One week from season opener, Minnesota United enter key exhibition Saturday

Minnesota United finishes its preseason with a third exhibition game at the inaugural Coachella Invitational on Saturday, with the season opener at FC Dallas to follow exactly one week later.

Three days after he played mostly second-teamers in a 4-1 loss to San Jose, Loons coach Adrian Heath will pick a starting 11 against Vancouver that he deems regular-season ready, whether suspended star Emanuel Reynoso reports by next Saturday or not.

"I'd like to get as close as we can to the Dallas lineup," he said. "We'll be picking the team for Vancouver with the opener in mind."

With Reynoso expected to be unavailable because he's either absent or not game fit, Heath will have to decide whether to tweak his preferred 4-3-2-1 formation — and just where Robin Lod fits best with Reynoso missing.

The left-footed Lod is perhaps at his most dangerous when he cuts in from the right side, but the team is often its best with him playing in the central midfield.

Lod also can move up the field to play Reynoso's No. 10 playmaking midfielder role. He also played striker when the Loons nearly reached the MLS Cup final in a 2020 playoff run.

Whatever position Lod plays, Heath often calls him the team's best player in any given game.

A player such as Kervin Arriaga can play center back if needed or farther up the field as well. He and teammate Joseph Rosales were back home in Honduras this week, pursuing their U.S. green cards, which will allow the Loons to add new players with an international roster spot.

Heath has experimented with a 4-3-3 that has veterans Kemar Lawrence and Zarek Valentin at fullback, with Michael Boxall and Brent Kallman at center back. Starting left center back Bakaye Dibassy is still working his way back from a ruptured quadricep tendon, suffered last August.

In that 4-3-3 formation, Heath positioned Wil Trapp, Lod and Arriaga in the midfield with striker Luis Amarilla between wingers Franco Fragapane and Bongokuhle Hlongwane.

Heath also could play two strikers — including Mender Garcia — up top together.

In Palm Springs, Heath took his first game-action look at newly acquired Under-22 initiative signing Mikael Marques. He did so while the Loons wait for fellow center back and Liga MX veteran Miguel Tapias' immigration paperwork to clear.

"He's very smooth, very comfortable with the ball," Heath said. "He speaks four, five languages. He's a very smart, very intelligent boy."

Heath hasn't yet seen Tapias in game action. Older and more experienced than Marques, Tapias is 26 and left footed at a left center back spot where the Loons need depth and more youth.

"I've been very impressed with him in training," Heath said. "Incredibly composed, great soccer player, great football brain. We've been really pleased with him."

And don't forget versatile midfielder Hassani Dotson, whose season ended last April with a torn ACL. He's aimed toward returning in the March 11 home opener against the New York Red Bulls after a bye the week before.