Newly signed striker Ramon Abila made his Minnesota United debut on Friday, playing 20-something minutes as a second-half sub in a 3-2 preseason finale loss at Orlando City.
"I was pleased with him," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "One thing is you see he's a smart player. He had some really good moments in the box, setting people up as well. I thought he was a bright spot for us, considering the amount of time he has not been playing."
Abila, 31, last played a game for his now former Boca Juniors team in January.
"You never get sharp until you play games," Heath said by phone in a call with reporters afterward. "That's the issue for him. Obviously when you don't play in games, it's very difficult to be as sharp as you'd like. We're going to be working him as hard as we can without putting him in danger. It's a very fine balancing act."
Heath noted what he called "nice little moments" around the penalty area when Abila linked up with some of his new teammates.
"Obviously, very intelligent around the box," Heath said. "Looks like there's more of that to come."
Pleased with preseason
Newly acquired midfielder Niko Hansen and first-round draft pick Justin McMaster each again scored a preseason goal on Friday, in the Loons' only loss in four preseason games/scrimmages played in Florida these past two weeks.
"Excellent," Heath said of his team's play Friday. "I actually thought for 25 minutes was as good as we've been for a long time. Some of our play and ball movement was terrific and it looks like we've come through unscathed. So it has been a really good preseason."
Dibassy out
The most significant injury the Loons take toward Friday's season opener at Seattle is defender Bakaye Dibassy's thigh injury that has lingered. "We were hopeful of getting him some time today," Heath said. "The fact he hasn't gotten any minutes is going to be something we'll have to work on this week and see where he is come the weekend."
What's in a lineup?
With Dibassy out Friday, veteran Brent Kallman started again at center back on a back line with Romain Metanire, Michael Boxall and Chase Gasper. Robin Lod played up top as he did often late last season with Ethan Finlay, Emanuel Reynoso and Hansen underneath him. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair started in a preseason rotation in which he and Tyler Miller each played two complete games.
"At this moment I have an idea what my opening-day lineup will be if everyone is fit," Heath said.
Etc.
• Heath said at least one of two more players the club expects to add could sign by Friday but said it'd be "difficult" to get paperwork done for either to play by then. "We've got a long 34-game season ahead of us, so if they're not ready for Seattle, so be it," he said. "We're not going to deviate from the players we've identified."
• Heath said he hasn't had discussions with others in management the past few days about reaching a resolution with sidelined veteran Ike Opara, who hasn't played a game in 13 months.
• The Loons will loan 2020 first-round pick Noah Billingsley to USL Championship's Phoenix Rising FC for the season so he can play regularly. Heath said team executives will meet Monday to discuss getting playing time elsewhere for some prospects this season.
