Darwin Quintero has pumped confidence into Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez.

Words from Quintero, Minnesota United’s first designated player, have additional meaning for younger teammates who had tracked his previous career stops with Club America and Santos Laguna in Mexico’s top flight, Liga MX.

Before Quintero’s goal-scoring debut in a 3-2 loss to Portland on April 14, the Colombian watched from the stands of TCF Bank Stadium as Ibarra played as a central attacking midfielder in a 1-0 loss to Atlanta United on March 31.

“He said, ‘You are a really great player, you just need to work on a few things,’ and he’s been giving me tips about it,” Ibarra said. “… He said I’m good with the ball and great with my feet. He just thinks that I should go at the player more, take them away or just slip one (pass) in.”

In Quintero’s second game, a 3-1 loss to Seattle last Sunday, he lofted a pass that Ramirez headed in for his first goal of the season. It was reminiscent of Quintero’s work at Santos and America with top striker Oribe Peralta, a member of the Mexican national team.

“He says that I sort of play like (Peralta) with my movements, so it’s a strength of (Quintero’s) to find guys in the box and combine with guys,” Ramirez said. “So, I just try to make myself available and continue to stay on the move because he will find me. He’s very easy to play with.”

Ramirez and Ibarra’s energy this week didn’t reflect the team’s performance this season. Mired in a franchise-worst four-game losing streak, the Loons (2-5) lost winger Ethan Finlay to a season-enduing knee injury. They look to snap the slide against Houston Dynamo (2-2-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Once Ibarra relayed Quintero’s words of encouragement after Wednesday’s training session in Blaine, he yelled “Darwi!” and playfully booted a ball nearly 30 yards to Quintero for some extra-curricular action.

Reporter Tom Marshall of ESPN FC can see why there’s enthusiasm for Quintero. He covered Liga MX for eight years, seeing most of Quintero’s tenure in Mexico, where the level of play is considered higher than in MLS.

“His reputation was of one of the best players in the league,” Marshall said. “A player who (was) so dangerous, especially with his pace. He’s kind of unpredictable, as well, so he can be difficult to defend against. Perhaps a little bit inconsistent from game to game, but definitely a player that had the ability to, on his day, destroy other teams.”

Marshall said when Quintero came into Liga MX at age 20, he was more individualistic then he is now at 30.

When Finlay was lost to his knee injury at halftime in Seattle, Miguel Ibarra went from left wing to right, and Sam Nicholson came in to play the left side. Quintero was playing in the middle, but during stretches of the second half, Ibarra and Quintero flipped. This was something Quintero and Ibarra discussed at halftime.

“They were man-marking, so every time he would get the ball, he would have two on him,” Ibarra said. “He said if I would move in the middle, he would have a little bit more space and he could stay out wide and go at the defenders.”

This could be a tactic Minnesota employs as they find their future without Finlay, a workhorse regular who was tied for the team lead with two goals in seven games. Quintero has the flexibility and desire play centrally or on the wing.

“I always prefer to play through the middle and move through the spaces that are left in behind by the forwards in front of me,” Quintero said through a translator. “But when things are closed up, it can be really helpful to move out on the wing and kind of open up that space by doing that.” Related Articles Loons’ Adrian Heath, Kei Kamara believe they can strike simpatico partnership

Houston Dynamo scores twice in 2nd half to tie Minnesota United

Minnesota United acquires striker Kei Kamara in trade with Colorado

New Loons star Emanuel Reynoso brings his lifelong ‘fight’ to fresh start in Minnesota

Loons acquire backup goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas from Nashville

For a period in Mexico, Quintero and Peralta were one of the best scoring partnership in Liga MX, Marshall said.

“Obviously, that’s why club America bought both of them,” Marshall said. “They bought the package (from Santos), if you like. They knew that Oribe Peralta is very much a (forward) in the box, a goalscorer, while Darwin Quintero can play outside the box; because he is so dangerous in one-on-one situations, he often attracts another defender, which leaves space somewhere else.”

Ibarra said Quintero has designs on creating something similar with Ramirez, who came on as a sub when Abu Danladi left with an ankle injury. “If Christian can combine well with him, and we actually can get on the same page,” Ibarra said, Quintero can make Ramirez “the best goal-scorer in MLS.”

A lofty statement, but Ibarra and Ramirez are starting to believe in what Quintero can create.