Bradley, TFC won’t let a little Florida rain douse their hopes
It rained during a Toronto FC training session in Florida on Friday, but captain Michael Bradley said TFC is home and dry as they prepare to open the MLS is Back tournament against d.c. united on Sunday morning.
“None of this stuff fazes us,” said Bradley, when asked how the group was doing in COVID-19 plagued Florida, with positive-test chaos seemingly around every corner. “We got here (on Monday) and the first 12-18 hours everybody was in their room as we awaited the first test results. And since then we’ve settled into a good routine of training. We’ve really stuck to ourselves and have spent time on our floor with each other. We found a good routine and we’re excited as the game gets closer.”
The reds were three days late arriving to Orlando for the MLS is Back tournament when a member of the team’s travel party came down with “symptoms” last weekend. Because the club travelled late, Toronto’s first game at the tournament was changed from Friday to Sunday. But it’s the time change of the first match that is not ideal. Toronto’s first game is now at 9 a.m., something Bradley called “a shame.”
“When you talk about wanting to bring the league back, wanting to bring games back in a moment like this, obviously the hope is there are a lot of people watching and you want to feel that the product on display is as close to the highest level as possible,” he said. “And when you think about what a 9 a.m. game in Orlando at this time year is going to mean in terms of the weather and the humidity, I’m not sure makes a ton of sense.”
On top of that, because of the schedule change, the reds only have three days between their first two matches. After the d.c. united match on Sunday, TFC faces 401 derby rival Montreal Impact on Wednesday. But Bradley believes that the clubs with the “strongest mentality” will be in the best shape to succeed and he feels his team has that in abundance. The MLS is Back tournament — which will be played at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt disney World resort in Bay Lake — will feature a group stage, which will count toward the 2020 MLS regular season standings, followed by knockout rounds. The tournament champion will qualify for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League and the 2020 season is scheduled to resume upon completion of the tournament.
“Everybody’s just really excited about getting back to playing,” said Bradley. “So when that whistle blows on Sunday morning, I think you’re going to see a group of guys and a team that is ready to go for it and really excited to be back on the field together. We’re going to enjoy every part of that.”
Bradley hasn’t played since the MLS Cup Final on Nov. 10 in Seattle. He injured his ankle in that match and underwent surgery in January and missed TFC’S first two games of the 2020 season before MLS closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For me it’s been a long time, too long without a game, so I’m really excited,” he said.