Minnesota United manager Adrian Heath has often felt his team is overlooked by commentators on MLSsoccer.com. Well, one of their top pundits, Matt Doyle, put Heath in the conversation for Coach of the Year.
“We all said at the start of the year: If they lose Ike Opara, they are in big, big trouble,” Doyle said this week on the ExtraTime podcast. “We saw what happened to Sporting Kansas City last year when they lost Ike Opara. Well, Minnesota lost Ike Opara and then lost a bunch of guys as well. Ozzie has been hurt for a good chunk of the year. Minnesota is in the playoffs. Minnesota might even get a home game again.”
The Loons have had 104 starts lost due to injury and illness this season, and beyond Opara missing 21 straight games, Heath has had to deal with major injures down the team’s spine: defensive midfielder Ozzie Alonso, goalkeeper Tyler Miller and striker Luis Amiarilla.
But if the Loons beat FC Dallas at Allianz Field on Sunday night, they would clinch an MLS Cup Playoffs home game for a second consecutive year.
“The disappointment for me with this (year) has been this has been by far the best group I’ve had,” Heath said. “I expected an awful lot of them.
“The fact that we are playing (Sunday) to have a home field game in the playoffs speaks volumes to the amount of work and time and effort from everybody connected with the club — not just the players.”
If the Loons draw or lose to FC Dallas on Decision Day, they could drop to as low as the eighth and final seed depending on results for Los Angeles FC, Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes.
When the Loons get to the playoffs, they will be without four more starters, who are leaving after Sunday’s game for international duties.
Striker Kei Kamara will go to Sierra Leone’s national team, and right back Romain Metanire will go to Madagascar’s for the African Cup of Nations games. Central midfielder Jan Gregus will join Slovakia and winger Robin Lod will meet Finland for UEFA Nations League games.
Those four players will have games Nov. 17 or 18, with the Loons’ first game in the MLS Cup Playoffs coming as soon as Nov. 21. Any player going overseas would have to quarantine upon return and miss the first-round games.
“It’s a delicate situation,” Heath said. “It’s us and a few other clubs are really in a bit of a hole. If the quarantine stays at nine days, they will probably miss the playoff game, which is not ideal considering you work all year to make the playoffs.”
But the Loons remain without center back Michael Boxall and three midfielder Ozzie Alonso, Hassani Dotson and Jacori Hayes.
If none of those midfielders can return and Gregus is away, the Loons’ midfield players will be a mystery.
“I wouldn’t even have an idea what the team would look like or what the shape of the team would be,” Heath said. “We’ve got a couple of weeks to hopefully get a few players back and fit.’
BRIEFLY
One positive for the Loons’ roster is left back Chase Gasper is expected to rejoin the team for Sunday’s game. … Boxall has been dealing with a lot of issues, Heath said, including torn ligaments in his shoulder and 11 stitches in his knee. …The Loons announced Amarilla had ankle surgery late this week. Heath said the Paraguayan will start his rehab in Minnesota, and the club will keep the door open for the striker’s return in 2021. Under the current deal, his one-year loan expires in December.
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November 08, 2020 at 06:24AM
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Adrian Heath considered MLS Coach of Year material as Loons enter playoffs - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press
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