ST. PAUL -- Minnesota United鈥檚 depth will be tested next week.
After the Loons (1-0-1) play Colorado Rapids (0-2-1) on Saturday night, MNUFC will have five starters and one key substitute leaving for duties with their respective national teams. They will miss the home match against Vancouver Whitecaps on March 25.
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The list: Dayne St. Clair (Canada), Robin Lod (Finland), Bongi Hlongawane (South Africa), Michael Boxall (New Zealand), Kervin Arriaga and Joseph Rosales (Honduras).
鈥淲e might take that into consideration this weekend,鈥� manager Adrian Heath said Tuesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not ideal, but we will pick the team in Colorado with that in mind. Then we will work from there. What we can鈥檛 do is maybe risk one or two players who we know are going to be here for the following week.鈥�
That means that Heath possibly won鈥檛 start or put heavy minutes into players such as Hassani Dotson in Colorado, knowing Dotson will be a key midfield piece with Arriaga and Rosales away next week.
The Loons have lacked healthy center backs this season, but Brent Kallman (leg) was back in training Tuesday and will be the top choice to fill in for Boxall. Doniel Henry is also nearing a full return to practice.
Back-up goalie Clint Irwin is in line to step in for St. Clair. Left winger Franco Fragapane would be a candidate to assume Robin Lod鈥檚 spot as central attacking midfielder. Cam Dunbar might get a shot on left wing and possibly Mender Garcia is the pick with Hlongwane to be away.
MNUFC2 player Molik Jesse Khan has also been selected by the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
Sounds imminent
United are closing in on a deal for 20-year-old South Korean winger Jeong Sang-bin from Wolverhampton, Heath said Tuesday.
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鈥淟ooks like we got a deal done, so hopefully we will get him in here in the next 24 hours,鈥� Heath said.
Jeong has been called into South Korea鈥檚 Under-22 team for the Doha Cup next week.
Pass the bull
MNUFC completed only 48% of its passes in the 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, which set a low in MLS recorded history, per MLSsoccer.com. New York wasn鈥檛 much better at 52%. The league鈥檚 site said seven of the nine lowest passing percentages have been either Red Bulls or their opponents since 2016.
The Red Bulls鈥� pressing style contributes to this stat and so did the abundance of snow on the pitch at Allianz Field.
鈥楾he Bongi鈥�
When Hlongwane scored the Loons鈥� goal Saturday, the South African busted out the same celebration he used when he last scored in July. It鈥檚 a unique movement where he places his hands out from his body and then seemingly bobs (or pecks?) his head forward.
鈥淚 did it because a lot of people here like it,鈥� Hlongwane explained. 鈥淚 went and watched (MNUFC2) last year. I met these two small boys. 鈥� They told me that they did it and took a picture. I posted it on my Whatsapp. Then they were happy and so that鈥檚 why I did it.鈥�
Hlongwane said he doesn鈥檛 have a name for the celebration, but the club鈥檚 social media team has deemed it 鈥淭he Bongi.鈥�
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Briefly
Saturday鈥檚 game will be called by Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth and will stream on Apple TV + without the need for an MLS Season Pass subscription. 鈥� MNUFC2 goalkeeper Alec Smir has been sent on a season-long loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks of USL Championship. 鈥� Three Under-15 academy team players 鈥� Tim Dennis, Prince Forfor and Yahir Resendiz-Gonzalez 鈥� received invitations to a U.S. Soccer regional training camp in Bradenton, Fla., last week. 鈥� The MNUFC2 season starts March 24, with the developmental team鈥檚 home opener May 7 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota. 鈥� Khan and Zaydan Bello trained with the first team Tuesday.
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