Opportunity and adversity are watchwords for Frater, Lesesne and Sandoval – for everyone at this new club making waves in the American game. Their next outing – a Quarterfinal on the road against another MLS team at Minnesota United’s brand-new stadium in Saint Paul – will be another test of their character and guts. It will be a test made all the more difficult without Frater, whose three yellow cards in tournament play resulted in his suspension for the Quarterfinal.
“Nothing’s going to be rosy all the time,” said Frater in his accent from the streets of Kingston. “It’s not going to be perfect. But you test your true character when you face adversity. That’s when the real stuff comes out. You only get stronger in adversity.”
Always United
Frater won’t be alone chewing his fingernails up in the stands at Allianz Field. There’s a plane heading from Albuquerque to Minnesota – and it will be loaded with those same United fans who’ve been helping drag their boys through all their challenges so far. The call: We Are and the response: United! “This is the really important thing and not just for me,” said Sandoval, making no mistake about the pride he feels in his hometown team and the fans who’ve popped up from the dry ground to help it grow. “As a local, it’s so cool to see how much we’re connecting with the community here.”
“Our fans can stack up against any in MLS,” added Lesesne, who celebrated with his players and that noisy traveling band in Denver and Dallas too. He’s eager to do so once more in Saint Paul. “It’s not just the numbers, but they always show up in voice too. You know they’re there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a club and fans connect so quickly. And it works both ways. They show up for us, and we show up for them and try our all to get those wins.”
