Jordan Adebayo-Smith was “buzzing” when he was traded from New England Revolution to Minnesota United during the MLS draft in December. And the 23-year-old forward has provided a jolt to multiple Loons teams across three different competitions in his opening four matches.

The California-born, England-reared man of Nigerian descent made his MLS debut at Allianz Field in a 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew on March 2 and had a secondary assist on Bongi Hlongwane’s game-winner in a 3-2 victory at Orlando City on March 9.

Then Adebayo-Smith opened his scoring account with one goal in MNUFC2’s 4-1 loss to LAFC2 in MLS Next Pro last Sunday. He then produced a hat trick in the 3-0 win over Chicago House in the U.S. Open Cup first-round match on Wednesday.

“Just doing everything right, “ Adebayo-Smith said of his hat trick. “(Doing) what the coaches want leads to us getting chances on goal. The hard work from the boys helped create those chances and I just took them.”

MNUFC2 coach Justin Ferguson and Adebayo-Smith agreed: he probably should have scored more than one goal against LAFC2 in the MLS NEXT Pro season opener.

“Then to come back and respond in the right way, that’s exactly what we want of the players that play in that position to do: get on the end of service and create space in the box and then ultimately finish the chance,” Ferguson said. “Super proud of him and just really excited for what he’ll bring to the club.”

Adebayo-Smith has bounced around in his young career. After development at East Soccer Base in London, he went to Lincoln City, Reading and Sutton United in England’s lower levels from 2018-21.

He then played in USL Championship for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and New York Red Bulls II in 2022. Last season, Adebayo-Smith, who prides himself on his pace and movement, had 12 goals and five assists in 2,104 minutes with Revolution II in MLS Next Pro last season.

“I was buzzing to obviously sign for the first team spot (with MNUFC),” Adebayo-Smith said. “Obviously I knew it was going to be a new challenge and a new environment but I was ready for it. I’m up for it. It’s good to start fresh, I’m excited to see what’s going to happen this season.”

Defensive wrinkle

New head coach Eric Ramsay experimented with a different back line in the second half of the 1-0 friendly win over Irish club St. Patrick’s Athletic on Wednesday.

Left back Devin Padelford subbed out and winger Caden Clark came on. Center backs Victor Eriksson and Micky Tapias and right back Zarek Valentin stayed in the game.

In the new look, Clark often remained higher and wider in the left side of the midfield. Then after a spell, Clark and Valentin flipped sides of the field and Clark was in an advanced position on the right.

Ramsay explained his decision afterward.

“Trying to have the balance on one side where one fullback (is) playing wider, sort of 50-50 between their fullback and their wide player,” he shared. “It allows you to play with an extra player in the pocket in the middle (of them). … Then we flipped it on the other in the second period and I think it gives a team a good balance, particularly if Caden is playing (full)back. Then it suits his qualities (as a winger) far more than it would do if we asked him to play a bit lower.”

Ramsay was asked about his ideas on a three-man back line versus a four, which the Loons had in all four MLS games this season. He didn’t directly answer but shared a window into his thought process.

“Distances between players in, say, a line of three versus a line of four, and how you control counter attacks with a certain number of players in the back line, the angles it gives you with a certain number of players in a back line,” he said. “Those are the things I’m thinking about.”

Open Cup draw and rules

MNUFC2 is expected to receive their second-round draw for the U.S. Open Cup on Friday. The opponent is expected to be from the Midwest and if the Loons host, it will be held at Allianz Field on April 2-3.

Given the switch from first teams to developmental teams for the Open Cup, U.S. soccer has set some additional rules. One of those rules is if a first-team player is loaned down, they must remain down for 90 days.

But that won’t be an impediment for Adebayo-Smith, who was loaned down Wednesday, nor other MNUFC players, a club spokesman said Thursday. The first-team players have set loan agreements that make them able to join the second team and move up or down all season, he shared with the Pioneer Press.

There are other limits on which MLS players can participate. Those rules include no players earning salary above the league’s maximum budget charge (meaning no Designated Players such as Emmanuel Reynoso or Teemu Pukki), no players averaging more than 15 minutes per MLS game and no more than seven players on loan from a first team to a second team for an 18-player roster in that Open Cup match.

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