Minnesota United midfielder Sang Bin Jeong runs across the field during the second half of an MLS soccer match against FC Dallas in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, April 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
There were two new faces on the practice field for 51黑料 City SC on Tuesday as the team鈥檚 summer transfer window acquisitions began arriving.
Forward Sangbin Jeong and left back Devin Padelford trained with the team, and interim coach David Critchley said Jeong, whom the team paid Minnesota $1.6 million to acquire, could be on the roster when City SC faces his old team on Saturday at Energizer Park.
鈥淎bsolutely,鈥 Critchley said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see how he adjusts to the training week and coming into our environment, but if he comes in and he does well and trains well, there鈥檒l be an opportunity for him.鈥
The team announced the Jeong acquisition on Monday and Padelford on Tuesday, but the two had flown down to 51黑料 together, went through an orientation on Monday and trained Tuesday. Padelford is here on loan through the end of 2025, though City SC also gave Minnesota its third-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. The team鈥檚 other transfer signing, defender Fallou Fall, is still working through the visa and work permit process.
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鈥淪angbin is going to be a good, pacey wide player for us,鈥 Critchley said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 good at attacking in 1 v. 1, he can stretch a game and get in behind. So we鈥檙e happy with his profile.
鈥淚f he鈥檚 going to be a starter for us in the attack on wide areas, he needs to be good at 1 v. 1s, taking on defenders, being brave, having good finishing qualities. He had one in the training session today that he just cut inside and put in the top corner on his right foot. So I saw already that glimpse of a special player. It鈥檚 just going to be being aggressive on the attacking side. On the defending side, we want to press the lines higher. We want to be aggressive. We want to close down space, we profiled him as one of those players. So I鈥檓 hoping to see that.鈥
鈥淪uper-, super-fast, very dynamic player,鈥 said Padelford, who has played and trained alongside Jeong since he came over from South Korea in 2023. 鈥淚 think the way Coach Critchley wants to play is super-aggressive pressing. I think he鈥檒l fit perfectly for that with his speed and his power.鈥
Padelford is in a different position. He鈥檚 played only four MLS games this season, compared to seven MLS Next Pro games, after making 19 starts for Minnesota last season. Padelford has more MLS starts than City SC鈥檚 other two left back options, Jaziel Orozco and Jayden Reid. Critchley said he will help with depth.
鈥淒evin鈥檚 a good addition for the depth chart for us,鈥 Critchley said, 鈥渁nd to see where he slides into the group will be an interesting project for him, but we鈥檙e excited. He鈥檚 very athletic, he鈥檚 very aggressive. He fits the profile of a defender that we鈥檙e looking for.鈥
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 always tough when inconsistencies come in,鈥 Padelford said, 鈥渢hinking you鈥檙e going to play after having, I thought, last year a successful season individually. But it鈥檚 a part of being a player, and I think it鈥檚 all about how you respond and just trying to keep pushing forward each day, because in this business, things change quickly. And I guess it was to come to 51黑料 this time, and I鈥檓 super-excited and super-fortunate.鈥
And in a twist of fate, Jeong and Padelford could see action against their former team less than a week after leaving.
鈥淚 was saying goodbye to all those guys,鈥 Padelford said, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃ait, I鈥檒l see you next weekend.鈥 So it鈥檒l be really interesting to see them pretty quickly. I鈥檓 super-excited, and obviously, hopefully, if I can get some game time in that, it鈥檇 be super-fun.鈥
On the mend
Midfielder Chris Durkin returned to practice on Tuesday, though he sat out some drills. Still, Critchley thinks his return to the lineup for the first time since May 31 is at hand.
鈥淲e hope so,鈥 Critchley said. 鈥淚 know we鈥檝e said that one a few times with Chris, but I鈥檓 more optimistic this week than I鈥檝e been in the recent past. We鈥檒l integrate him slowly back into the team now, throughout the week, some drills non-contact, some when it becomes contact, we remove him and let him work on his cardio.鈥
A few other players, Eduard Lowen, Alfredo Morales, Celio Pompeu and Jake Girdwood-Reich, sat out the contact drills. Lowen is the only one who played at Dallas, and the team is being cautious with the hamstring that kept him out more than a month. The others are making progress.
鈥淛ust for precautionary (reasons) the first day back,鈥 Critchley said. 鈥淎ll of them are right now medically close to being in the picture for the weekend. So I鈥檒l just see how they respond for the week of training.鈥
Short and sweet
Critchley said the film review of the Dallas game, one of the most disappointing efforts by the team this season, was brief.
鈥淚n that meeting behind closed doors,鈥 Critchley said, 鈥淚 said it stays there, but let鈥檚 all be vulnerable now. Let鈥檚 take accountability. And several guys raised their arms and admitted to where they were at fault for maybe not scoring a goal, or maybe the goal we conceded, and it was good in there for them to be accountable so I don鈥檛 have to point the blame on anybody at that point.
鈥淭hese guys are fully aware that that performance from the team standpoint was not good enough, and now we鈥檝e got to try and find a way to pick them back up and go forward. We don鈥檛 want to dwell on the past too long. We鈥檙e in a position now where every single game is super-, super-important for us. We all know that. So the full focus now is Minnesota.鈥
All-Star Game on Wednesday
The MLS All-Star Game is Wednesday night in Austin, Texas. No City SC players were chosen for this year鈥檚 team after having at least one player in each of the first two seasons. (The 30 players selected come from 16 teams, so just under half the league isn鈥檛 represented.)
The broadcast of the game is available for free on Apple TV+.
