Minnesota United players and coaches went back to work after a long scheduled weekend off that never was.

A 10-day break in the Loons' schedule after last Wednesday's game at Colorado until this Sunday's home game against Seattle was supposed to provide four days off. But a lifeless 2-0 loss to Colorado fired coach Adrian Heath's ire and caused him to cancel days off planned for last Friday and Saturday.

Some players and staff, in turn, canceled travel and other plans. They continued work with training days Monday and Tuesday in Blaine.

"We didn't deserve three, four days off," Heath said Tuesday. "That type of performance I thought was two years ago, maybe a bit more. I thought we left them days behind. Obviously, we hadn't, and players had to be told in no uncertain terms that what we produced in Colorado was not acceptable."

The Loons played Colorado without three-fourths of their starting defensive back line. Center backs Bakaye Dibassy and Michael Boxall were injured, and right back Romain Metanire was in France pursuing his U.S. green card.

"I'll take losing, because it's part and parcel of sport, but there's a way of losing the game," Heath said. "Don't go out with a whimper like we did. … I thought the last 10, 15 minutes were embarrassing, but we've addressed that. Hopefully, we won't see that again this year."

Veteran defender Boxall, back working on the grass in Blaine Tuesday, will not play for his New Zealand team in the Tokyo Olympics.

He missed the Colorado game because of an upper thigh/groin injury sustained July 3 against San Jose. Heath said "it might be a bit early" for him to return to play Sunday.

"We agreed for him to go [to play for New Zealand], but then he picked up the injury," Heath said. "And I think we owed it to the rest of the group, to the club, to the supporters, really, that we kept our best players here. Had he not had the injury, he would have gone reluctantly, but with the injury, we wanted to err on the side of caution."

Just turned 72, Loons CEO Chris Wright said Tuesday his decision to step down at season's end – don't call it retirement – is the right time for someone else to lead the club into a bigger and better future.

"I know I only look 55, but there is only a certain amount of gas left in the tank, and this job is 24/7, 365," Wright said. "You're never off the clock. Rather than called it retirement, I don't want to go to work every day. I want to still make a contribution in so many different areas of my family, my family's life, my own faith journey, my involvement in the community and even my own involvement with this club."

Wright said he will be supportive of a new CEO, who could be named within a month, for what he calls upcoming "tentpole events" such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and an MLS All-Star Game he predicts will come to Allianz Field in the next two years.

"There is another trajectory for this franchise," Wright said. "I think it can be bigger than it is, I think it can be better than it is. I think we need a new person, new leadership to get us there."

Metanire remained Tuesday in France awaiting his green card. Heath said he's hopeful Metanire will be back to play Sunday.

"We were hoping last week, and we're still hoping," Heath said. "I think he'll be back here with or without his green card in the next couple days."