Shorthanded Minnesota United take long view on international call-up absences

Minnesota United play against Austin FC on Saturday, again missing at least seven players absent or injured, including goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and forward Tani Oluwaseyi, away on international duty at the Copa America.

Both were substitutes for Canada’s 2-0 loss to World Cup champion Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi on Thursday in Atlanta. They could remain away until mid-July if their country advances from group play, which ends next Saturday.

Carlos Harvey (Panama) and Alejandro Bran (Costa Rica) are also playing in the Copa America for their national teams.

All those absences have disrupted a season that started with great promise. The Loons are on a 1-3-2 streak over their last six games. They’ve called upon their MNUFC2 second team to provide enough bodies to complete game-day rosters.

Veteran midfielder and former U.S. national team member Wil Trapp calls the current shorthanded situation “not ideal.” But he sees the long-term benefit, despite MLS teams playing through FIFA’s international break with some of their best players away while most leagues worldwide shut down.

“On the one hand, it’s always a good thing when your players are called to their national teams,” Trapp said. “We can’t forget that. When guys are going away, that means they’re doing something right. You think about it, we didn’t expect Tani to go to Copa America at the beginning of the season. That’s not something that was on our radar, and he has done amazingly well, and he’s there.

“That’s something to celebrate and it’s on us not to make excuses about it, but find a way to win while those guys aren’t here.”

“You get to play Argentina, you get to play the World Cup champions, right?” Trapp said. “Even if you’re not on the field, you’re observing and you’re being sharpened by the great players that are on the Canadian team as well.

“Playing international football always is amazing because not only the experience you take from playing high-level opponents and just witnessing those games live and in person, but the carryover from playing with guys who are playing at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.”

While the Americas play for their cup, the UEFA European championship is being played overseas.

Loons coach Eric Ramsay’s Wales team was eliminated back in March by Poland in a penalty-kick shootout. Neighboring rival England played Denmark to a 1-1 draw Thursday.

Asked if he has a rooting interest still, Ramsay said, “I’m an interested, passive observer, I would say. I don’t particularly have a horse in the race, but I will watch the best teams with interest, of course. … I’m not one of those Welsh guys who can’t cheer for England. There are many of them who can’t, but I’m not one of them.”

Veteran defender Michael Boxall played despite an ankle injury in Dallas, and Ramsay expects he’ll do the same Saturday.

“To his credit, he played through his injury,” Ramsay said. “We needed him to. We’ll need him again this weekend. He will play because that’s the nature and character and person you’re dealing with.”

Defender Devin Padelford remains in MLS concussion protocol and out of the lineup. Ramsay called Padelford “a while away relative to where we thought he might be by this point. He’s not able to play, which is a shame.”

Trapp flew to Dallas on a commercial flight Wednesday morning after staying back in Minnesota on Tuesday afternoon for the birth of his third child, a baby girl. “Everybody is great,” he said.

He scored on a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time Wednesday to make it a 5-3 final score. It was his first goal this season.