This is one in a series of team previews preparing fans for the 2023 MLS season. Check out the full list; teams will be revealed in predicted order of finish from Feb. 10-24.
What Minnesota United FC did last year
The Loons did well enough to get into the playoffs, despite finishing the season with five losses and a tie after securing their last win of 2022 on Aug. 27. Then, they held steady in the 3/6 playoff match against Dallas to get the match to PKs, Will Trapp was the only player of the 10 to not convert, and then Alan Velasco did Minny dirty with an ice-cold panenka to send them back home. It was a brutal end to a decent season in which they hosted the All-Star Game (which was awesome).
Key additions
Forward Cameron Dunbar (traded from LA Galaxy), defender Doneil Henry (picked up from waivers), goalkeeper Clint Irwin (free agent), defender Mikael Marques (transfer from AFC Eskilstuna), defender Miguel Tapias (transfer from Pachuca), defender Zarek Valentin (free agent)
Key departures
Midfielder Jonathan Gonzalez (loan expired), midfielder Niko Hansen (option declined), midfielder Jacori Hayes (option declined), defender Romain Metanire (option declined), goalkeeper Tyler Miller (option declined)
Making the case for Minnesota United FC
The Loons are a really hard team to figure out. They’ve got one of the best pure playmakers in MLS, Bebolo Reynoso, entering his prime at 27 — but he’s also skipping preseason camp and is being suspended without pay by the league because of it. They have MLS All-Star MVP Dayne St. Clair in goal, but he’s been a bit uneven throughout his career (though when he’s on, he’s quite good). They might have striker Luis Amarilla on track, as he had nine goals in 2022, but they also ended 2022 with a -3 goal differential, worst among the West playoff teams.
The case for them is Reynoso comes back and they get enough working to get into the playoffs, but they’re also a possibility that they really are just mediocre and land on the other side of the playoff line.
Players to watch
Swedish defender Mikael Marques signed to a three-year deal, and can play either center back or right back — helpful since MNUFC has moved on from Romain Metanire, who’s been one of the best fullbacks in MLS when he’s been at his best. Head coach Adrian Heath says of the new player, “Several big teams in Sweden, Norway and Denmark were starting to take an interest but we got him through a good contact of ours who felt Mikael had so much upside.”
A nerdy tidbit
Despite Reynoso’s reputation as an assist machine, he only had 0.21 assists per 90 minutes in 2022. Teammate Jacori Hayes was among the league leaders with 1.2 assists per 90 — but he only played 69 MLS minutes in 2022 after getting more runout the previous two seasons, and has since moved on from the squad.
A fun tidbit
If you haven’t checked out Footy Scran yet, you’re missing out. It’s a Twitter account where fans rate stadium food around the world as “scran” (the right mix of affordable and appetizing) or “not scran” (either too pricy or not something you’d want to eat). Somehow, fried chicken in a cone (available at the outstanding Allianz Field) didn’t make the cut.
Fried chicken in a cone at Minnesota United (@MNUFC)
— Footy Scran (@FootyScran) December 30, 2022
🇺🇸 $12 (£10) pic.twitter.com/JtFwkCEwUN
As one fan said in the debate sparked by the vote, “Lots of English people mad about this; sorry it’s not a boiled tongue with peas and gravy.”
Projected finish
9th in the West
If things work out with all their question marks, they could host a home playoff match. If they go completely sideways, this could be a 12th-place team. They probably end up right in between … and Heath will probably remain head coach regardless of what they do.