Major League Soccer navigates resuming play in local markets

In light of Major League Baseball’s trouble with its season, Major League Soccer’s plan to resume play in its local markets is under scrutiny.

The league has been buoyed by the success of its MLS is Back tournament in Florida, which concludes Tuesday with the title game between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City. With teams headed home, the plan now is for an abbreviated season.

“It started with a tournament in a bubble, but in our minds it had always been that we would get back into the markets at some point soon,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “And that transition from the successful tournament to playing in our home markets is no different than the process with our tournament.”

The tournament got off to a rocky start when both FC Dallas and Nashville were forced to withdraw because of positive coronavirus tests. But only two other players have tested positive in the bubble at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World.

MLS, the National Women’s Soccer League, the NBA and the WNBA have been able to successfully play games amid the pandemic, but in controlled environments with players sequestered from the general public. The NHL has resumed its season in “secure zones” in Toronto and Edmonton, and the league says it has not had any positive tests.

But MLB, playing in home stadiums without fans, has had some two dozen games postponed because of the coronavirus. Outbreaks have notably impacted the Marlins and Cardinals.

The MLS plan comes amid increasing coronavirus cases in the United States, with more than 5 million contracting the virus and 162,000 deaths.

Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert who is chairman of the Hubert Department of Global Health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, has reviewed Major League Soccer’s plans for playing out the season and believes it is sound.

He pointed to the league’s mandate that teams take charter flights or buses to the games, with no overnight hotel stays. That will cut down on the contact the teams have with the public. The league’s rigorous testing program also should help prevent outbreaks.