After his team last week lost its second consecutive game to start the season, Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath called for "reinforcements" in a postgame interview.
They're coming …
Newly signed striker Ramon Abila is available to play Saturday against expansion Austin FC at Allianz Field, He made his MLS debut as a second-half substitute in the season opener at Seattle. He sat out last week against Real Salt Lake after playing on artificial turf the week before.
Abila returned to team training during the week after working out individually the week before the Real Salt Lake game.
In a video call with reporters Friday, Heath said the team will decide Saturday "whether we start him or bring him off the bench. But he's available."
French first-division striker Adrien Hunou is on his way after the Loons reached a transfer deal last week with his Stade Rennais team.
Heath said it was "too optimistic" to say Hunou will complete his immigration paperwork in time for next Saturday's game at Colorado. He said he would be disappointed if he doesn't arrive and isn't ready for home games May 12 against Vancouver and May 15 against FC Dallas.
"We're in the hands of government officials and waiting for visas and passports," Heath said.
About a report that left-side attacker Franco Fragapane's Talleres team in Argentina won't let him go until June, Heath said, "Everybody knows that we've been in negotiations with him. Until he's signed here, I would rather not speculate about other people's players."
Trade for trialist
The Loons dealt a 2022 third-round SuperDraft pick to New York Red Bulls on Friday for homegrown priority to midfielder Aziel Jackson, a 19-year-old trialist in preseason whom the Loons sought to keep. The team signed him to a two-year contract with three team options.
Heath, in a team statement, called Jackson "perpetual motion" and a "bit of a nightmare to play against."
Jackson joined the New York Red Bulls Academy in 2014 at age 13. He moved with his family to France at age 16 to play two seasons with Toulouse FC.
