As Week Five of the MLS season came to an end, the Loons found themselves winning their second game in a week and climbing out of the Western Conference basement and up to 10th.

With Minnesota’s win coming in stoppage time on a goal by midfielder Robin Lod, the game came perilously close to ending as a draw. That wouldn’t have been the happy ending Loons fans would have wanted, or sporting staff.

“It would have been frustrating,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “But when you’ve lost four in a span, I did say to my staff and the technical staff, I’d settled for four points before the week started. So, to come out with six, and then we’ve got a nice little break now, which some of the guys needed. Hopefully will give us an opportunity to embed the two new guys in. We’re hopeful of getting them in this week. So to have got the six points, with an opportunity of bringing two more quality players in, I’m quite pleased about that.”

One of the two guys coming in this week is Adrien Hunou, from French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. The other player was announced this week, Franco Fragapane from Club Atlético Talleres in Argentina. The two have officially arrived in Minnesota and are currently quarantining before being in the clear to train with the team next week.

This week’s training was very much in line with what Heath said after the game. Players who have been racking up minutes were able to rest during the beginning of the week while players who haven’t had much playing time were hustling in training. Towards the end of the week, everyone got an opportunity to train a little harder without a game to prepare for. The Loons ended the week with a team scrimmage and a well-deserved two day weekend.