Minnesota United newcomers Franco Fragapane and Adrien Hunou introduced themselves to an Allianz Field capacity crowd Wednesday when each scored in a 2-0 victory over Austin FC. Now the club awaits its three international players' return from the European championship to make itself complete.
Starting right-side attacker Robin Lod will stop back home in Finland on his return to Minnesota for an appointment to get his green card.
Loons coach Adrian Heath is hopeful both Lod and starting right back Romain Metanire will secure their green cards in the coming weeks. That would open two international roster slots, giving the team options when MLS' secondary transfer window opens in July.
"We're hoping we get the green cards sorted, which will be good," Heath said.
Starting central midfielder Jan Gregus and veteran Jukka Raitala are headed back to Minnesota as well. Both Finland and Slovakia were eliminated after the Euros' group play.
Heath said Saturday's game at Portland is too soon to get any of the three players back from Europe and ready. He's targeting a July 3 home game against San Jose, depending upon any quarantine period the players must serve. All three have been vaccinated.
"We won't rush them back for this weekend because I think physically and emotionally — certainly for the Finland guys — it has been a really heavy couple of weeks with everything that they've gone through," Heath said.
Finland played its first major soccer tournament — European championship or World Cup — in its soccer federation's history. Its players also witnessed Denmark's Christian Eriksen collapsed after his heart stopped in the tournament opener for both teams.
