![Minnesota United's Tiago Calvano ran laps on the field as his teammates practiced, Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN. ] (ELIZABETH FLORES/STAR TRIBUNE) ELIZABETH FLORES • eflores@startribune.com ORG XMIT: MIN1405211548160527](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VQMU43FX75W4WWGYSFXQIY2RKU.jpg?&w=1080)
Minnesota United FC will be soaking in the warmer weather in Arizona and Brazil over the next two months in preparation for the upcoming North American Soccer League season.
The club announced it will kick off its first leg of the preseason tour from Feb. 18-March 1 in the Valley of the Sun, where the Loons will train at Grade Sports World in Casa Grande, south of Phoenix. They will also play friendly matches against the Seattle Sounders on Feb. 19 and Sporting KC on Feb. 28 of Major League Soccer in Tucson.
United has went on to face eventual MLS Cup champions during the preseason over the last two seasons, the LA Galaxy and Sporting KC.
"We have worked really hard to put a process together to try to be the best we can for the regular season," United head coach Manny Lagos said. "I feel an incredible gratitude to the support of our ownership group to allow us to do these trips."
The second leg won't begin until March 11 when United will train for 12 days in Brazil, the host country of last year's World Cup and next year's Summer Olympics. It will be a homecoming for five Brazilians on the United roster, including defender Tiago Calvano. Opponents for the friendlies in Brazil will be announced at a later date, but Calvano hopes to face his former club Botafogo that he last played for in 2002.
"For sure my family will come to training to see me and my teammates," Calvano said. "Hopefully when we play the friendly games, they'll come to watch me again after so many years and it'll be good. Last time they watched me in a live game was when I was in Brazil."
It's not the first time the United has taken its team, and brand, overseas. Last year, the Loons traveled to England last year in what the entire organization felt was a great bonding trip. The club also built connections that helped United bring Swansea City to the Twin Cities for a friendly at the National Sports Center.
"We certainly considered going back to England because it had been so positive and the facilities were so great," United President Nick Rogers said. "But we got lucky last year. I don't think it rained once in 10 days, which might be some sort of record. … We have a pretty good contingent of Brazilians on our team already and have a lot of relationships down there. That quickly emerged as an attractive alternative, and we hope those same benefits occur to us on this trip."
