Carry on Wayward Loons: United takes pride from development of Christian Ramirez

After a busy day yesterday, which saw long time fan favorite Christian Ramirez be traded to LAFC, the squad was back at training this morning. Ramirez did not take part in the small sided games that occured before the scrimmage against Minneapolis City, but he was spotted talking with some of the staff and players afterward. The general feeling around the team was a certain bittersweet pride.

The Minnesota United community as a whole is heartbroken over the trade. Fans lost someone who has been around for years, and players lost a great teammate. Brent Kallman had the opportunity to speak with the media about Ramirez. He said, “I respect the guy so much. He did a lot here. He accomplished so much.”

The news came to Ramirez when he was at Ethan Finlay’s place celebrating Jerome Thiesson’s and Ethan Finlay’s birthdays. Kallman emphasized that “it was good for him to be around people when he got the call so he was not just by himself.” Because after all, it is hard news to take.

For the club, Christian Ramirez is nothing but a success story. Ramirez was a star in the NASL and a star in the MLS, and now he is moving on to a great LAFC team in California where his family is. Sporting director Manny Lagos said that Minnesota was “a big part of his development.” Lagos called the trade “a great story for everybody involved.”

As for the morale of the team after losing such a pivotal star as Ramirez, the team is proud of Ramirez and believes it is best for Minnesota in the long run. Lagos said that “we want to grow and build the roster and make sure we’re addressing needs on the field that are important.” Adrian Heath spoke of the sudden trades that players are involved with, stating that it is just the business of the game. Overall the team acknowledges it’s the game and you must move forward. Kallman looked excited by the idea of the chance of playing against Ramirez, saying, “I really don’t want him to score on me.”

Minnesota United could receive around a million dollars in allocation money. While losing Superman may be difficult now, addressing the needs of the team is more important. Minnesota has enough attackers right now. So when the offer was made for Ramirez, it was hard to turn down. Lagos is right saying that “It’s a valuable asset for us as we build pieces for the future.”

As for the allocation money, Lagos has some work to do. The transfer window closes Wednesday, so maybe it is time for United to do some interleague shopping. What should be done with the money? Who do you think should be bought?