When Minnesota United FC travels to Portland this weekend to begin play in the 2016 Simple Invitation, the trip will be more than a preseason tournament.
United executives such as sporting director Manny Lagos plan to meet with representatives from the Timbers to learn more about what it takes to make a successful transition to Major League Soccer.
"We're certainly excited about the possibility of going to MLS, and certainly the timeline is looking good for very soon in the future," Lagos said. "I think all these things intertwine with the type of trip we're having, which is against MLS competition in Portland. I think hopefully my exuberance [for] the event makes it more than your normal preseason trip."
Portland entered MLS in 2011, and within only a few years, the club built a fanbase that sells out every home game and even crafted a roster that won last season's MLS Cup.
Last March, Minnesota was awarded an MLS expansion franchise. The United will play again this season in the North American Soccer League, and team President Nick Rogers said in January that he hopes to begin MLS play in 2017. That notion was reinforced this week in a Sports Illustrated report that also noted United could be forced to change its club name.
As the date nears, United's Lagos is fortunate to have a long-standing friendship with Portland General Manager Gavin Wilkinson.
"Part of the premise and the discussions of bringing Minnesota into Portland was we would also share the best practices on the business side, what learned here and what our growing pains were," Wilkinson said. "With us having known Manny for many years, we're trying to help them position themselves in the best way possible when they do jump into MLS."
This is the fifth year for Portland to play host to this four-team round-robin. The field usually consists of the Timbers, two other MLS clubs and an international team. But the relationship between Lagos and Wilkinson helped the Loons become the first American non-MLS club to take part.