By Official Florida FC
Major League Soccer’s 2020 season has been suspended for more than two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While individual players returned to training earlier this month, full-team training sessions have yet to resume. At the earliest, team training will not resume until June 1.
MLS has yet to formally announce when and how it would return. But, the Washington Post, The Athletic and others have reported that MLS is considering a format where most of its 26 clubs would resume play in Orlando.
The Athletic’s report said the document outlined how teams would return and the number of personnel who would arrive in Orlando for competition. It also stated “players would be allowed to decline participation in the competition due to a high risk of severe illness as approved by a club medical officer.”
Partnership with players
When the league returns to the pitch remains to be seen. The Major League Soccer Players Association and the league have not agreed upon a proposal to return to play.
Florida native, and Philadelphia Union captain, Alejandro Bedoya spoke with ESPN’s Taylor Twellman earlier this week. While noting he would like to return to play Bedoya stated the idea of holding a tournament in Orlando “feels a little bit rushed and we all need to be partners in this.”
Bedoya suggested a regional tournament is viable idea; but, there is time to make decisions that allow for MLS to have a credible season.
In a typical season, most MLS clubs would have completed a third of its season, or about 12 matches, by now. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that clubs have only played two league matches in the last six months.
Regardless of when MLS announces its plan to resume, the COVID-19 reverberations on the league may only be beginning.
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