All players, staff test negative for COVID-19

Inter Miami CF players won’t have a shortage of entertainment options at their disposal during the MLS is Back Tournament.

After arriving Wednesday at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel near Orlando — where they and the other 25 MLS teams will be sequestered for the duration of the tournament — Inter Miami players and staff members went for an outing of golf on their offday Thursday. In their team lounge at the host hotel lies a poker table, video and arcade games.

“Having a shared space for us as a team is vital,” midfielder Wil Trapp said during a conference call with reporters. “Not only for the mental health of being in this scenario, but also for seeing the love and support for our club and team. Being able to convene in there as a team will really build stronger ties for us.”

Overall, Inter Miami expressed satisfaction with the “bubble” setup on Friday despite more players and traveling personnel from other teams testing positive for COVID-19 in recent days and the safety of MLS’s “bubble” coming into question.

No Inter Miami player or staff member who made the trip tested positive for coronavirus after the team’s arrival Wednesday afternoon. They were quarantined until they received their negative test results. The team was allowed to conduct its first practice since arriving Friday morning after receiving clearance. Each team is staying on its floor at the host hotel, with each player being placed in their own individual room.

Traveling personnel will be tested frequently during the tournament — which Inter Miami kicks off against Orlando City SC July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. They’ll also face the Chicago Fire July 14 and Philadelphia Union July 19 as part of their three group-stage matches that will count towards the regular-season standings.

“Personally, and I’ve been speaking with the guys as well, we’ve talked a lot about how comfortable we are here,” center back Nico Figal said. “The amenities, how organized everything is — we feel excited to be here to prepare for the first match.”

MLS announced late Thursday evening that six individuals tested positive for COVID-19 of the 855 people tested from Wednesday through Thursday, with four of those six being players. The announcement came on the heels of the league releasing a statement that six FC Dallas players have tested positive for the coronavirus since arriving at the host hotel June 27, with The Athletic reporting FC Dallas had three more players and a coach test positive for COVID-19, bringing the team’s total to

10 since arrival. Columbus Crew SC confirmed Thursday evening that an unnamed player tested positive for

COVID-19 since arriving in Lake Buena Vista Sunday. Anyone who tests positive for the virus while in Orlando is examined by a doctor and isolated in the hotel until they’re medically cleared. The rest of the team, which tested negative for the virus, quarantined in their hotel rooms awaiting the results of additional testing. Columbus Crew will resume training upon MLS approval following the league’s contact tracing protocol and will continue scheduled mandatory testing.

“It’s certainly something that we’ve abruptly been faced with,” Trapp said about players on other teams testing positive for COVID-19. “We’re players who want to play, that’s one part of it, but we’re also human beings and this is bigger at times than sports, of course. The biggest thing we can control is how we address the protocols in front of us.

“It’s not just you. It’s your team [and] the entire league that will be here as a player pool. You have to be smart. You have to be thinking about your fellow human beings, always.”

Trapp acknowledged that the situation the players are in could have an effect on teams once games start back up.

“It’s a part of this entire setup,” he said. “You’re in a bubble to play a tournament. It’s nothing we’ve experienced before, but at the same time, the one strength as a group that we can draw upon is every team is in the same boat. It’s the preparation work you did before you got here, to be honest. I know we’ve done a massive amount of work to be prepared.

“Ultimately, when the game comes you have to be ready and there are no excuses for any of the things going on outside of the field when the lights turn on.”