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Whatever its weaknesses, the Minnesota United squad was never likely to give up that easily. Too many Loons had scrapped for too long to fold after just a few losses, no matter how humiliating.
Coach Adrian Heath said before his team's inaugural MLS season that he liked how many of his players -- a number of whom ascended with the club from the NASL -- had chips on their shoulders and points to prove.
After a month, when Minnesota had bled 18 goals in four games, that felt like a hollow excuse for a roster compiled on the cheap.