After the 2019 season ended, head coach Adrian Heath was left looking for ways to make Minnesota United take the next step. A muted 2-1 defeat at Allianz Field to the Los Angeles Galaxy stopped any dreams of a playoff run in the opening round, but it was a season which had been an undeniable improvement over the two previous; a fourth place finish in the West and a run to the U.S. Open Cup final.
The question for the Loons was no longer about earning respect — it was about proving that 2019 wasn’t a one-off.
Most of the roster looked set, particularly the midfield and defense (areas with previous weaknesses that plagued the Loons in 2017 and 2018). As such, the major changes came up top and in goal. By the start of the 2020 season, they had replaced the reigning goalkeeper of the year with Tyler Miller and offloaded misfiring designated player Ángelo Rodríguez. 2019’s leading scorer Darwin Quintero was traded to the Houston Dynamo for…
