Minnesota United will host Philadelphia Union in a U.S. Open Cup round of 32 match on May 9 or 10 at Allianz Field, per the draw released on Thursday.
The Loons will have their hands full with a Union team that advanced to MLS Cup last season and currently is in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League against Los Angeles FC.
Before the draw, Minnesota sought a home Open Cup match to avoid playing three straight road games. The Loons have MLS games at Vancouver on May 6 and at Sporting Kansas City on May 13.
Manager Adrian Heath will tinker with lineups more than usual during this upcoming stretch.
The Loons came back to beat USL Championship club Detroit City 3-1 in third round of the Open Cup in Michigan on Tuesday.
If Minnesota wins again in Open Cup, their round of 16 opponent will be determined via another draw on May 11. That match would be played May 23 or 24.
MLS clubs went 16-2 in the third round this week. The Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami were later winners in added extra time, while the San Jose Earthquakes and Atlanta United were upset by lower-level teams. Given Philadelphia’s strong season last year, it is one of eight teams to enter the tournament in this round.
Briefly
The Loons loaned second-year forward Tani Oluwaseyi to San Antonio FC for the rest of the season, with a right to recall him to Minnesota, the club said Thursday. This will be an opportunity for Oluwaseyi to play in the USL Championship, a higher level of competition than with MNUFC2 in MLS NEXT Pro. He has one goal in 261 minutes for MNUFC2 and 11 minutes in two games in MLS action. … Left back Kemar Lawrence, out for a personal matter, returned to training Thursday after missing a week. … Wil Trapp and Kervin Arriaga are dealing with hamstring injuries, and the midfielders might not be available for Sunday’s game vs. FC Dallas in St. Paul. … MNUFC2 said Thursday it has acquired Ivroy Coast midfielder Cedrik Gbo, 20, on loan from Tunisian club Esperance.
