American sports leagues like to think they’re always in control of their situations. As they try to resume or commences seasons, each is being periodically reminded that, when it comes to a pandemic, the virus controls the situation. Case in point: As Major League Soccer tries to resume its season, FC Dallas has bowed out. […]
American sports leagues like to think they’re always in control of their situations. As they try to resume or commences seasons, each is being periodically reminded that, when it comes to a pandemic, the virus controls the situation.
Case in point: As Major League Soccer tries to resume its season, FC Dallas has bowed out. Via ESPN.com, the club has experienced a total of 14 positive cases — 13 players and one coach.
The team was due to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. Dallas has now pulled out of that match, and all others it would have played.
The even is scheduled to run from July 8 through August 11. It will commence with one fewer team.
While one team is on the way out, five others just made their way in. The flights to the MLS is Back Tournament were completed on Monday following the arrivals of a handful of clubs. Toronto FC, LAFC, the LA (…)
Major League Soccer announced Saturday that it would be postponing the first match of the MLS is Back Tournament scheduled for Thursday after several FC Dallas members tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Florida. MLS issued a statement announcing that the game between FC Dallas and Vancouver Whitecaps FC would be postponed to an […]
Major League Soccer announced Saturday that it would be postponing the first match of the MLS is Back Tournament scheduled for Thursday after several FC Dallas members tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Florida.
MLS issued a statement announcing that the game between FC Dallas and Vancouver Whitecaps FC would be postponed to an undisclosed later date after 9 players and one coach on Dallas tested positive for coronavirus.
FC DALLAS SEES 9 PLAYERS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AHEAD OF MLS TOURNAMENT: REPORT
The league also said that Vancouver was delayed in arriving at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando earlier this week after two players’ test results came back inconclusive for COVID-19 during the teams pre-travel screening.
The results eventually came back negative and the team will arrive on Monday.
The decision to cancel the first match of the tournament comes just after news broke that several members of FC Dallas tested positive upon arriving for the tournament.
The club initially confirmed Wednesday that six players were infected but reports emerged later that day that three more players and one coach had also tested positive.
“In consultation with MLS medical officials, FC Dallas took proactive steps to isolate the newly affected players as well as all FC Dallas players and staff in Orlando out of an abundance of caution. All members of the club delegation are following MLS health and safety protocols and will remain quarantined in their hotel rooms pending the results of further COVID-19 testing,” the statement read.
Both teams will play their first game on July 15.
“The later match date will allow both teams additional training days in Orlando in advance of their first match,” the league said in a statement.
Toronto FC today announced that the team’s travel to Orlando, Florida has been postponed.
This morning, a member of the Toronto FC travel party reported experiencing symptoms to the team medical staff. The individual is isolating at home and is being assessed virtually by team medical staff.
The entire Toronto FC travel party will undergo another round of testing and will not travel to Orlando until those test results are received. Further travel details will be provided when available.
Toronto FC announced today that rookie midfielder Ifunanyachi Achara tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. He will undergo surgery on Tuesday, July 7 and as a result will miss the remainder of the 2020 season.
Achara made his MLS debut and scored the game winning goal earlier this year in Toronto FC’s home opener against New York City FC on March 7. He was selected 25th overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft and signed with TFC on February 21.
Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos will miss the upcoming MLS is Back Tournament due to an upcoming scheduled hernia surgery. Dos Santos, 30, will undergo “minimally invasive hernia surgery” Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan Jobe Institute. He is expected to be out for six weeks. The Galaxy is scheduled to depart for Orlando and the tournament…
Galaxy fan favorite Juninho closed the book on his professional career Tuesday, announcing his retirement. Juninho, 31, helped the club to a pair of MLS Supporters’ Shields (2010-11) and three MLS Cups (2011-12, 2014). He was also a three-time MLS All-Star. His 189 appearances are second most by any Galaxy midfielder, just behind Mauricio Cienfuegos…
Major League Soccer (MLS) has said 20 players and six club staff have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the ‘MLS is Back Tournament’ set to begin on July 8. A total of 668 players had been tested since the resumption of full team training on June 4, with 18 testing positive ahead of traveling […]
n a week remaining before it returns to action, MLS announced Sunday that the league has 26 positive COVID-19 tests out of 668 taken among players and staff.
