I’m not sure about you all, but it sure is great to have the Loons back!
Last weekend, Minnesota United traveled to Philadelphia, where they drew 1-1 in their season opener against the Union. They very well could have walked away with the victory, but caught some unlucky breaks in front of the goal. Still, to draw against an opponent who finished second in the Eastern Conference last season, on the road, is nothing to scoff at.
It should also be noted that the Loons kicked off their season with three of their starters missing due to injury, including newly-appointed captain and defensive midfielder, Wil Trapp (hip), left back Chase Gasper (head) and right back Romain Métanire (thigh).
In their place, recently-signed Honduran midfielder, Kervin Arriaga, made his debut next to Hassani Dotson in the double pivot of our patented 4-2-3-1. French-Malian defender Bakaye Dibassy, who typically starts at centerback, started at right back, with backup centerback Brent Kallman playing in his spot. Former LA Galaxy defender, Oniel Fisher, who signed with the Loons in the summer, made his debut at left back in lieu of Gasper.
It was only the first game, and key players were missing, but there’s plenty to talk about. Today and in the coming weeks, I’ll be examining the roster by position: forwards, midfielders and defenders. I’ll share what caught my attention in the previous gameweek, as well as positional battles and opportunities for growth.
This week, ahead of our home opener at Allianz Field versus Nashville SC at 5 p.m. CT, I’ll focus my attention on the Loons midfield.
Wingers and Reynoso
Attacking midfielder Emmanuel Reynoso has the potential to be an MVP candidate this season if he continues to orchestrate the way he did last Saturday. The team was humming, moving the ball around, finding pockets and getting the ball in threatening positions. Behind it all was the Argentinian maestro.
He had no assists or goals to his name, but we all know they’re coming. In his first full season with the Loons, Reynose chipped in five goals and dished out 10 assists. The magician is crafty, with more tricks in his bag than Houdini. Now, in his second full season with Minnesota United, all eyes are on number 10 to see how far he can take this team.
Of course, Reynoso can’t do it alone. Luckily for him, he has reliable wingers, Franco Fragapane and Robin Lod, to help lead the attacking unit. The wingers, who led the team in scoring last season, combined to score the Loons first goal of the season.
Lod was named to the MLS Team of the Week bench on Monday after scoring a goal, distributing five key passes, notching two interceptions and completing 78 percent of his passes against Philadelphia.
The attacking trio of Reynoso, Fragapane and Lod finished the game with over 75 percent in pass completion. If the Loons are to improve upon their fifth place finish in the Western Conference in 2021, it all starts and ends with this trio.
The three of them are comfortable on the ball and capable 1v1 attackers. They can slip silky through balls past crowded defenses and shoot from distance. In short, they're a handful for any defense.
You can be assured that manager Adrian Heath will have these three among the first names on the starter sheet. Still, it was interesting to see that offseason signee Bongokuhle Hlongwane was the first substitution for the Loons in the 78th minute, coming in for Fragapane at left wing.
I won’t discuss Bongi in detail in this positional review because he’s in the running for the starting striker spot, however, his ability to play on the wings with tremendous pace is a boost to Heath’s side, especially at the end of games. He didn’t stand out against Philadelphia, but his early debut suggests we could be seeing more of him.
Some other names that could feature on the wings at some point this season include Adrien Hunou (more on him in the coming weeks) and Niko Hansen, along with up-and-comers Patrick Weah, Aziel Jackson and Tani Oluwaseyi.
Center Midfield
During the offseason, the Loons lost veteran midfielders Ozzie Alonso and Jan Gregus to free agency. Though impactful losses, their departures pave the way for Adrian Heath to lean into the promising defensive midfield duo of Wil Trapp and Hassani Dotson.
In ten games starting together last season, Trapp and Dotson went 5-1-4, with the sole loss coming against the Seattle Sounders on the road. This season they’ll be called upon to help steady one of the league’s best defenses, while contributing to the offensive flow and control of the game in the middle of the pitch.
