Minnesota United reached its 12th day in Orlando training for Sunday night's MLS is Back Tournament opener against Sporting Kansas City in a strictly made-for-TV event.
"It feels like four months," Loons coach Adrian Heath said in a video conference call.
Four months, actually, is the time since Minnesota United played its last MLS game and began the season 2-0 with victories at Portland and San Jose.
Then the coronavirus pandemic shut down soccer from Europe to Allianz Field, which sat empty for the Loons' March 15 home opener and every other scheduled home game since then.
How do they find that same form and momentum that produced an 8-3 goal differential in those two games?
"Well, that's the trick," Heath said. "I spoke to a lot of coaches since we've been down here and nobody knows where they're at until they start to play again. You think the team is in a good shape. You think they're physically in good condition, but there's nothing like games. You can't replicate it in training, as much as you try."
The Loons will try to pick up where they left off in the tournament's Group D that also includes Real Salt Lake and Colorado. Sporting Kansas City and Colorado both started the season 2-0, just as the Loons did, and Real Salt Lake went 0-0-2.
"It's a little unfair to expect teams that haven't played a game in three months or more to all of a sudden be in game form and game shape," Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said. "We know all are working hard to get ready for not just the first game but all three games. You'll see the quality of play increase from game to game."