Here's today's post from United training just north of Orlando, where they'll be for three preseason games and training these next eight days. I'll be here writing daily dispatches and working ahead toward the March 2 season opener until after Wednesday's game against New York City F.C.:
Hope springs eternal always in preseason and never more so for Minnesota United here in Season 3, when head coach Adrian Heath sees the changes on the practice field after his team added five new starters.
"We have nowhere near the same competition we've had," Heath said Friday afternoon after a training session in the sun with temperatures approaching 80 degrees. "I've noticed it more the first team against the second team. The quality of the second group is absolutely miles better than we've had in the past. There's not an awful lot of difference between the first and second team now, which we've never had."
Heath got his first look this week at the latest newcomers, right back Romain Metanire and goalkeeper Vito Mannone. Both recently acquired players practiced with their new teammates when the team arrived in Florida on Wednesday for training sessions. Three games are set against MLS opponents starting Saturday afternoon against New England.
"We think he'll be what we thought he was, what we've seen," Heath said of Metanire. "He's very competitive, athletic, good in both boxes. He wants to work hard, so we've been pleased with what we've seen so far."
Metanire speaks what Heath calls a "smattering" of English and Heath's French is only a few phrases itself. But Heath said "the football language is very, very, very universal" and gestures go a long way toward explaining.
About Mannone, Heath said, "He's obviously very experienced and he's come through this a million times."
Heath said his team will play New England without forward Angelo Rodriguez because of what Heath called a "slight" groin injury.
