Rome News-Tribune

Nashville pulls out after 9 players test positive

- By Anne M. Peterson

Nashville SC has withdrawn from Major League Soccer’s MLS is Back tournament in Florida after nine players tested positive for the coronaviru­s, the league announced Thursday.

Nashville is the second team to withdraw from the tournament. FC Dallas had to pull out after 10 players and a coach tested positive for COVID-19.

“Due to the number of positive tests, the club has been unable to train since arriving in Orlando and would not be able to play matches,” MLS commission­er Don Garber said in a statement. “For every decision we make in our return to play, the wellbeing of our players, staff, officials and all participan­ts is our top priority.”

Nashville SC was playing in its first season in MLS. The team dropped its first two matches of the season before the league shut down on March 12 because of the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Nashville arrived in the Orlando area for the tournament on July 3. One player tested positive upon arrival, and eight others tested positive over the next few days.

Nashville was originally scheduled to play the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, but that game was postponed.

“In what has been a challengin­g year, and in an uncharted environmen­t created by the tornado that devastated our city and COVID-19, this is another big disappoint­ing outcome for Nashville SC and its supporters,” team CEO Ian Ayre said in a statement. “Our focus now lays on the recovery of our players who have been infected with COVID-19 and on getting our complete traveling party back home safely. Once everyone is safe and healthy in Nashville, we can then turn the page and focus on our preparatio­n and participat­ion in the return to play for the latter half of the season post Orlando.”

The league revised its tournament schedule to reflect Nashville’s withdrawal, first reported by The Athletic. The 24 teams playing in the tournament are divided into six groups of four teams for the group stage.

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