There were 24 positive tests prior to teams heading to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., for the MLS is Back Tournament, with two more positives once teams started arriving for the World Cup-style tournament.
Tests began among players and staff when teams returned to full training on June 4. The numbers equate to a 2.7 percent positivity rate, compared to the 5.3 percent rate for NBA players ahead of that league’s return in late July.
The two positive results in Orlando were out of 329 tests among five teams in the city thus far: Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Minnesota United, Orlando City SC and the San Jose Earthquakes. None of the players or staff who tested positive were identified.
WATCH | Details of MLS’ resumption plan:All 26 teams will take part in a tournament to be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando area beginning July 8. 1:37
Anybody who tests positive will be moved to a hotel isolation area to receive medical care and follow-up testing until receiving a clean bill of health.
MLS has no plans, as of yet, to cancel or postpone the tournament, which will be played among the league’s 26 teams. Group play will be followed by a knockout stage.
The tournament is set to kick off July 8, with Orlando City facing expansion Inter Miami FC. The semifinals will take place Aug. 5-6, followed by the final on Aug. 11.
Each MLS team had played just two games when the season was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
eteran Toronto FC defender Justin Morrow is the executive director of the newly-formed Black Players Coalition of MLS.
The organization was announced this week. The BPC said it’s mandate is to “address the racial inequalities in our league, stand with all those fighting racism in the world of soccer, and positively impact black communities across the United States and Canada.”
On a video conference call with reporters, Morrow said the BPC’s goals are: To have a voice in all racial matters as it relates to MLS, increased black representation in the MLS Players Association and the highest levels of MLS, and to have an impact in black communities.
The BPC, made up of 70 players, has secured $75,000 in charitable contributions from the MLS Players Association on behalf of the coalition. The BPC will lobby for initiatives such as implicit bias training and cultural education courses, while its community efforts will include targeted spending, educational advancement initiatives and mentorship programs. The announcement coincides with Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, the day on which Union forces in Galveston, Texas, delivered the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to the region.
“MLS proudly recognizes and supports the Black Players Coalition of MLS — a group of players who today, on Juneteenth, have established themselves as influential change leaders,” MLS said in a statement. “The League looks forward to continued and long-standing collaborations with the Black Players Coalition of MLS through efforts aimed at developing the game in Black communities, prioritizing diversity, and addressing implicit bias through league-wide cultural and educational initiatives.”
In the wake of the death of George Floyd on May 25, as well has rising tensions created by the COVID-19 pandemic and heated negotiations between the MLSPA and MLS on a new collective bargaining agreement, Morrow said a group of players began meeting on social media to discus the way the league treated black players.
“It kind of felt like my world was crumbling, and when I reached out to my black soccer player peers, they all felt the same way,” Morrow said. “And so when we came together on that call, it was the most hopeful thing in one of the darkest weeks of my entire life. And I say that because it was like seeing my brothers and being in a room full of friends. And you know, everyone was there full of love and compassion. And it was really there that we decided that we needed an organization for ourselves.
“One of the central focuses is elevating our voices as a player pool and creating a sustainable path, sustainable organization that can create change and that’s going to outlive all of our careers and be passed down to the next generation so that they can continue these efforts,” he added.
