17-year-old Darius Randell is a reason for hope for Minnesota United FC

In their fight for the playoffs, the Loons cannot afford to sacrifice much time for the development of the first team – something that also affects other players who want to take the next step, such as striker Loïc Mesanvi or right-back Matúš Kmeť.

“Once we get into preseason, we can experiment a lot more and really target their development,” Ramsay said.

So for now, Minnesota has had to use the training time to develop the young players, and Randell has participated regularly with the first team.

“We want training to feel like it's at a high level every day,” Ramsay said. “We're at a point now where we have 20 to 22 players who are relatively established and can all contribute in the MLS on their day. So when the young players come in, that's what's being asked of them, whereas a few months ago the group felt like a mix of the first and second teams from day to day, and that's really not good for anyone.”

Randell had the confidence to overcome everything up until now, including his mother and the tryout fees. Now he's in the same boat as any other young player – just trying to do his best.

“There's always someone better than you, no matter what team you're on,” he said. “But for me, it's just about putting in the effort and telling myself every day, 'You can do this.'”