In the season opener against Philadelphia Union, Hassani Dotson manned the midfield without his partner in crime, Trapp, who’s dealing with a nagging hip injury. With Trapp out, he was joined in the midfield by Kervin Arriaga, who could soon become a fan favorite at Allianz field.
A late free agent signing and last-minute arrival to training camp due to visa complications, Minnesota United were uncertain about the Honduran national’s availability to start the season. But as luck would have it, his visa was granted, and he made his debut in Philadelphia.
And what a debut it was.
The 6’ 3” defensive midfielder completed 92.1 percent of his passes, made some great challenges, and took two shots, including a tasteful near-post free kick that hit the crossbar. Not bad for the new guy. His presence in midfield was calm, like a 10-year veteran with nothing to prove, and his towering presence can help the Loons assert dominance in the air.
Against the Union, Dotson and Arriaga showed glimpses of the dangerous potential of the Loons midfield. They, along with Emmanuel Reynoso, had over 20 pressures on opposing players at Subaru Park. They also helped the team maintain 47.5 percent possession of the ball over Philadelphia, a number that could be even higher against lesser opponents.
Dotson, the Loons 2019 second-round draft pick, re-signed with Minnesota for three more years this offseason. He’s had to fight for playing time in his first two seasons, but finally became a regular feature in the squad last season.
A natural number 8, Dotson has had to become a jack-of-all-trades midfielder, depending on the needs of the team. With Alonso and Gregus gone, manager Adrian Heath will be calling on Dotson to fill the role of playmaker behind Reynoso, while being a disruptor in opponents’ build-up in the midfield.
Wil Trapp, who missed out due to injury, is working his way back to full fitness and should be in contention for the home opener this weekend. A regular starter last year, Trapp was named captain, following former captain Ozzie Alonso’s departure.
In his first season with Minnesota United, the former Columbus Crew man was second on the team in passing completion at 87 percent. He also made 23 key passes and 33 tackles. This season, the 29-year-old will look to improve on last year’s form, while helping stifle opposing players in the center of the pitch and providing offense support when called upon.
In Trapp, Dotson, and Arriaga, Heath has three versatile midfielders that can do a little bit of everything. This season there’s been an emphasis on improving goal-scoring, so it will fall on these three not necessarily to score goals (though they’re all capable), but rather to supply assists and boost possession stats, which in turn should create more goal-scoring opportunities.
Beyond them, Kervin Arriaga’s 21-year-old Honduran national teammate, Joseph Rosales, who also signed with the team in the offseason, should also get a look at some point, as well as MLS veteran Jacori Hayes.
What’s the Loons ceiling?
Among the Loons should-be starters–Reynoso, Lod, Fragapone, Trapp and Dotson–we have proven players hungry to put the league on notice.
It’s a balanced offensive and defensive quintet that on any day can dominate in possession, create threatening opportunities, while also tending to their defensive duties.
The Loons floor is a middle-of-the-pack midfield that can fluctuate between red-hot and ice-cold, depending on the opponent. This would be acceptable considering the offseason turnover, but manager Adrian Heath will be hoping that their added depth and player growth can help turn their midfield into an MLS powerhouse.
Therein lies the Loons ceiling: an elite midfield that can play multiple styles, possession offense, counter-attacking and/or full-press on both sides of the ball. This group has the potential to build up play from deep midfield positions, dominate the wings and cut inside or cross inside opponents’ box.
With the squad’s attacking trio, Minnesota United has offensive midfielders that can create off the dribble, make pin-point passes and score with the best of them. There are even set-piece specialists and box-to-box midfielders that have the backing of the manager to get forward and make plays.
The versatility and possibilities are boundless, but piecing it all together may take time.
Saturday the Loons are at Allianz Field for the home opener against a feisty Nashville SC, who finished third in the Eastern Conference last season and are buzzing after a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. CT.