Preseason training has kicked off in MLS

Yesterday Minnesota United FC kicked off preseason training ahead of the 2021 Major League Soccer season. And that was the case for all but six clubs across the league, the five clubs participating in the CCL were able to open on February 24th while Toronto FC was able to open on February 17th.

This begins a roughly seven week period of training prior to the opening of the regular season on April 17th. That seven week period will be split into a few different phases for MNUFC.

“It’s just nice to get em back. It’s nice to be back working again,” Adrian Heath said following training yesterday.

First the Loons will begin training at the National Sports Center in Blaine for three weeks. Following those three weeks in Blaine, MNUFC will head to Orlando, FL for two weeks of training. During those two weeks “club will hold training camp in Orlando for two weeks and participate in several friendly matches.” On April 10th the squad will return to Blaine to finish training ahead of the 2021 season opener.

As for Heath’s plan for camp he said, “The most important thing of any preseason is to get everybody fit and healthy for the opening day of the season.”

Currently Major League Soccer has not released the 2021 schedule and we are still waiting for it to drop. So currently the schedule length in both matches and time frame as well as playoffs timing are unknown. Another unknown is whether or not the Loons will be in the US Open Cup or Leagues Cup. Whether MNUFC will allow fans during the 2021 campaign at any capacity is also not yet known.

Last season many MLS clubs did allow fans in a reduced and socially distant capacity however MNUFC did not. The other two clubs playing in the summer in the Twin Cities also handled things differently.

MLB’s Minnesota Twins did not allow fans at Target Field in 2020 during the league’s abbreviated 60 game schedule. The American Association’s St. Paul Saints (now the Twins Triple-A East affiliate) initially started their season in Sioux Falls, SD in front of limited capacity crowds. The Saints would return to St. Paul beginning on August 4th and play their final 18 games in front of crowds limited to 1,500.

Stay tuned to E Pluribus Loonum for all your 2021 MNUFC and Major League Soccer needs.