Minnesota United travels to Sporting KC this Saturday for the first of two straight matchups against the boys in blue. MNUFC took the first match of the series at home earlier this season, with a strong performance against a Kansas City team that was the conference leader. Generally strong at home, the Loons will have a difficult time on the road. Here's what Head Coach Adrian Heath and Minnesota United defender Brent Kallman had to say after training this week:
Head Coach Adrian Heath
On anything he saw when watching the film that he didn’t see on Saturday:
Not really. I thought we didn’t start very well, but I couldn’t fault that determination and enthusiasm to go and try and get a result. As I said, the most important thing for me was that we got the three points that the players have probably deserved in the previous two weeks, but didn’t get anything. It was a welcome relief for everybody that we got out of it.
On who will wear the armband in Calvo’s place this week:
I’ve got an idea of who I think it will be, but it’ll be to be determined. We’ll wait and see where everyone comes through this week. We had a really light session this morning, we got quite a few players are banged up. We’re going to carry it along, so hopefully we can get through the week.
Update on Kadrii and Molino:
Better. They’re going to be available for the weekend. Kev is coming in later today. We’ve got a little run-around tonight for a few of the guys. They should be fine for the weekend.
On Christian’s game-winning goal this weekend against Orlando:
Actually, I thought he showed great composure, because the previous week he hit it early against the Galaxy, and Ashley Cole cleared it off the line. I thought he’d obviously thought about that, so then he threaded it in and just cut it back. Really good, composed finish. Really pleased for him. He’s been working so hard. As I’ve said all along, if we can keep getting him chances, he's going to be towards the top of this goal scoring charts at the end of the season.
On Abu’s availability this weekend:
I think more likely the next Open Cup game is the date we’re looking for, but if not, obviously Salt Lake after that.
On Rasmus’s availability:
He feels a lot better, so he should be available for the weekend as well.
On playing Sporting KC multiple times and the effect of this:
I don’t think it will be any easier. But they don’t change their way very often. They play the 4-3-3. They’re very good at it. Obviously when they play it at their place, it’s a very difficult, hostile environment. Great place to go and play. I think they’re missing a few players this weekend as well. The fact that we got the win a couple weeks ago will hopefully give us a better confidence, but it’s going to be tough.
On the scrimmage tonight being a chance for non-starters to get some minutes:
The most important thing is the likes of — even for Ish [Jome], who played at the weekend — to give him some more time. He hasn’t played a lot of football. But certainly the likes of Collen Warner, Collin Martin, Bash [Kadrii] — you know, people that like — Jermaine Taylor, Viva [Kevin Venegas], JD [Justin Davis]. It’s important for them. As we said, the reason we put this game in, we knew that we were going to need them in this little window of the season. It’ll be good for them.
On the impact of loaning some of the players out to join other teams:
That’s the problem, I think, for us, is to make sure that when they get called up, they can compete at the appropriate level, because it’s not easy. That’s one of the hard parts. We spoke about maybe Ish [Jome] going out on loan and maybe Collin Martin. And Joe Greenspan, it proved really beneficial for Joe. In the next couple weeks we need to get these guys maybe out on loan and get some minutes.
On how difficult loaning/preparing guys is on Heath:
The hard part for people is keeping them motivated, and not, when they train Monday to Friday, to really be at their maximum all the time. At some stage, when they’re needed, they need to be at their optimum level. It’s difficult at times, but that’s one of the things that we keep stressing at the players. How important training is Monday to Friday, because that’s the only chance they’ve got to gain some real, valuable time under their belts. It’s going to be important.
On being without Calvo and Johan Venegas this week/the opportunity for other players to step up:
That’s always the case. One door shuts, another one opens for some people. People have been knocking on my door, asking why they’re not on the team. Over the next couple of weeks, one or two people are going to get an opportunity. It’s up to them, then. Obviously it’s not ideal, certainly the way Calvo’s been playing, he’s been outstanding of late, so we’re going to miss him. It’s just a case now of moving on, compensate for him as best we can. We’ve got every confidence in the people who I expect to step up.
On Calvo being on the MLS Team of the Week/hard for defenders to be recognized:
I think one of the important things is that we just look at his performance week in and week out. I think could have been in the Team of the Week five or six times this year. I’ve been a little bit disappointed with our representation in the Team of the Weeks over the last few weeks, but I think the most important thing is that he maintains that standard because he’s been outstanding since he’s been here.
On playing Sporting KC back to back and what you can learn from that:
I don’t think there is an awful lot that’s going to change. They normally play 4-3-3. They’re very good at the way they play, so I don’t expect them to change. You just hope you don’t — one of the issues you sometimes get is you get one or two things carrying over from the previous game, and hopefully that won’t be the case. It’s going to be difficult. However we approach the game, it’s going to be a difficult game for us.
On how much it helps players to go on loan and get some experience like Joe Greenspan:
It was invaluable for Joe, he’s come back like a different player, because he realized that he hadn’t played any football for 12 months. To get five or six games in in a short period of time has been really invaluable to him, and we need to do the same with one or two others. Just for sheer numbers at this moment, we can’t. It was terrific for Joe.
On the tough balance between loaning players out getting them minutes with the team:
Exactly, and when you need them here as well. It’s like, Collin Martin hasn’t played anywhere near enough football, but at the weekend he came on for the last 15 minutes. It’s a tough balancing act at times to know what to do, but we need to get some of these guys some minutes, that’s definite.
MNUFC Defender Brent Kallman
On how the team adjusts to missing players because of national call ups:
That goes back to that ‘next guy up.’ The guys that maybe haven’t been getting minutes, but they work very hard during the week. They’ll be ready to step in and prove that they can play, and they can help us get three points. We’re kind of confident. We have a lot of guys on the bench that haven’t been playing much that have a lot of experience in MLS and abroad. I don’t think that it should be an issue for us. They’re going to be dealing with the same thing as well. They’re going to be missing a couple guys due to international duties, so not really an excuse.
On facing Sporting KC back to back:
They’ve proven that they’re very difficult to beat in Kansas City. They have a really good home atmosphere, and they play well on their home field. I’m expecting a lot different game then when they came up here. Different surface, different atmosphere and everything. It’s going to be a tough place to play, we definitely have our work cut out for us.
On mentally having a home match versus an away match:
I don’t know. This league is really hard to get points on the road. I think you see it every week. They’re a team that, if you look at their results, they’re taking care of business at home and struggling a little bit on the road. We’re getting them at their place, and we know it’s going to be a big challenge.
On rumors he cut his hair for money:
Yeah. I won’t say exactly how much, but a few guys on the team bet me that I wouldn’t. They kept going higher and higher, and I kept holding out, and eventually I said deal. Everything has a price.
