Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath: 'A few holes to fill' and a vow to be better after stinging playoff loss

Now that Minnesota United missed reaching the MLS Cup in December by a mere minute, coach Adrian Heath said there's only one way to improve.

"For us to go again and have a better year, we're going to have to go very close to winning something," said Heath, whose team enters its preseason training's second week Monday in Blaine.

In the Western Conference final at Seattle, the Loons led 2-0 into the 75th minute and 2-1 into 89th minute before they lost 3-2 in stoppage time. It's a loss that still stings Heath. The team had two fewer days to prepare so its conference semifinal could be broadcast nationally on Fox.

Star attacking midfielder Emanuel Reynoso returns this season after he arrived last August and transformed the Loons in the season's final months.

Gone is goal-scorer and oft-injured Kevin Molino, who developed chemistry playing with Reynoso late last season. Molino left for MLS champion Columbus Crew in offseason free agency.

The club has added MLS veterans with defensive midfielder Wil Trapp, striker Juan Agudelo and defender Jukka Raitala: It has added youth with 2019 SuperDraft fourth overall pick Callum Montgomery, homegrown prospect Patrick Weah and two first-round draft picks.

The Loons bade farewell to midfielder Raheem Edwards, whom it lost to LAFC in the league's Stage 1 re-entry process. Able to create a designated player slot if they choose, the Loons now seek a star striker to fill a glaring need and a gifted attacker to replace Molino on the left wing.

Q Have you gotten over the pain of the loss to Seattle yet?

A It must have been a month or more before I watched it again. Nothing changed my mind. I honestly believe if we had a couple extra days to come down and build up to the game, we would have won the game. But that's all ifs and buts. We didn't.

Q What's it like going to camp without Kevin Molino?

A Everybody knows our relationship the last 10 years. Kevin thinks he needed a change, which I fully respect. I get that, but it's disappointing. I've got enormous respect for him as a footballer and I watched him develop as a man and father for a long time. We would have liked to catch him on the field probably more than we did. When Kevin's fit and healthy, we saw at the end of the season the talent he is.

Q Did you take it personally?

Q Have your offseason moves put you in the position to be better?

A We're still aware we have a few holes to fill. Everybody is aware we need a striker and we need someone who can compete on the left side where Kevin played. We're in negotiations with two, three players. If we were to get those over the line, we'd be very pleased with what we've brought in.

Q Emanuel Reynoso made such an impression in just three months. With a full training camp and season ahead of him, is he league MVP talent?

A Well, for sure. I think he broke the record for multi-assist games, didn't he? Quality footballer on and off the pitch. Great teammate, professional.

Q Can he be better than last year?

Q He's signed until 2024. Should your supporters be worried how long you can keep him?

A No. no, no. There's no part in our thinking about Rey moving on, trust me. If teams were interested, it wouldn't surprise me because of how good he has been. We're trying to build a team capable of winning championships. You don't do that by getting rid of your best players.

Q You went out in free agency and straightaway signed Wil Trapp. Was he top of your offseason list?

A When we knew Wil was available, we really liked what he is. He played a similar system in Columbus for a long time. Incredible continuity player, possession player. He's got a really good sense of the system we're trying to play. He's the right age [28], the ultimate professional, incredibly smart. You can't have enough of them. We wanted to wrap it up nice and early.

Q At goalkeeper, can you keep both Tyler Miller and Dayne St. Clair happy all season?

Q How are Tyler's hips after surgery on both last season?

A He has been really good. He has done all the work we've expected and has come back really, really strong. It's early days yet, but he looks like he's back to himself. He looks great.

Q Do you expect Dayne, Hassani Dotson and Callum Montgomery to make their respective Olympic teams and be gone a good part of the season?

A Yeah, we do. They're good young players. Then we've got Jan Gregus, Robin Lod, Jukka [Raitala] in the Euros this summer. As much as you want them here, I'd never stop a player from playing for his country. We hope for their sake they do get picked.

Q New York Red Bulls signed Medina's Caden Clark last fall and you just signed Patrick Weah as a homegrown player. Is this area starting to produce MLS talent?