MLS announces resumption of play with “MLS is Back” tournament
Soccer is officially back.
Early Wednesday, MLS announced that the league’s return to play would take place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL. League commissioner Don Garber announced that the “MLS is Back” Tournament will take place from July 8-August 11. Seattle is not the first team from the area to get back in action, OL Reign have also got back to action as they prepare for the upcoming NWSL season.
MLS stopped play of the 2020 season on March 19 and extended that into May and June. Gradually, teams including the Seattle Sounders have come back to being training sessions for whenever the league was going to resume play. Now they have that date, and here’s what it will look like.
Tournament Format
All 26 teams participate in the tournament
The teams will be placed into six groups
Seattle, Toronto, Atlanta, LAFC, Orlando, and Real Salt Lake are the top seeds in each of the six groups.
Each team will play three group matches before the knockout stages
The top two teams from each of the six groups and the four best teams sitting in third place of their groups will reach the knockout round.
Tournament Schedule
July 8: Group Stage begins
July 25-28: Round of 16
July 30-August 1: Quarterfinals
August 5-6: Semifinals
August 11: Final
The draw will take place on Thursday June 11, Seattle along with the rest of the teams will learn who is in their group and what the pairings will look like. Points accumulated in group play and in the knockout stages will go towards the 2020 standings. Winners of the tournament will receive a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League and win part of a $1.1 million dollar prize pool.
Health Concerns and protocol
Much has been made about sports returning to play amid the pandemic and the lack of curve flattening after places have reopened. Florida, which has opened up much earlier than most states, now 64,000 confirmed cases and 2,000 of which reside in Orlando’s Orange County.
MLS announces the following will take place.
Prior to traveling to Orlando, all essential members of a club delegation must undergo two Polymerase Chain Reaction (“PCR”) tests 24 hours apart. Players will also undergo a baseline serology (antibody) test as part of a physical exam that also includes a temperature check and the completion of a screening questionnaire. PCR tests detect an active COVID-19 infection, typically via a nasal swab or saliva test. Serology (antibody) tests detect the presence of antibodies in response to a COVID-19 infection.
Individuals who test PCR positive will not travel and will be isolated and overseen by club medical staff. Contact tracing will also be triggered to identify close contacts. Individuals who test PCR negative but serology positive may travel to Orlando if they are asymptomatic.
In case of a positive test, what happens?
If an individual tests positive as part of routine testing, that person will be relocated to an isolation area after evaluation by an on-site telehealth physician.
Contact tracing is also mandatory in case of a positive COVID-19 test. This process identifies close contacts: individuals who spent at least 10 minutes within six feet of a person who has tested positive or is presumed positive. Those close contacts will also be tested and they can continue to train or work as long as they wear a face mask at all times when not competing, remain asymptomatic and continue to test negative.
What about those who are at high risk?
Seattle’s Jordan Morris, who is a diabetic is among those who could be labeled as high risk. Here is the list of those who else may fall into the category.
Persons with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma;
Persons who have serious heart conditions;
Persons who are immunocompromised;
Persons with diabetes;
Persons with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis;
Persons with liver disease;
Persons with severe obesity (body mass index of 40 or higher);
Persons who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 12:28 PM.
