On The Beat: Five questions about Minnesota United

As you know by now, we're getting some insight on the Revolution's next opponent by those who cover the teams, whether via legacy print media or from the SB Nation bloggers similar to those who write for The Bent Musket, journalists we respect greatly for their input. This week, we've connected with E Pluribus Loonum's -- quite possibly the best moniker ever -- Eli Hoff, who gave us quite a bit of insight into the Loons before they head to Foxborough this weekend.

BSJ: A lot of fans here in Revs Colony, of course, want a soccer-specific stadium as close to Downtown Boston as possible; whether or not that happens has been in the air for quite a while… so we can safely say we’re a tad jealous of what you have in Allianz Field. How are you going to get through this stretch of road matches leading up to the home opener?

EH: This stretch of road matches is certainly difficult, but we've been getting our Allianz Field fix in, too. Media had a chance to tour the facilities last week and season-ticket holders had an open house over the weekend. The excitement is definitely mounting, though, as April 13th gets nearer. This stadium is already such an important part of Minnesota United's identity and soccer in Minnesota, so there will be a lot of emotions for the opener. The three road games so far have gone markedly better than all seventeen last year (United only won once on the road last season, but has done so twice already in 2019), so that helps pass the time.

BSJ: Looking at the offensive options: yes, everything seems to go through Darwin Quintero, but in looking at the LA and San Jose matches, it’s looking as though Romario is getting more involved with through balls and setting up a good number of chances on his own, too. So in looking at that, is this a case where the Revs need to quickly close down on both men in order to be successful? I look at last year’s match up at your place, Quintero’s on the ball, and Wilfried Zahibo is slow to react to close down.

EH: Closing down on Quintero will be very important because he's the type of player who thrives in space -- look no further than his ability to chip goalkeepers for examples of that. He's a small player, so physicality might be the best way to stop him. That said, he's also excellent with the ball at his feet, so simply getting in the way won't be enough... I still don't know what to make of Romario's play. He's not a typical striker -- definitely more of a false nine. Some of the timing on through balls needs to be worked on, but as the season progresses, the familiarity will help buckle that down. Romario is more naturally a winger, so he has pace and the ability to move well on and off the ball. That makes him harder for defenses to track, especially when they are more focused on Quintero's dynamic abilities.

BSJ: I read recently that Quintero is in the process of getting a green card, which would make him a domestic player. Just how important is it for Adrian Heath and Manny Lagos to have that freed up international spot as we head toward the end of the Primary Transfer Window?

EH: Both Quintero and Michael Boxall are getting their green cards, so there will be some freedom with international spots. After a very productive offseason, I can't see United making too many moves soon or in the summer, but there is the flexibility. Of course, the slots are pretty much always in demand, so they could boost the xAM coffers too as other teams make moves.

BSJ: Defensively, the Loons had me somewhat perplexed during my film review earlier this week. It seems as though with newcomers in Ike Opara and Ozzie Alonso, two very good defenders, there’s still a bit of growing pains with that unit; I saw them slightly disorganized on the counter against LA, and with LA putting more numbers up, it seemed to stretch them out. But against San Jose… clean sheet. What gives?

EH: We're really in the same boat. The Vancouver match went about as expected for the defense: generally positive with some polishing up to be done. The game against San Jose was excellent, so it looked like the unit was functioning very well, but the Galaxy match was a total regression to the incompetence of old. It's possible it could have just been an off game, and that's the explanation I'm leaning toward. The only real carryover in this back line is Boxall at centerback (Francisco Calvo has switched out to left back), so there is definitely an element of familiarity to establish. For nearly all of last season, we lamented the lack of a defensive midfielder. Alonso has been brought in to fill that role, and he did it very well in the first two matches. His numbers were nowhere near the expectation in the Galaxy loss, perhaps an indicator of just how important is role might be. Vito Mannone in goal has also told us that he's just started to feel acclimated to the MLS style of play. The jury's still out on exactly how good this defense might be, but it will certainly take time to settle in.

BSJ: And lastly, I’m hearing a little bird telling me about Abu Danladi, a young striker who gave a burst of energy against the Galaxy. Is this a player Revs supporters should be concerned with late?

EH: Abu Danladi might be the single most interesting player in Minnesota United's short time in MLS. He was the first overall SuperDraft pick in 2017, having greatly impressed the front office and coaching staff at the combine. He had had some injury issues in his time at UCLA, but that was seemingly in the past. Seemingly. He's missed a lot of time already in his first two seasons, unfortunately in spurts, so he's never established a rhythm. That's frustrated Adrian Heath, who loves to have a young striker protege (see: Cyle Larin). Danladi wasn't part of the game day squad earlier this year, which was a major disappointment and sign of a lack of progress, but he made the eighteen for the Galaxy match and was a perfect impact sub. He did something similar on occasion in 2017, so this seems to be the best role for him. The Loons have excellent options when it comes to attackers off the bench. Danladi brings energy, Angelo Rodriguez (who might start in place of Romario, who was just on international duty with Ecuador) brings physicality and Ethan Finlay brings experience and skill. It's unlikely Heath would need to use all three subs on his attack, but there are very good options there. If the match is a tight one late, Minnesota's bench could make a big difference.