Kemar Lawrence felt ghosted by Toronto FC, welcomed by Minnesota United

Mar. 22—Minnesota United's first transition drill of Tuesday's training session started just seconds before Kemar Lawrence made his presence felt. It was more than the Jamaican's highlighter orange cleats that stood out.

Lawrence — acquired in a trade from Toronto FC last week — entered a duel with a new teammate and immediately won the ball back. It was the first of many efforts the former all-MLS left back showed to underscore how the club felt it has leveled up with his addition.

Lawrence showed some crafty physicality toward Wil Trapp and Adrien Hunou in subsequent challenges. He groaned when D.J. Taylor got the better of him during another duel, and he spoke passionately with Emanuel Reynoso during another portion.

"He's incredibly quick and powerful," manager Adrian Heath said after practice. "That is one thing you see straight away when he closes the ball down. There is a real sort of energy."

The Loons can use it. While undefeated at 2-0-2, Minnesota has not had its top two outside backs for those four games — which constitute 12 percent of the season. Left back Chase Gasper was in concussion protocols and then entered the league's treatment program last week; right back Romain Metanire has had setbacks with hamstring issues dating back to the MLS Cup Playoffs last November.

"For us to get the results that we've gotten without having both outside backs who have been an integral part of what we've done over the last few years, speaks volumes for the people who have come in and replaced them," Heath said.

Nicknamed "Taxi" for his stamina and speed, Lawrence, 29, comes to the Loons after playing nearly 2,000 minutes across 25 games for Toronto FC in 2021. He was acquired by general manager Ali Curtis and coach Chris Armas, whom all worked together during a highly successful era at New York Red Bulls.

But under new Toronto coach Bob Bradley, Lawerence said he didn't join Toronto for preseason, a revelation after Lawrence said he expected to be a key contributor to the Reds in 2022.

"He had different opinions of me; I don't know the opinions because, honestly, I never spoke to Bob," Lawrence said Tuesday. "You'd be surprised. Ever since he came in, not before he signed, never spoke to him in my life. It was shocking to me."

Bradley, in a question that included Lawrence last month, said: "There were just guys in different places — guys that weren't as committed to the club." Lawrence was "absent from training sessions," according to parleh.com reporter Michael Singh.

Heath said last week MNUFC did its due diligence on Lawrence, including checking with Armas. The club was "assured ... not only of his attitude, but his quality as a player and as a person," Heath said.

Lawrence was MLS Best XI in 2018 and an MLS All-Star in 2019 for New York Red Bulls before he was transferred to Anderlecht in Belgium's first division for 2020-21. He played 1,174 minutes there before coming back to North America.

Lawrence had options to stay in Belgium or go to France or England's Championship league, but his family is in the U.S. and he wanted them close. He said Tuesday they will join him in Minnesota as soon as next week.

Lawrence has been training in Jamaica before traveling to Minnesota on Friday, but didn't join the national team for World Cup qualifiers this week because the Reggae Boyz have been eliminated from advancing to Qatar and he wanted to show a commitment to the Loons. He needed to stretch during the transition drill and laughed when asked about his fitness level but said he isn't too far off and could be ready to make his debut against Seattle Sounders at Allianz Field on April 2.

Lawrence did his own due diligence on his new team through Loons defender and fellow countryman Oniel Fisher, whom Lawrence has known since they were teenagers.

"If he hated it, maybe you wouldn't see me," Lawrence said with a laugh. "But he loves it here. He's happy. Honestly, the happiest I've seen him in a long time. Part of that here is the team and the staff. He said everything feels like family. It's easy to fit in the locker room. Nobody has big egos. You can tell by playing with them (Tuesday). There is no blame — 'oh you did this' — it's you lose it, we work. We win it back and we go again and we go again. That is the mentality I feel like a real team should have."