Minnesota United youth movement makes Allianz debut at Saturday’s home opener

A Minnesota United team that too often lost late-game leads or draws last year closed out its season-opening 2-1 victory at Austin FC with fresh, young legs.

Interim coach Cameron Knowles used all five substitutes allowed to him last Saturday in the 68th minute or later, all but one of them 23 years old or younger.

Medina’s Caden Clark and Lakeville’s Loïc Mesanvi both are 20, loaned Costa Rican midfielder Alejandro Bran is 22 and former first-round pick Tani Oluwaseyi is 23.

Whether the Loons call on the same young subs in Saturday’s home opener vs. MLS Cup champion Columbus with a team missing Emanuel Reynoso, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Robin Lod and Franco Fragapane, Knowles couldn’t say.

“It depends on the opponent, depends on the players we have available,” Knowles said. “We assess each game on its own merit. We’ll see how it goes.”

Both Mesani — signed from the Loons’ second team to a short-term contract before the Austin game — and Bran made their MLS debuts. Clark made his Minnesota debut in his return to MLS.

Bran’s 91st-minute goal provided a two-goal cushion the Loons needed when Austin scored its only goal in the 95th minute, just before the final whistle.

They were the only team on opening weekend to win on the road with a performance Clark said should have surprised no one.

“No, of course not,” Clark said. “We all have the ability. It’s about getting the chances and showing no matter the age, we can do the job.”

All four — plus wily veteran Zarek Valentin as the fifth sub — provided the steam and speed new sporting director Khaled El-Ahmad and Ramsay expect from a team they want to see press the opponent further up field.

“I do want to play younger,” El-Ahmad said. “But sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t.”

Knowles will continue to lead the team until Ramsay arrives from England.

Those substitutes produced the extra goal in second-half stoppage the Loons needed when Clark made a 70-yard run on the counter down the right side against a desperate Austin team. He played a beautiful ball between defenders on the run ahead to Oluwaseyi, who made the extra unselfish pass to Bran, who eluded a defender and scored at the right post.

“When I stopped the ball, the goal got smaller in the moment,” said Bran, acquired before the season on loan from his Costa Rican club. “But I was able to hit it in.”

Knowles calls it all about that T-word: trust.

“We’ve got to trust them,” Knowles said. “They earned a lot of trust the way they came in the game. It gave us a massive lift. All the young players did well. It’s not easy coming into the game, whether it’s your first time with this team or your first MLS appearance. It’s not easy, especially with a one-goal lead. They were brave.

“They are young, but fearless in the way they played. It’s really exciting. It bodes well for the future.”