Thursday, February 27, 2020

The Minnesota Loons looking to write a new chapter in 2020


Adrian Heath the manager of Minnesota United is back and seen as one of the league's sides considered to be the dark horse of this upcoming 2020 with a possible run not only to the postseason but into the finals.

Last season the Loons displayed an amazing game and a season that earned them a trip to their first-ever postseason in their third year since coming into Major League Soccer in 2017 as an expansion team.

Now with last season almost winning the prestigious Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup loss to the defending champions Atlanta United in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, this team sent a message to the whole league about their might. 

With major League Soccer celebrating its 25 years since its foundation, the Loons will be looking seriously for several trophies among one of them the US Open Cup, Western Conference finals and most coveted the MLS Shield.

The way this club armed itself during the offseason and delivering a promising preseason, somehow tells me a lot of this club's intentions to win it all this season as well become a headache to its foes in both conferences, no more they will be considered as an easy foe. 

Despite the departure of their Talisman Darwin Quintero on trade to Houston Dynamo, the Loons front men didn’t hesitate to substitute this important player with another top-class player in Paraguayan forward Luis Amarillas on loan from Velez Sarsfield.

So far, the club has embarked on getting players left and right to reinforce every position as well boost manager Heath game plan for this 2020 season that for sure looks promising for the Boys from the state of the Thousand Lakes. 

For the 23rd side that came in 2017, these have embarked in a commitment to excel, among the first order of business was to assure a number of notable players to new contracts to have the majority of last season base to front a contested season. 

The arrival of midfielder Jacori Hayes from FC Dallas, midfielder Raheem Edwards Chicago Fire, Uruguayan defender Jose Aja Chile’s League Union Espanola, forward Aaron Schoenfeld from Tel Aviv Maccabee, midfielder James Musa from Phoenix Rising and defender Noah Billingsley.

Talking about challenges the main one will be who will be the goalkeeper to substitute the absence of Italian Vito Mannone on loan to Danish side Esberg FB and last season winner of the title of Goalkeeper of the year.

With American Tyler Miller coming from a wondrous season for the LAFC, Fred Emmings a debutante with the big team with a Home-Grown contract and Canadian Greg Ranjitsingh from Orlando SC, the Loons will not have a problem substituting Mannone. 

My conclusion I don’t doubt the Loons finishing in third place or fourth like their previous season as well making it into the Western Conference playoffs with a run in the finals of its conference and maybe going all the way to the finals. 

The way this club has armed itself and with a positive preseason, somehow tells me that this group is up and ready to deliver mayhem to MLS this 2020.

 
Post Contents and Property of Fern Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved  

Photos Credit, Courtesy and Property of © Minnesota United Football Club 2020

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Major League Soccer. com 2020

      

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