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It’s probably a good thing that four Minnesota United players are getting looks from their national teams.
But with two of them facing upcoming tournaments (translation: extended absences), things might be getting a little bit tougher for the Loons.
Midfielders Rasmus Schuller and Jan Gregus will be missing the least amount of time. Schuller (Finland) has two EURO Qualifiers on the radar: June 8th against Bosnia and Herzegovina and June 11th against Liechtenstein. Gregus (Slovakia) has a friendly against Jordan on June 7th and a EURO Qualifier against Azerbaijan on the 11th.
Attacking midfielder Kevin Molino, just returned from a hamstring issue, will be off to the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Trinidad and Tobago. The exact amount of time he’ll miss depends on how far the country advances in the tournament, but he’s guaranteed to be gone for the Group Stage.
The T&T schedule features two tune-up friendlies against Japan (June 6th) and Canada (June 10th) before the tournament proper. Molino’s first game of the tourney will actually be at Allianz Field, against Panama on June 18th. Wrapping up the Group Stage, Trinidad and Tobago face the United States on June 22nd and Guyana on June 26th.
The biggest absence of them all will be Romain Metanire, set to join the Madagascar National Team. Though the tournament doesn’t begin until late June, Metanire will be with the team for preparations beforehand. Their Group Stage entails duels with Guinea on June 22nd, Burundi on June 27 and Nigeria on June 30. There could be knockout stages beyond that, as well as additional international games in late July and early August.
Luckily for Minnesota, the Major League Soccer has given them a pretty light June schedule. All four players will miss the Loons’ road tilt against the Colorado Rapids on June 8th and their first US Open Cup matchup at home against Sporting Kansas City on June 12th.
Gregus and Schuller will return after that point, and Molino may. If Trinidad and Tobago continue later into the Gold Cup, Molino will join Metanire in missing United’s June 29th home battle with FC Cincinnati. Metanire’s return date is vague, so there’s a chance he could miss the July 3rd tilt with the San Jose Earthquakes — or deeper into July.