Manny Lagos doesn’t get a day off.



The Minnesota sporting director wears many hats. Throughout Friday morning at Blaine, Lagos spent many hours in the office working the phones and having meetings with club personnel. As soon as training wraps, he makes his way to the field to catch up with his players as they gear up for Monday’s Open Cup fixture. Making the day even more hectic, his son participated in the All-American Cup that was hosted right at the National Sports Center.



Before making his way to that game, though, Lagos sat down with The Athletic for an exclusive, long-ranging interview. When we last spoke in February, the line of inquiry mostly focused on the “soft launch” scolding which plagued the team after a rocky first season in MLS. “Listen, we do this to win,” he then said of the team’s long-term plan. “If we don’t create an expectation to be special and win championships, then none of this is...