Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Source: MLS looking at having all teams play in Orlando
Major League Soccer is looking at the possibility of resuming the season this summer with all teams playing in Orlando, Florida.
Details of the plan are still under consideration, but the league’s 26 teams and limited staff would likely be sheltered in a resort with games played without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, a person with knowledge of the plan told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday.
Teams could head to Florida as early as June 1 for training camps. The league suspended play on March 12 after teams had played just two games.
“I think the league is still at a stage, from what I understand, where this particular idea is something that they have in mind and are trying to get feedback from teams about as to what it could look like and how it could work,” Nashville coach Gary Smith said. “Personally, again, we’re in uncharted territory here. I certainly, along with probably most other people, have never seen anything like it before. So therefore, you have to be a little bit more open-minded about what a season could look like.”
Other proposals have included teams playing a tournament-style competition in four different cities. There’s also the possibility teams could return to their home stadiums for games following the resumption of the season in Orlando.
It was not immediately clear whether any of the plans had been presented to the players’ union.
The ESPN facility has 17 fields, so it could accommodate multiple teams. MLS held its All-Star game in Orlando last year.
“What I can say if this community is ready to do it, then Orlando is the perfect city to hold an event like that,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “The experience, infrastructure, everything. Orlando has everything to hold it. If the league decides to do that, I think it’ll be a great decision to play it here. It’s just rumors right now, but I don’t see any other city that has the experience and possibility to hold such an event like Orlando.”
MLS took the first step toward resuming the season last week when teams were allowed to start voluntary individual workouts at team facilities under strict guidelines. The next step would be small group workouts.
But a number of teams, including the Seattle Sounders and the San Jose Earthquakes, have not been able to participate because of stay-at-home restrictions in their communities.
MLS launches program aimed at development
Sixty-five former U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams will join Major League Soccer’s elite player development program.
The federation’s development academy was disbanded April 15 amid financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, leaving some 200 youth teams nationwide with an uncertain future. Launched in 2007, the USSF academy had included competitions in five age groups.
The new program will include teams from all 26 current MLS franchises, the four planned expansion clubs, five USL teams and 60 nonprofessional clubs, and involve some 8,000 players, according to details provided Wednesday by MLS, which had previously said it would fill the void left by the shuttering of the federation academy.
Member clubs will collaborate on the competition format and league structure for the year-round program aimed at developing elite players in the United States and Canada. The league is expected to include under-13, -14, -15, -17 and -19 age groups.