Beaten only once in its last 10 games, Minnesota United play Houston on Saturday in what coach Adrian Heath called "the ultimate trap game" for his team.
The Loons have beaten second-place Austin FC and Nashville SC each by a 2-1 score in the last two games. They now meet at Allianz Field a 13th-place Houston team that is 0-4-1 in its last five games, dating to a 2-1 home loss to the Loons on July 23. Included in that stretch was a 6-0 loss to Philadelphia.
"Everybody thinks it's going to be easy," Heath said. "We played against a team [Austin] that's top of the league last week and you beat them — and now you play second from bottom. I think they've been a little bit unfortunate in certain games.
"Their performances certain have been better than their record [7-14-5] suggests, so anything less than a proper performance and everybody competing will be needed. It'll be a tough game again."
The Loons play eight games in 43 days before the regular season ends Oct. 9 with a home game against Vancouver.
Kemar coming back
Veteran left back Kemar Lawrence worked on his own Tuesday, but is expected back Saturday after he missed the game against Austin with a strained medial knee ligament, Heath said.
Odd man out?
MLS All-Star Game goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair replaced veteran starter Tyler Miller in the season's third game when Miller came down ill before the game — and never looked back.
Tuesday, Heath was asked if Robin Lod just might stay in captain Wil Trapp's midfield spot even now that Trapp is back healthy. Lod started there again on Saturday because Heath does not want to disrupt his surging front four and Trapp was a second-half substitution.
"One thing we've got now is an abundance of players for that position," Heath said. "We do know if anybody gets injured up the field, then Robin can automatically go straight into that position. That's where he has played all his career."
Arriaga's ankle
Starting central midfielder Kervin Arriaga continues to be bothered and limited in training by an ankle that Heath calls "one of them niggling" injuries.
"You don't want to put too much work in at the week because it might jeopardize him for the weekend," Heath said after Tuesday's training. "Then you wonder if he's done enough to be sharp when he plays. He'll probably join in tomorrow and see how he is on the weekend."
Everybody needed
Newcomers Mender Garcia and Jonathan Gonzalez continue their second week of training with their new team.
"They've integrated great because they're both two really good lads and really good trainers," Heath said. "We've seen that again this morning. They just have to be patient now and wait for their opportunity. The amount of games we have coming up, everybody is going to be needed and used."
Ramping up
Injured midfielder Hassani Dotson is back in Blaine rehabbing from season-ending knee surgery after the team gave him some time to do so back with his family and baby in Oregon.
"He's back in here full-time, starting to ramp his work up now," Heath said. "The next two, three weeks are going to be big because we want him ready for the start of the season."