Minnesota United: 2020 Preview – Back-to-back playoffs?
By Matt Coles
Offseason Summary
Squad Retention
The entirety of Minnesota United’s best defence in 2019 will return for the new campaign, with Romain Metanire, Ike Opara, Michael Boxall and Chase Gasper, who is fresh off earning his first cap for the United States Men’s National Team, the mainstays of the backline.
Captain Ozzie Alonso will continue to be a key part of the club’s midfield, while wingers Ethan Finlay and Hassani Dotson will provide pace out wide. The likes of Kevin Molino, Robin Lod and Jan Gregus also remain with the club, which has a packed midfield core ahead of the 2020 season.
The only forward to remain with the side for 2020 is Generation Adidas star Mason Toye, who showed glimpses of his abilities in MLS. Both he and the club will be expecting more this time around.
Transfers & SuperDraft Picks
Minnesota United had one of the busier offseasons around the league with 14 players leaving the club, and ten others coming the other way. They lost the majority of their attacking options with star man Darwin Quinter traded to the Houston Dynamo and Angelo Rodriguez returning to his native Colombia and signing for Deportivo Cali.
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Ghanaian striker Abu Danladi was selected by new-boys Nashville SC in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft, while Miguel Ibarra was one of seven members of the squad to see options declined on their contracts. Fellow midfielders Lawrence Olum, Collin Martin, Rasmus Schuller, Wilfried Moimbe and Ally Hamis Ng’anzi, and right-back Carter Manley, also left the club for the same reason.
Defender Wyatt Omsberg was traded to the Chicago Fire in early-February, while 2019 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Vito Mannone returned to Reading after his loan spell from the Championship side ended.
The Loons brought in three goalkeepers, with Tyler Miller expected to be the starting option after making the move across from Los Angeles FC in a trade. Greg Ranjitsingh, who signed from Orlando City SC, and academy product Fred Emmings, will be the two back-ups.
Midfielder Marlon Hairston joins MNUFC from Houston as a part of the trade which saw Quintero go the other way, while Raheem Edwards also moves to Minneapolis in return for Wyatt Omsberg in the trade with the Fire. Fellow midfielders Jacori Hayes and James Musa have also joined the club, with Uruguayan defender Jose Aja the club’s most recent signing, making the move to MLS from Chilean side Union Espanola.
The club have also brought in Paraguayan forward Luis Amarilla from Velez Sarsfield on a season-long loan deal, and signed American striker Aaron Schoenfeld on a permanent deal from Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Due to trades prior to the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, the Loons only had three draft picks, with two of those coming in the fourth round, but they proceeded to use all three. They chose UC Santa Barbara defender Noah Billingsley with the 18th overall selection, before then choosing Missouri State forward Matthew Bentley and Florida International midfielder Andrew Booth with the 88th and 96th overall picks respectively.