Minnesota United plans no moves as transfer window closes

Teams have called, but Loons coach Adrian Heath doesn't "think anything will be happening."

May 4, 2022 at 1:27AM
Minnesota United midfielder Hassani Dotson faced Nashville SC on March 5 and then injured himself in practice last Friday. (Alex Kormann, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath on Tuesday said he expects his team's roster to remain as it is when the MLS' primary transfer window, open since February, closes on Wednesday until July.

Heath said the Loons had "the opportunity to do one or two things," particularly since they lost midfielder Hassani Dotson with a season-ending ACL surgery.

"We received lots of phone calls, but there was nothing we were interested in doing," he said. "I don't think anything will be happening."

Heath has said the team wouldn't make a short-term move to fill Dotson's spot and would do so only if it was a decision made for the long term.

He has noted the depth midfielders Kervin Arriaga and Joseph Rosales as well as veteran defenders Kemar Lawrence and Oniel Fisher have added.

Lawrence and Fisher both have plugged the backline's outside positions because of right-back Romain Metanire's hamstring injury and left-back Chase Gasper's absence.

This primary transfer window opened Feb. 10, two weeks before the season opener. The secondary window runs July 7 through Aug. 4.

On the way back

Metanire ran laps on his own indoors Tuesday in Blaine long after his teammates finished training outdoors at the National Sports Center. He has played 22 minutes this season because of a hamstring he tore last fall in a first-round playoff loss at Portland.

"Romain is feeling a lot better this week, so hopefully he's not far away," Heath said.

Upon further review

After reviewing Sunday's 2-0 loss at Los Angeles FC, Heath said he still doesn't think his team has been outmatched in any of its first nine games. He mentioned they've played both the East's and West's top two teams on the road already and are sixth in the Western Conference with a 4-3-2 record.

Those four teams: LAFC, Austin FC, Philadelphia and New York Red Bulls.

The Loons surrendered goals in 82nd and 90th minutes after Robin Lod missed an open goal in the 48th minute.

"I don't think there has been one of them games when we've been inferior," Heath said. "I don't think we were inferior to L.A. this weekend. I think if Robin had scored the goal, we would have gone on and won the game. It's such small margins in these games, especially on the road to big teams. I knew them small moments, those small details were going to be massive."

about the writer

about the writer

Jerry Zgoda

Reporter

Jerry Zgoda covers Minnesota United FC and Major League Soccer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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