The soccer balls have officially thawed out in Minnesota, and your Loons have officially reported for duty. Preseason preparations ahead of the 2026 MLS season are underway, and after an offseason that saw plenty of change for the Boys in Black and Blue, there was no shortage of updates to get through before the action gets too far along.

Cameron Knowles Takes Charge

After announcing their new Head Coach ahead of the players returning on Monday, the club held a press conference to introduce Cameron Knowles to the media in his new role for the first time. He and Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad addressed the press together, talking through the process that led to Knowles’ selection as the third head coach in club history.

“It goes all the way back to 2024 when we had a very extensive search to hire the former coach, Eric Ramsey,” El-Ahmad said. “At that time, I thought the way Cameron stepped in, in the absence of the head coach, was really, really, really impressive, specifically how we handled the first preseason when we were in Arizona. Over the last two years, I've seen nothing but growth in his leadership, how he connects with the players, how the players respond to him. Then when Eric moved on for us, it was very simple. We already knew what we wanted to do, and that's why we acted very swiftly.”

Knowles, who has been with the club in various roles since 2021, has seen his share of faces come and go during his time in Minnesota. During his introduction this week, he reflected back on his appreciation for the chances the club has provided him with.

“I'm grateful that the club has allowed me to grow,” Knowles said. “I came in here five years ago, and have had several different roles since then. Obviously, this happened quickly, but it's also been happening over a long time, and I feel like I'm ready for this moment. I've gained a lot of experience in a lot of different areas over the many years that I've been involved in this league.”

Before the room cleared out to celebrate the new coach’s appointment, Knowles set the tone for preseason, citing his experience with the team as a key building block for the months ahead.

“We're in a moment of transition,” he said. “I had the benefit of going through this time a couple of years ago, and what I'm looking forward to is being able to lean on that experience. We had 10 days to prepare for preseason last time. We have four days this time. But the good thing is we have the benefit of that experience to go through it and to lead this group to continue to evolve what we did. We built a really good foundation over the last two years, and we’ll continue to evolve that and take the next step forward.”

Team Leaders Reflect on Changes

With a new coach secured, the first week of preseason saw the Loons return to Blaine ahead of their first of two trips to the Golden State. Veteran midfielder Wil Trapp was excited to be back for year 14, telling the media as much as he reflected on his new head coach.

“Our job is to move forward, and I think that's why we're excited to have Cam at the helm,” He said. “We're excited to bring new players in. We're excited to have the core of guys that are back and really take a 2026 season that's important and go forward. I can't say enough positive things about Cam: the person, the leader, the motivator, someone who humbly puts in their work every single day and has been doing it since he had his three games in 2024 then became an assistant, and now is back at the helm. I couldn't be more pleased for him.”

That’s a sentiment shared by the rest of the squad, most of whom have become familiar with Knowles the last few years. Club captain Michael Boxall echoed his teammates' statement, citing his interim spell in 2024 as well.

“I think just from the two or three speeches he's already given the guys, you could just see the way that he carries himself,” Boxall said about Knowles. “If you would have asked me after his two or three months in charge in 2024, I would have said that he was ready for the job back then. But obviously he's had, yeah, just over a year and a half to kind of reflect on what we do differently now, different ways to approach the game. And then he had a chance to learn a lot from Eric in that time, so no doubt he's leaps ahead of where he was two years ago.”

With a consensus among the players and a clear desire to build on the 2025 season, it seems that preseason has started off without a hitch.

New Voices

Along with the established voices of Trapp and Boxall, some of the newest members of the squad spoke to the media this week. The likes of Tomás Chancalay, Drake Callender, and Peter Stroud all began their first preseasons as Loons on Monday, reporting to Blaine for the first time to practice with their new teammates. 

Both Callender and Chancalay in particular are entering their time as Loons with a hunger to get to work and prove themselves, following spells in Charlotte and New England, respectively, that didn’t quite go to plan. Both players spoke to the opportunity at hand, with Callender highlighting the club’s recent reputation of showcasing players' talents. 

“Yeah, I think it was just a big opportunity to join a really good club and be a part of something that I think is gonna help my career, being somewhere that players have come and done really well,” he said. “I saw it as an opportunity, and when I heard they were interested, I was really excited to get going. This is year seven for me, so I was just really looking forward to getting back to playing, whatever team I'm with. Fortunately, it's Minnesota. I just get to be myself and do everything I can to help the team win, be a leader, help out the community in whatever ways I can and help this team win games.”

Chancalay was similarly excited to get started with his new club, and expressed how welcome he already feels in the Twin Cities.

“It's been a really good week,” he said. “I try to follow my teammates. I'm really happy to be here with everybody. Everyone has treated me really well and have helped me settle in quickly. I honestly feel like everyone is very happy that I'm here. I'm very happy to be here. I want to give my best to the team, do my best for the fans, and I hope I can live up to the expectations of the team that gave me the confidence to come here to Minnesota, and hopefully I can give them back a little of what they've given me by bringing me here.”

With some time in California ahead of them, the Loons are all set to get a dose of warm weather to jumpstart their preparations. Stay tuned for more from camp as the season grows closer, and keep your ears (or eyes?) peeled for breaking news in the next Preseason Report of the year!