Minnesotans have sat back while other MLS teams parade their Designated Player-level attackers. We’ve watched with envy as teams like Toronto, Seattle, Atlanta, and Portland stake their offensive production on singular creative players in the center of the midfield. We’ve seen those teams reap the benefits in the form of deep playoff runs. It was understandable, then, that Saturday against the Portland Timbers felt a bit like Christmas morning for a young child. Loons fans had their new toy in Darwin Quintero.
The big areas for curiosity coming into this game all centered around the club’s new Designated Player.