The heavy air and intermittent drizzle of the training ground reflected the mood of Minnesota United.
Christian Ramirez, a longtime striker and fan-favorite who was enjoyed by his players too, had been traded just over twelve hours before. And now the Loons begin life without him.
United sans Superman is very much by design, though it wasn’t necessarily the plan. “I don’t know if there’s any necessarily ‘right time’ for these types of situations,” said general manager Manny Lagos. “Looking at short and long-term, we want to grow and build the roster and make sure we’re addressing needs on the field that are important.