Meet the 11 new faces who bring youth with experience to Minnesota United

When its first winning season ended with its first (and only) playoff game, Minnesota United management rather quietly added 11 new players with a common theme for this coming season: Young but with MLS experience — for a team that a year before transformed itself by opting for age and accomplishments.

Tyler Miller

Ht: 6-4 Age: 26 Pos: GK

Hometown: Woodbury, N.J.

• The 2017 expansion draft's first pick from Seattle, the former Northwestern keeper started 61 games the past two seasons for LAFC, the 2019 Supporters' Shield winner. United traded and signed him to a new contract for a portion it offered 2019 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Vito Mannone. "I can't believe we got Tyler Miller," United coach Adrian Heath said. "I thought he'd be too valuable to LAFC for us to pick him up."

Luis Amarilla

Ht: 6-0 Age: 24 Pos: F

Hometown: Aregua, Paraguay

• United executives went looking for goals after last season ended with only one each in its final 12 games. They found the Paraguayan striker, who delivered a breakout season in an Ecuadorian league last season, when he scored 19 in 24 games. After he audaciously promised Loons coach Adrian Heath 25 goals in his rookie MLS season, he scored three in parts of three preseason games. "We are expecting 25 goals," United technical director Mark Watson said slyly. "We've been told that's a given."

Raheem Edwards

Ht: 5-9 Age: 24 Pos: MF

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

• Versatile, he can play on the left side as midfielder or back. He's already starting his fifth MLS season after United made a trade with Chicago. Edwards played just four games last season because of a knee injury, but he played on Toronto's 2017 MLS Cup title team. "He knows what it takes," Heath said. "He has played so many games for a team that actually won MLS Cup. That's another little plus for us. Very rarely you can get that value in the league."

Marlon Hairston

Ht: 6-0 Age: 25 Pos: MF

Hometown: Jackson, Miss.

• A perfect example of United's winter moves: He played 107 MLS game in six seasons with Colorado and Houston — and he's only 25. "I'm starting to feel like a vet, but I still feel part of the youth movement also," said Hairston, who was acquired from Houston in November's Darwin Quintero trade. "I just want to continue to get better, and I want to win. I've been in the league awhile now, and I haven't won anything."

Jacori Hayes

Ht: 5-7 Age: 24 Pos: MF

Hometown: Bowie, Md.

• A 2017 first-round pick who played at Wake Forest, just as United veteran defender Ike Opara did, and played 38 games in three MLS seasons with FC Dallas before last month's trade. "He's another piece for us," Heath said. "He'll give us a little bit of support, a little bit of depth in that position and a little bit of experience in the league. He knows what he's coming into."

• United signed Uruguayan defender Jose Aja, 26, for center-back depth after he played two seasons in Orlando City and one in Vancouver.

• Born in England and raised in New Zealand, defender James Musa, 27, played for USL Championship league's Phoenix Rising the past two seasons.

• First-round draft pick Noah Billingsley, a 6-2 defender who played at UC-Santa Barbara as new teammate/fellow Kiwi Michael Boxall once did.

• Former Columbus Crew striker Aaron Schoenfeld — all 6-4 of him — is back in MLS at age 29 after four seasons in Israel.

• Acquired in the waiver draft, backup goalkeeper Gregory Ranjitsingh, 26, won two USL titles for Louisville City and played two games for Orlando City last season.

• St. Paul Central High School student and goalkeeping prospect Fred Emmings, whom United made its first signed "homegrown" player at age 15.

Jerry Zgoda