MLS is Back: All 26 Teams to Resume Season at ESPN Wide World of SportsStarting July 8
Unique tournament to feature games that will count in regular season standings
Tournament winner will earn spot in 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League
Extensive medical protocols with regular testing will be implemented for the tournament
MLS is Back Tournament to feature 16 consecutive days of soccer during the group stage
NEW YORK & LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.(Wednesday, June 10, 2020) – Major League Soccer today announced the league’s plan to restart the 2020 season with all 26 MLS clubs competing in the MLS is Back Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida beginning July 8. The tournament, which will be played without fans in attendance, provides a compelling way for MLS to resume its 25th season. Group stage matches will count in the MLS regular season standings and the tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
“We are pleased to team up with Disney to relaunch the 2020 MLS season and get back to playing soccer,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “The opportunity to have all 26 clubs in a controlled environment enables us to help protect the health of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play. We also recognize that the death of George Floyd and others has focused our country on issues of racial injustice, inequality and violence against black men and women. Together with our owners, players and staff, the League and its Clubs are deeply committed to creating meaningful and impactful programs to address these issues that have plagued our society for far too long.”
Major League Soccer has a longstanding relationship with ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The league held its 1998 preseason at the complex, and hosted events for the 1998 and 2019 MLS All-Star Games at the facilities.
“Sports have the power to unify and inspire, particularly during challenging times,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “And we’re looking forward to bringing this exciting sport back to millions of fans, while prioritizing the health and well-being of the players, coaches and support staff as well as our cast members.”
COMPETITION FORMAT
Clubs will begin arriving in Orlando as early as June 24 for preseason training. Clubs that can conduct full team training in their markets pursuant to the league’s medical and testing protocols must arrive no later than seven days before their first match.
Similar to a FIFA World Cup format, the tournament will feature a continuous schedule of matches nearly every day, with games beginning at 9 a.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EDT. The vast majority of the matches will be played in the evening. Each team will play three group stage matches, and those results will count in the 2020 MLS regular season standings. After 16 consecutive days of group stage matches, the top two teams from each group along with the four best third-place finishers will move on to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will include a Round-of-16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Championship match will take place on August 11. Matches tied at the end of regulation in the knock-out phase will proceed directly to a penalty kick shootout. Click HERE for the MLS is Back Tournament Competition Guidelines.
MLS worked with U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer and Concacaf to institute a one-time change to MLS berths to the annual Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. The MLS is Back Tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, regardless of whether it is a U.S. or Canadian club. The winner would replace the berth previously awarded to the MLS regular season points leader in the conference opposite of the 2020 Supporters’ Shield winner.
In addition to matches that count in the regular season standings and the Champions League berth, players will have the opportunity to earn additional bonuses as part of a $1.1 million prize pool.
The substitution limit for the tournament will follow the new protocol set by the IFAB and allow five substitutions per match. In addition, teams may name up to 23 players on each official match day roster. Also, the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) will have access to video review for all games.
For the MLS is Back Tournament, the 26 MLS teams will be drawn into one of six groups during a live draw that will take place tomorrow, Thursday, June 11 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. For the remainder of the 2020 MLS season, Nashville SC will be moved to the Eastern Conference. The Eastern Conference will have three groups, one consisting of six teams and two consisting of four teams each. The Western Conference will have three groups, each consisting of four teams.
As the host club, Orlando City SC will be given the top seed in Group A, which will be the six-team group, and will play in the first match on July 8. The five remaining seeds will consist of the four semifinalists from the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs – Atlanta United, Los Angeles Football Club, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC – and Real Salt Lake (the team with the next highest points total in the Western Conference from the 2019 season). The seeded teams will be drawn into their respective groups first and then the remaining 20 clubs will be drawn and distributed across the conference-based groups.
In addition, the tournament schedule, national television partner networks, and other important details for the MLS is Back Tournament will be provided soon.
Upon completion of the MLS is Back Tournament, MLS plans to continue its regular season with a revised schedule in home markets, followed by the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and the 25th MLS Cup. The schedule will be developed at a later date. The final number of matches and the schedule for the remainder of the 2020 MLS regular season will be announced in the coming weeks.
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