After a three-game slate at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, Minnesota United FC has officially put the 2022 preseason to bed, and now, all eyes shift to Philadelphia and the season opener this Saturday. MNUFC opened the preseason showcase with a 1-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers before playing to a 0-0 draw against Real Salt Lake and a 2-2 draw with Viking FK of the Eliteserien, the top flight of Norwegian football.
In the opening match against Portland, midfielder Yimmi Chara provided the lone goal for the defending Western Conference Champions, taking a feed from Santiago Moreno at the top of the 18-yard box and one-timing a shot far post to beat Tyler Miller in the match’s fifth minute.
Minnesota’s defense tightened up after conceding the early goal and was able to flex some of its defensive depth in both matches against their Western Conference counterparts. The goalkeeper position was particularly strong as both Miller and Dayne St. Clair made what would have been Save of the Week nominees in the regular season. Miller denied a dangerous shot in the box from Jaroslaw Niezgoda, who got his head on a clever cross from Moreno in the 53rd minute of the match against Portland. St. Clair made a fantastic two-handed save on Tate Schmitt’s header to preserve the scoreless draw in his start in goal against RSL.
“I don’t think there’s a team in the league that’s got four goalkeepers as good as we have,” MNUFC Head Coach Adrian Heath said after the 0-0 draw with RSL. “We’re in a really strong spot with it. We’ve got four really good goalkeepers, and that’s a really pleasing thing.”
The depth of the offense for Minnesota was on display across all three matches, too. An array of forwards saw action across the week as the Loons attack collectively worked towards match fitness.
“We’ve got an abundance of forwards, and competition for places is going to be pretty fierce,” Heath said. “Hopefully that’s going to be my difficult task this year, picking the right group to play together and making sure that everybody realizes the level of performance Monday to Friday and on the game will dictate your place at the weekend.”
The abundance of forwards includes Luis Amarilla, who is back with the club for his second stint in black and blue. Amarilla wasted little time finding the back of the net in his first appearance back with the club in the final preseason match against Viking FK. The forward found himself unmarked in the middle of the box and took a pass from Adrien Hunou before slotting a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Arild Østbø to tie the game at 1-1.
“We’re delighted to welcome (Amarilla) back. He still owes us 23 goals, as he promised us 25 when he arrived here in 2020,” said MNUFC Head Coach Adrian Heath after officially welcoming back the Paraguayan international. “We felt then he would be a consistent goal scorer in the league, and we feel the same again.”
The Loons traded goals with Viking to the tune of a 2-2 final score. Robin Lod also found the back of the net for Minnesota with a powerful strike from outside the box that beat Østbø to his left.
With the book officially closed on a productive 2022 preseason, the Loons now head to Philadelphia for a season-opening date with the Union, who finished second in the Eastern Conference in 2021. Match time is set for 12:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted by Bally Sports North, CW Twin Cities and SKOR North.
Check out the Game Guide HERE.
UP NEXT
PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. MINNESOTA UNITED FC
Subaru Park | Chester, Pennsylvania
02.26.22 | MLS Week No. 1 | MLS Game No. 1
12:00 p.m. CT (Bally Sports North, MNUFC Radio on SKOR North)
