Minnesota United midfielder Robin Lod gave a thumbs-up to fans after a May 15 game against FC Dallas. Lod, who played for Finland in recent Euros group play, is heading to home country to seek a green card before returning to Minnesota. (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

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.

Rey plays on

Whacked in the back with yellow-card force by Austin FC's Jhohan Romana and knocked down more than once, Loons star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso stayed in the game Wednesday until the 76th minute.

Heath went to remove him for Jacori Hayes before halftime. Reynoso made his point in a sideline conversation with Heath after the coach called upon Hayes.

He was temporarily off the field when Hunou's header off a Fragapane corner kick — a kick Reynoso otherwise might have taken — made it 2-0 in the 18th minute.

"He wants to play all the time, you know," Heath said. "That's his nature. He had a bang on the head, said he was O.K., then said he wasn't. And with the language barrier, it's not the easiest thing. But it's fine. He'll be available (Saturday at Portland)."

Getting a rest

The Loons' early 2-0 lead allowed Heath to substitute liberally late in the second half, with the game at Portland in mind. The start was moved back to a 10 p.m. Central with weather forecasts predicting a high of 104 degrees there on Saturday. Reynoso, Hunou, Fragapane, Metanire and Niko Hansen all came off for second-half subs.

"It's nice to get them off, even with only 20 minutes to go," Heath said. "We'll have a look at what we want to do at the weekend. We might have to freshen it up, certainly at the beginning."