Football Season Guide

Minnesota United enjoyed a successful campaign last season as they finally achieved their aim of making it to the playoffs and at one time looked to be the nearest challengers to Los Angeles FC for the top spot in the Western Conference. There have been changes in the off-season with Minnesota losing two of their most consistent players as Vito Mannone loan deal ended without the club managing to turn it into a permanent move while Darwin Quintero has also been traded after falling out with the club in the final weeks of the campaign last season. Other departures include Angelo Rodriguez, who failed to make the striker position his own, while Rasmus Schuller and Abu Danladi have also left the club, with the latter signed in Expansion Draft. Minnesota have brought in Tyler Miller to replace Mannone between the sticks while Luis Amarilla is the other big signing, with Paraguayan attacker hoping to continue his goal scoring record from last season. Jose Aja will provide cover at the back while Raheem Edwards and Aaron Schoenfeld have been signed to improve the depth in the offense. While Minnesota are unlikely to repeat last season's heroics, the presence of experienced heads and a strong roster means they should once again be involved in the playoffs race though much will depend on how quickly their rebuilt offense clicks.