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Loons bracing for possibility of 10 or more players going on international duty in June

andy greder, pioneer press
·4 min read

Eric Ramsay came to Minnesota United for the opportunity to be a first-division head coach and navigate the challenges within a new-to-him league in a foreign country.

One obstacle course Ramsay will continue to have to navigate is how, unlike in England, MLS plays through FIFA international windows and during the summer, when major confederation tournaments take place. This combo will present a mix of impediments for him in June.

MNUFC is preparing for the possibility that 10 or more players will be called into their respective national teams next month, leaving the riding-high Loons shorthanded for a handful of league games.

“I’m trying not to get bogged down in frustration, and find some silver linings because we’ve mapped out roughly what we will have,” Ramsay told the Pioneer Press, without sharing details.

The exact amount of call-ups is not yet known and will be made official by specific federations. Some players might be named to provisional squads before that specific roster is finalized, while others might be called up for friendlies and perhaps not report, so the full number is a bit of a moving target as well. There also might be compromises made on how long certain players are away from MNUFC.

The official FIFA window is June 3-11, with MNUFC playing FC Dallas at Allianz Field on June 8, but there are other tournaments, in particular Copa America, which runs into July.

MNUFC has deployed 25 total players in MLS this season and 16 across the recent double-game week. Ramsay envisions calling on more depth pieces and members of the developmental team, MNUFC2, when international players are called up.

“It’s making sure we are training at a high level and making sure that we are really pushing the guys, making sure that we are really consistent with the messages we give, so anyone coming into our system, I suppose, is really familiar with what we are asking of them and the principles are really clear,” Ramsay said. “Then we are making sure that players have enough minutes across the games. I think we are in a really good place in that sense. Hopefully next week is another step.”

MNUFC has three games over an eight-day stretch starting Saturday at Colorado and an extended road trip to Los Angeles FC on May 29 before coming home to play Sporting Kansas City on June 1.

Ramsay, who was briefly an assistant coach with the Wales men’s national team in 2023, knows the sense of pride to be involved with one’s national team and he doesn’t want to take that opportunity away from players.

“The other side of the coin, and it’s a point I will make to the group, I feel like this group and this situation that we are in now can really serve everyone’s individual agendas, for lack of a better phrase,” Ramsay said. “The better we do, the more interest there is in (MNUFC), the more likely players are going to go play for their national team.”

The best example of that is striker Tani Oluwaseyi, who has a team-high five goals for the Loons (7-2-3, 24 points). His 1.01 goals per 90 minutes has helped push MNUFC to second place in the Western Conference.

Oluwaseyi’s name has been mentioned for a potential call-up to the Canadian men’s national team. Canada plays two friendlies in early June followed by Copa America from June 20 to July 14.

“If, in the future, (Oluwaseyi) goes away with Canada, he comes back with a bit more weight and a bit more stronger sense of self, I think that is a good thing for us,” Ramsay said. “I want to make sure we don’t deprive players of that.”

Loons goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair already has been named to Canada’s Copa America team and will get a chance to win the starting job for this summer. Longtime mainstay Milan Borjan is not in the team and St. Clair will compete with Maxime Crepeau of the Portland Timbers.

“Now it’s going to be little bit of a competition” St. Clair said. “The respect we both have for each other is definitely very high. Of course we both want our name to be the No. 1, but I think whoever does get called will definitely support (the other). I think the whole union with Team Canada is probably the strongest I’ve been around. Credit to (former head coach) John Herdman, the brotherhood was definitely real.”

Canada named Jesse Marsch its new head coach on May 13, and the American will start immediately. The uncertain leadership St. Clair felt with the Loons to begin 2024 had carried over to Canada as they started the year with interim head coach Mauro Biello.

“It’s clarity — similar to the situation was here (in Minnesota),” St. Clair said. “Interim for so long, but nobody knew what the direction is. Now you hear the name. I’ve never worked with (Marsch) in the past, so … once we get to camp, being able to hear his ideas. … It’s someone that seems motivated and happy to be a part of moving the country forward.”

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