him for a chunk last season, and after Heath and Thiesson had a contentious end to 2017.
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER
From the “banging on the same drum” folder, the absence of Sam Cronin loomed large in front of the back line when Danny Hoesen was left unmarked at the top of the 18-yard box to produce the first goal Saturday. Heath said there is no estimated arrival time for defensive midfielder Luis Fernando, a 22-year-old Brazilian loanee and much-needed fill-in for Cronin. United started Rasmus Schuller and Ibson in midfield, with Collen Warner subbing on late. Fernando’s arrival is hung up because of immigration paperwork. “We are still waiting, and we are hoping every day that something comes through,” Heath said. “But at the moment, as you always are, you are in the hands of other people’s government’s immigration visas. We will wait and see.”
GOALKEEPER
After Bobby Shuttleworth started 32 of 34 games last season, Heath went with newcomer Matt Lampson in net in the opener against San Jose. Lampson created a competition that he won during a strong performance against Atlanta in preseason, coupled with Shuttleworth dealing with preseason ailments. “It’s been a difficult sort of preseason for Bob,” Heath said. “He’s had a couple of minor setbacks that have cost him a bit of time. I just thought that Matt was probably a bit more game-ready at this moment in time. As I’ve said before, Bobby’s time will come again. He’s been terrific for us, and there is no doubt he will be terrific for us in the future as well.”