‘MLS is Back Tournament’ to open July 8

Major League Soccer is moving en masse to Florida, taking over a Disney hotel for a World Cup-style tournament that will run July 8 through Aug. 11.

All 26 teams will take part in the “MLS is Back Tournament” at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in the Orlando area.

The NBA is also looking to resume play at the Disney complex.

For MLS, whose franchises are currently facing a patchwork of health and government restrictions due to the global pandemic, the Disney complex offers hotels, fields, infrastructure and freedom to stage the 54-match event.

“There is no better company (Disney) to provide us with the certainty of being able to manage all of the operational needs of putting what is nearly 2,000 people into one environment for what will be four to five weeks,” commissioner Don Garber told a media conference call Wednesday.

Florida has been one of the first U.S. states to open its doors to pro sports with the WWE and UFC already having staged events there.

The MLS tournament, which will be played before empty stands, marks a resumption to the league’s 25th season, which was halted March 12 after two rounds due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The hope is the league, once the Florida tournament is completed, can continue the season with a revised schedule in home markets.

The tournament will see teams play three group stage matches across 16 days. The top two in each of the six groups along with the four best third-place finishers will then move on to the knockout stage: round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

The three group stage matches will count in the regular-season standings.

“It’s a good day, it’s a very good day,” said Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster.

Games will be televised.