Two goals in three days is good work for any striker, no matter the competition.
On Wednesday, seldom-played but well-paid Adrien Hunou scored on a 51st-minute header that was the only goal Minnesota United needed in a 2-0 U.S. Open Cup third-round game wet and cold at Forward Madison FC.
The club's highest paid player, Hunou has played 16 minutes in two MLS games so far this season. But he played the first half and scored a goal Sunday in the MNUFC2 reserve team's 4-0 victory.
He scored another goal and had chances for two or three more Wednesday when he played Emanuel Reynoso's "No. 10" playmaker role underneath starting striker Abu Danladi.
"Nothing like goals for a striker to get his confidence going," said Loons coach Adrian Heath, a former English first division striker himself. "Pleased for Adrien. I thought he worked really hard. I think he enjoys that more. He enjoys drifting around the field and picking those little pockets of space behind the midfield players, trying to connect and combine.
"But as I said to him, you still have to get in the box because at the end of the day, our attacking players are on the field for one thing and that's you're either scoring the goal or making goal."
Hunou scored the eventual winner and veteran defender Brent Kallman added the clincher with a header goal himself, this one in the 83rd minute.
Both goals came off set pieces, two free kicks that came off the foot of starting midfielder Joseph Rosales.
The Loons still are the reigning U.S. Open Cup runners-up. They lost the 2019 Cup final at Atlanta. The tournament was canceled the last two seasons because of COVID-19. They now advance to the fourth round after a Wednesday performance Heath called "very professional and disciplined."
Goalkeeper Tyler Miller started for the time since the season's second game. He was seldom challenged on a night when his team outdid Forward Madison 15-3 on total shots, 5-0 on shots on goal.
Heath changed his starting lineup at all 11 spots, leaving starters such as Reynoso, Robin Lod, Michael Boxall, Kervin Arriaga and Dayne St. Clair home to rest for Saturday's game against Chicago Fire.
Afterward, Heath praised the play of starting center back Nabi Kibunguchy's play, calling it "terrific." He was pleased to send Chase Gasper on in the 85th minute. That was Gasper's first action since he chose to enter a California treatment center a month ago.
It didn't take Gasper long to get involved. He received a yellow card three minutes later for a sliding tackle that upended a Madison player.
"It was nice to get him involved in the group, nice to get him some minutes again, albeit some difficult circumstances," Heath said. "He certainly enjoyed himself."
The Star Tribune did not travel for this game. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the game.
