It’s fair to say that Manny Lagos wishes this postseason interview was taking place a few weeks later.



Going into the 2018 season, he took objection to accusations of the Loons’ pre-Allianz Field era being branded a “soft launch.” He was bullish on adding thrifty international signings and a veteran right back, promising more to come. Sure enough, he delivered when he helped secure Darwin Quintero as the franchise’s first-ever Designated Player. For a stretch of home games in July, it looked like the Loons just might silence their critics and earn that long-demanded respect.



And yet, here we are discussing next year less than 24 hours after Minnesota lost its 2018 finale in a microcosm of its entire season. The team found its back against the wall early on, climbed back to make a contest of it, but ultimately fell short after allowing yet another cheap goal. And so, the Loons enter a third straight winter hoping to build a playoff...