United players start bonding on first day of training camp

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – As the sky highlighting the mountain backdrop faded from deep blue to orange to pink to navy, Minnesota United FC changed bit by bit, too.

The new Major League Soccer team didn't make any huge leaps during its first day of preseason practice Tuesday at Grande Sports World. Yet it was clear the players, who finished their first two-a-day of many throughout the next six weeks, left the pitch looking just a little more like a team.

"It's going to take a little time. So far, it's been good," said defender Jermaine Taylor, one of United's new signings. "I mean, guys are laughing. They're enjoying each other's company. Being out here for a time, that's going to help. That's going to come along."

Coach Adrian Heath likened these first few days at camp to a kid's first few days at a new school — everyone is unsure, and there's no pecking order to cling to yet. But after his players' enthusiasm and quality of play impressed and surprised him on Day 1, he said the team will have bonded far more than anyone could imagine after their first leg of the preseason ends in 12 days.

The plan Tuesday, with this being some players' first time back in an official practice setting in months, was to start the players' bodies and minds reacting quicker as well as adjusting to the touch and feel of the ball while undergoing some tough cardiovascular work.

United's official roster sports 21 players, and a team spokesman said forward Ish Jome, who was on United's roster last season, also will sign. Of those, though, five are not practicing because they are either injured or have yet to arrive at camp. But United also added 10 trialists (or preseason invitees) to camp, who all hope to earn a spot on the final roster during this extended tryout.

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With the stakes fairly high to lock down a starting spot or even just make the team, some players have taken it upon themselves to alleviate some of that pressure.

Some, meaning forward Christian Ramirez, who brought back his #sleepcam on Twitter, where he posts pictures of his teammates sleeping on planes. On the trip to Arizona, top draft pick forward Abu Danladi and expansion draft midfielder Collen Warner were the victims.

"I had to make sure that I got Abu for the first one since he was the first pick, and he's been saying he's going to get me back, but he doesn't realize I don't sleep on plane rides," Ramirez said, adding he endeavors to snap all the new players at some point this season, with the only one of his teammates ever to escape being Lance Laing last season. "It's just something to liven up the mood a little bit because, you know, we can be so serious out here. Everybody playing for their jobs. So anything that we can do to liven it up a little bit is a plus."

Ramirez, though, might have strained his relationship with at least one teammate. He failed to inform defender Brent Kallman, his former road roommate, that he'd dumped him, and midfielder Miguel Ibarra had taken his place. Not even a heads-up text message.

"I was actually telling Brent to give him a hard time," Ibarra said. "So I brought him into the room and made Brent tell him [off]."

Even for the players not rooming together, Heath will make sure there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to bond — from card games to quizzes to mixing up players of different nationalities so no one becomes too comfortable with only one group.

Heath also has implemented a new practice tradition, which was in place even after a heavy and tiring day of fitness testing — which midfielder Bernardo Anor unofficially won, earning him the encouragement of his teammates as he pushed himself through one more suicide run and bragging rights over all of them until the next test.

"You can see [Heath's] philosophy already trying to kick in," Ramirez said. "He's really a group-oriented person. He's got a thing after every practice, everyone has to give a high five or a hug to everyone."

So with the first day done, Heath's tried to make small improvements on his way to making the Loons MLS ready. And he hopes the momentum will only build from there until the team's inaugural season opener.

"Now it's just a case of, everything that we do from now is geared toward March the third when we play Portland," Heath said. "The intensity level, the size of the field. Everything will get bigger and bigger."