Greenwich Time (Sunday)

How MLS fares will tell a lot about sports’ return

-

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — MLS came to Disney World to perform a high-wire act.

Amid a pandemic, the league is housing and testing close to 2,000 people in a single location; shuttling 26 teams (correction: 24) to a secured sports complex for practices at all hours; conducting matches daily on three spectator-free fields that are essentiall­y sound stages for national TV; and coordinati­ng with a conscienti­ous player pool on socialjust­ice causes.

There have been a few serious wobbles, but for now, MLS remains upright.

The first large-scale U.S. team sport to resume since the novel coronaviru­s struck, MLS is the cavalry scout for the NBA (which is also on Disney grounds) and NHL (expected to be based in two Canadian venues). Similar but smaller operations are underway in Utah (National Women’s Soccer League) and Florida’s Gulf Coast (WNBA).

After months of planning and precaution, MLS got off to a rough start this week as FC Dallas and Nashville SC were forced to withdraw because of virus outbreaks in the delegation. Dallas had 11 positive tests, Nashville nine.

The league has also reported isolated cases since teams began arriving more than two weeks ago. Infected individual­s were removed from the team floor and placed in a separate ward of the hotel.

By and large, the so-called bubble seems to be doing its job.

With all teams on site — the last arrived early this week — and the incubation period threatenin­g to reveal additional infections, MLS’ plan will face its truest test.

The first of 51 matches was played Wednesday. The calendar, which required adjustment­s after the two dropouts, will continue through the Aug. 11 final at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Although it’s a tournament, the group stage counts toward the regularsea­son standings, the knockout rounds do not.

So teams are taking this very seriously. The group stage, at least. Aside from bonuses, pride and a trophy, the latter stage may become overshadow­ed by the longing to reunite with family back home.

MLS is tentativel­y planning to resume the regular season in home markets in late August with few or no spectators and limited team travel. But with cases spiking in several states, this tournament might be it for 2020.

The withdrawal of two teams raised questions about the wisdom of employees regrouping in the workplace, one that includes common meals and travel.

MLS has taken extreme precaution­s: Everyone was tested every other day leading up to the trip. They were tested upon arrival and not allowed to leave their rooms (for about 12 hours) until they passed. They are tested every other day for the first two weeks of their stay and regularly afterward.

Still, two teams have been red-carded.

MLS is making an effort toward transparen­cy by posting the results of testing every other day. In the wake of Nashville’s withdrawal, however, the numbers did not add up. Requests for additional details and context were ignored.

There have also been contradict­ions and questions about policy. After Miami’s Andres Reyes was released from a hospital (outside the bubble) following a throat injury Wednesday, he was isolated at the league hotel until passing a coronaviru­s test.

The league’s health and safety protocol says a player hospitaliz­ed for non-virus issues doesn’t have to isolate unless he is symptomati­c, tests positive or was in close contact with someone who tested positive.

Miami officials said they did not believe Reyes was in contact with anyone who had been infected. Nonetheles­s, they sent him to isolation out of “an abundance of caution.”

MLS has also been opaque about testing and screening of hotel workers, the biggest potential crack in the bubble. Before the tournament, the league and Disney referred questions to one another.

Reyes’ injury also highlighte­d a problem with medical response. As team personnel attended to a player apparently struggling to breathe, medics took several minutes to enter the field. Miami forward Juan Agudelo helped pull the stretcher.

Miami officials did not want to comment. MLS did not reply to a question about the slow response. “Definitely concerning,” one person close to the situation said.

The tournament is a massive undertakin­g. The league is using three fields for matches: two for night games to prevent overuse and one for the handful of day games. Because of the intense heat and humidity, group matches kick off at 9 a.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

 ?? John Raoux / Associated Press ?? The Montreal Impact’s Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, left, moves the ball against the New England Revolution’s Brandon Bye on Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla.
John Raoux / Associated Press The Montreal Impact’s Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, left, moves the ball against the New England Revolution’s Brandon Bye on Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States