With the official debut of MNUFC2 coming this Saturday against North Texas SC, there are a few players that you might recognize on the roster. Here is some background information on six key up-and-comers likely to feature for MNUFC2 during their season. One has been with the club for more than two years and another for slightly more than two weeks. One has seen senior minutes for the team, and not one, but TWO were picked 17th overall in the MLS SuperDraft. Two are Minnesota natives, and two played college soccer. All six are names to know.
Fred Emmings
Fred Emmings is a name you may recognize, as two seasons ago he was signed as Minnesota United’s first-ever Homegrown Player and has featured in the senior club’s matchday squads 18 times, though he has yet to make a senior debut. Emmings recently turned 18 years old and attends St. Paul Central High School online while managing a professional training schedule. The 6’5” goalkeeper has dual citizenship between Luxembourg and the United States and has spent time with youth national teams for both countries. In the initial press release from his signing in January 2020, Adrian Heath said, “If you see Fred, he’s a huge kid. Our goalkeeper coach thinks he’s got a huge upside. He’s trained with the first team, and he’s done terrific when you consider he’s 15 going on 16. He knows this is just the beginning for him. He’s got a long, long way to go. In goalkeeping terms, he’s a baby, but god-willing he stays injury free; we feel he’s got a really bright future. But that’s what it is, a future. He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s got a lot of natural tools to become a top-class goalkeeper.”
Devin Padelford
Where Emmings was first, Devin Padelford is the most recent Homegrown Loon. Padelford signed his contract with Minnesota just two weeks ago and is the first player signed from the Minnesota United Youth Development Program. Following in the fine legacy of current Loon Brent Kallman and past Loon Eric Miller, he is yet another player to go pro with a Woodbury High School diploma, having graduated in 2021. Like Kallman and Miller, Padelford is a defender, but only recently switched to that position. From the press release of his signing, MNUFC Youth Development Director Noel Quinn said, “Devin has been one of the better players in MLS Next in his six months with the U-19 squad. We converted him from a center forward to a left back after looking at his attributes and the style the first team currently play. He’s improved massively in terms of his overall knowledge of the game but especially in terms of the role and responsibility of playing left back. Beyond that, what was very clear to us was his mentality. He’s adaptable and dependable. His willingness to change his position based on our feedback demonstrated a lot of maturity.” Before signing his professional contract, Padelford had committed to play soccer at St. Louis University.
Tani Oluwaseyi
Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi, born in Nigeria and raised in the greater Toronto area, is an older prospect compared to Emmings and Padelford. He recently completed his fourth season at St. John’s University in New York, and while his fall 2021 was limited by injury, he compiled some impressive attacking stats in the previous three seasons. Across his first three seasons, Oluwaseyi scored 20 goals and notched 10 assists for SJU, while starting just 20 of a possible 49 matches. The Loons selected Oluwaseyi 17th in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He made just two appearances in fall 2021, but did so in SJU’s final two games of their season, so he should come into the MNUFC2 season ready to roll.
Justin McMaster
Justin McMaster may be the most familiar name of all to Minnesota fans, as the only one of the five with senior minutes for the team. McMaster was in the matchday squad for a significant portion of the 2021 season, making seven appearances off the bench in MLS and registering one assist, against Real Salt Lake in April 2021. His final appearance in the squad in 2021 coincided with Minnesota’s August acquisition of Fanendo Adi for the playoff push. Ironically, while Tani Oluwaseyi was selected 17th overall in the 2022 SuperDraft, McMaster was selected…17th overall in the 2021 SuperDraft. McMaster played his college years at Wake Forest, and has represented his native Jamaica at the youth national team level.
Aziel Jackson
Aziel Jackson enters his second year as a Minnesota Homegrown Player after coming over in a trade from New York Red Bulls in April 2021. The New York-born midfielder has trained and played with Seattle and New York in MLS and spent time with Toulouse in France as a teenager. He was available as a substitute for two senior MNUFC matches in 2021, but has registered no time played for the club at this time. Jackson was loaned to USL League 1 club North Carolina FC in August 2021 and made 12 appearances for the club, scoring one goal and notching three assists.
Emmanuel Iwe
For Minnesotans seeking a localized ‘Cinderella story’, look no further than 21-year old midfielder Emmanuel Iwe. Iwe is another hyper-local prospect who joined the Loons via the MNUFC2 Combine. The only player to be called in and officially signed from the Combine, Iwe has heard nothing but praise from his teammates and coaching staff since he joined the team in preseason. Iwe helped propel the Loons to victory in the final preseason game in Orlando, scoring a stoppage-time, game-winning goal in a 5-4 thriller over Orlando City SC. A graduate from St. Louis Park High School, Iwe played his collegiate soccer locally at St. Cloud State University and now continues his Minnesota soccer journey with MNUFC2.
These six aren’t by any means the full roster that will see the field for MNUFC2. Any players from the senior squad could see minutes for the team to maintain fitness or rehab from an injury. Names such as Jacori Hayes, Eric Dick, Callum Montgomery, Nabi Kibunguchy and Abu Danladi, who have appeared in few or no minutes for the senior team thus far, could join MNUFC2 for a game. You can also expect to see second-team players like CC Uche, Tommy Williamson and Jason Ramos, all signed to MLS NEXT Pro contracts, log time for MNUFC2 this season.
