Minnesota United squad players prepare to step up with starters seeing yellow

Minnesota United welcomed star playmaking midfielder Emanuel Reynoso and central midfielder Kervin Arriaga back from injuries and into Saturday's starting 11 against Portland at Allianz Field.

Now they will play on without Reynoso, center back Michael Boxall and versatile midfielder Robin Lod next Saturday at Colorado.

All three received a yellow card in Saturday's careening 4-4 draw that is one too many, suspending them for next weekend with yellow card accumulation. "We'll move on to that after," Loons coach Adrian Heath said. "We have a squad for the same reason as everybody has a squad."

The Loons showed last week at Houston they can win on the road without Reynoso, who missed that 2-1 victory because of an ankle injury.

"It gives some other guys an opportunity," Boxall said. "It's similar to the Houston game. These are the times in the middle of the season that everyone in the squad has to be ready for. We've seen Nabi [Kibunguchy] step up in a big way, so we're going to need him and a couple of others to really step up again."

Saturday's game at Allianz Field was played in summer heat with hydration breaks called as warranted.

"The one caveat I give to both teams: it was incredibly hot out there," Heath said. "The last thing I said to the players at halftime, I don't want this to become a basketball game and at times it was for both teams. We were attacking 6-on-4 and they were doing the same at the other end. That's never easy to watch as a coach."

Said Boxall: "It was hot out there. I think it does affect your concentration. We just have to be a bit more careful with the ball."

Loons right back Kemar Lawrence's own goal gave Portland a fleeting 4-3 lead in the 65th minute after Sebastian Blanco's angled shot deflected off him. The slight change of pace and direction kept keeper Dayne St. Clair awkwardly from covering the near post completely.

"The speed of the ball, the deflection, that was not an issue or a problem for us," Heath said. "There were a lot of other things for me that were very disappointing."

Loons striker Luis Amarilla scored the equalizer — his second goal of the game — in the 69th minute on a header.

Heath on the unusual 2 p.m. Saturday start time for ABC's national broadcast and the entertaining eight-goal game: "I don't know one player or one coach who enjoys playing at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. It just completely changes your day and your routine. But it is what it is, a fantastic advert for TV for sure."