Minnesota United welcomes USA Cup Ukrainian teams to training

Two Ukrainian soccer teams that participated in the USA Cup visited Minnesota United's training session next door at the National Sports Center on Thursday.

Before Friday's training session, Loons coach Adrian Heath talked to his players about their short time with teenagers who fled their war-torn country attacked by Russian troops.

"I think it's really difficult for anybody to comprehend what they're going through," Heath said. "We're coming out here playing football every day. We have a great job and a great living and they're worried about their family back home getting bombed, you know? It's a crazy world we live in. I can't believe we're going through this again."

The Ukrainian boys U-16 team Minaj and a girls' U-14 team visited training and are scheduled to attend the Loons' international friendly against the Premier League's Everton on Wednesday. They were two of 1,200 teams from 17 countries participating in USA Cup.

"Your heart goes out to them," Heath said. "God bless them that they go through it all right and go home with their family still in one piece. I think it's really, really difficult to understand what they're going through."

DC United's Chad Ashton coached a second consecutive game on Saturday while his club waits for newly hired coach Wayne Rooney to receive his work visa.

Rooney and Heath — who both played for Everton, at different times — got together Friday night. Rooney watched from the stands as his team played without star Taxi Fountas, Ola Kamara, Bill Hamid and traded Julian Gressel.

Rooney, the former Premier League and England national team star, was hired Monday to coach the MLS team for which he once played. He played in the third game held at Allianz Field in April 2019, returned to England after that season to play for Derby County and then became its coach in November 2020.

Last month, he left the financially troubled club that has been relegated from the second-division Championship league.

Heath called himself "surprised" about Rooney's MLS return to a DC United team that entered Saturday's game against the Loons 5-10-3 and last in the 14-team Eastern Conference.

"Wayne had a good start at Derby in ridiculously difficult circumstances," Heath said. "Football is difficult as it is, but when you wake up not knowing if you sold one of your players or your players are not getting paid. The fact that he has been at DC before was a big pull. I know he enjoyed it there … I know he'll have a galvanizing effect on them. Now whether that comes a little late from where they are, I don't know."

After lamenting his team's slow start in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City, Heath started the same 11 on Saturday as four days earlier.

Robin Lod remained at a central midfield spot alongside Wil Trapp while Kervin Arriaga remains probably a week away from playing. Bongokuhle Hlongwane played in Lod's place while Luis Amarilla started up top at striker.