After starting its Major League Soccer roster with three defenders, Minnesota is shifting its focus to two scorers.
Johan Venegas joined the Loons in a trade following Tuesday's expansion draft while three-year Minnesota veteran Christian Ramirez is expected to sign by week's end. Venegas, an offensive-minded midfielder, impressed new Loons coach Adrian Heath with skills shown in international play. Ramirez, meanwhile, led the North American Soccer League in scoring in two of the past three seasons.
"We're very close, the next day or so," Heath said of inking Ramirez to a contract. "You don't like to lose somebody who scored 51 goals in three years at whatever the level."
Efforts to reach Ramirez for comment were unsuccessful.
"He worked himself into a successful position, so rightly so he's taken his time to look around," Heath said. "Our job is to convince him to stay."
Heath got his man when it came to Venegas. The club worked out a trade before the expansion draft, selecting New York Red Bulls defender Chris Duvall with the second pick overall and trading him for Venegas.
"This kid has huge upside," Heath said of Venegas. "His best days are ahead."
The move gave Minnesota more credibility from soccer observers who noted the club trailed fellow expansion club Atlanta by a wide margin in terms of acquiring players. But Heath ignored both the talk and the fast-approaching 2017 season opener in March, taking his time to add the desired pieces. Minnesota now has eight players with room for another 20 on its roster.
