With Minnesota United amid a playoff push, the Loons are pushing for some help for the stretch run.

The MLS transfer window, which allows teams to sign new international players, opens Tuesday and runs through Aug. 7. The transfer window also permits Major League Soccer teams to trade with one another.

While coach Adrian Heath said the Loons were working toward adding some players in recent weeks, the picture's a bit clearer now. United, winners of its past three regular-season matches, likely will be looking for help at the winger positions, among others.

Heath said the club anticipates an announcement in the next coming days on one player, while another is "not as far along as we would have liked."

"We're still making headway," Heath said Monday. "We're certainly going to go all the way through to get the two or three players that we feel that we need to push it on now."

The Loons, in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 9-7-3 record, also continue life without defender and MLS All-Star Romain Metanire, who is still on international duty with Madagascar. The Malagasy have reached the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations in a dream run after defeating the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalty kicks.

Madagascar plays Tunisia at 2 p.m. Thursday for a spot in the semifinals.

SOUICHI TERADA