Loons enter training camp looking to jell in second season

Ethan Finlay's offseason this year was about as long as his entire tenure with Minnesota United so far.

And apparently those three short months to end the Loons' inaugural campaign after his trade from the Columbus Crew weren't enough to satiate the winger.

"I'm just looking forward to getting with the guys again," Finlay said. "It was such a teaser last year."

Well, the wait is over. The Loons reconvene Monday at the National Sports Center to begin training camp ahead of their sophomore season opener March 3.

Unlike last year, United will start camp at home before flying south to Florida on Jan. 28 through Feb. 10 for preseason games against Florida International University and Eastern Florida State College. After a brief stay back in Minnesota, the Loons will set out for Charleston, S.C., Feb. 14-25 for the Carolina Cup Challenge, where they'll face the United Soccer League's Charleston Battery as well as MLS foes Columbus and Atlanta United.

United Sporting Director Manny Lagos said having the first week on home turf — literally, as the National Sports Center has brand-new indoor turf for the team's use — will help the new players to acclimate.

But Finlay said he can't wait for those preseason trips; that's when the real bonding happens, as the players spend all their time together.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the boys. I'm looking forward to getting them back in. I'm looking forward to starting work again," coach Adrian Heath said. "I still get as excited in my 40th year as I did in my first one."

Last season, United came into camp with 22 players, including its SuperDraft picks, and 10 trialists seeking to earn contracts. This season, 27 players will participate, not counting trialists. Eight of the 27 will be new faces, including United's five players acquired during Friday's SuperDraft and its previous three signings this offseason. New midfielder Frantz Pangop, though, will join after he finishes the African Nations Championship tournament with his Cameroon team, which could run through Feb. 4.

Who won't be joining United for the start of camp: a designated player. Lagos said last season the team would look to add one or two DPs — big-name players who make more than the salary cap would normally allow — but that hasn't happened yet. United did add players throughout training camp last season, though, and that likely will happen again this year.

"We still are really focused on a couple more signings that we think can add and make the players better on a different level than, say, the MLS draft can do for the team," Lagos said. "So we're certainly excited about the next two months and about really trying to use the [transfer] windows that are open internationally to add some quality players to the roster."

Finlay said the biggest goal for this preseason should be establishing a culture and starting off better than the historically bad fashion of 2017.

"That's one thing that I identified, personally, that we have to do a better job on and off the field — to establish a culture and how we want to do it," Finlay said. "And that's a tough thing to do. You don't do it in one year. You don't do in two years. It takes a lot of time. It takes consistency. It takes continuity of a group."

And, at least, United has some of that this time around.