NWSL reportedly eyeing June 1 as date to resume team workouts
The NWSL has told clubs it wants players to be ready to report for team training sessions by June 1, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The formal group workouts would be the first step toward playing matches later this summer.
An Orlando Pride official said the club is planning on resuming workouts at its facilities when the league’s training moratorium expires May 16.
NWSL could end the moratorium in a variety of ways — allowing one-on-one training, small group workouts or full team training sessions at club facilities.
Orlando Pride and league officials have said their plans depend on the guidance they receive from health experts and state officials.
“I don’t think anyone knows what this is going to look like,” Brooke Elby, co-executive director of the NWSL Players Association, said in an interview with the Washington Post. “We can have aspirations, but we won’t know until we get there. We can’t speculate because it could change in the next hour or in the next day.”
Bringing players in for training is easier for some NWSL teams than others.
For the Pride, almost half of the midfield — Australians Emily van Egmond and Alanna Kennedy, Scottish winger Claire Emslie and new addition Jade Moore — is out of the country. Their path back to Orlando will differ from other teammates like defender Emily Sonnett, who spent quarantine in her hometown in Georgia, a one-day drive away from Central Florida.
Pride players have already been able to work out in pairs or small groups throughout the quarantine process. Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris are quarantined together, as well as Marta and Toni Pressley, and rookies Courtney Petersen, Konya Plummer and Taylor Kornieck.
Shelina Zadorsky and Ali Riley were together before the quarantine began, allowing them to safely maintain contact throughout the period. The pair have worked out together most days of the training moratorium, recently purchasing an inflatable kayak to add variety to their workouts.
Players have also used social-distancing measures while meeting up at parks, which remain open throughout the Orlando area.
This week, Riley met up with Pressley and Marta to work on passing drills that would allow them to remain 6 feet apart from one another.
Professional leagues around the U.S. and the world have used different approaches for resuming training. The NBA plans to allow players to restart voluntary workouts May 8 as long as only four players share a court at the same
12-foot distance.
In Germany, the Bundesliga has allowed small group training as the league gears up for a late May restart of its men’s seasons. But in the U.S., MLS has yet to announce a formal training plan to use after its moratorium expires May 15.
NWSL is still working through plans for a restart. Elby told the Washington Post players won’t receive preferred access to COVID-19 testing, which could limit their ability to return to full-team training.
The newspaper reported the league has considered a scenario in which all nine teams used multiple venues in the Washington D.C. area for the first matches of the season.
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aUSL League Two season canceled
The United Soccer League canceled the remainder of its 2020 USL League Two season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
USL League Two is structured as a youth development league, a mission reflected by the league’s “Path to Pro” motto. More than 70% of the MLS SuperDraft picks during the past decade previously played for a USL League Two side.
Since it is focused on college athletes, the USL League Two season is abbreviated — 14 regular-season matches that typically span from May to mid-July.
The league is currently pursuing options to provide competitive opportunities for League Two clubs located in regions where it will be safe to return to play in the summer or fall.
“The momentum our clubs have built in League Two across the country in recent years has been tremendous, and today’s announcement — while disappointing — will do nothing to alter that,” USL League Two Vice President Joel Nash said. “We will continue to support soccer being played when and where possible in 2020 and use this time to get even stronger as a league and look forward to returning to competitive action better than ever before in 2021.”
The USL also extended its suspension of the Championship and League One seasons. The suspension was previously set to expire May 10 but will now be extended indefinitely until the league’s board of governors feels it is safe to announce a return.
The two leagues additionally extended their training moratoriums through May 15.
In the meantime, USL is pursuing options for players to train at team facilities in individual or small group settings before the end of that training moratorium.
The league still plans to reschedule all matches for both League One and Championship seasons. However, both leagues are also examining alternative options for competition formats to remain adaptable.
“To every USL supporter across
the country, we continue to thank you for your support during these extraordinary circumstances,” USL President Jake Edwards said. “As always, your safety, health and wellness are our guiding light and we want to extend our support and best wishes to all the individuals and communities who have been impacted by COVID-19. We look forward to being back together again soon.”
WPSL calls off season
The Women’s Premier Soccer League — a second-tier league for women’s soccer — canceled its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The WPSL season typically takes place in the summer, starting in May and ending with playoffs in July. The league features clubs in 35 states along with Canada and Puerto Rico.
In March, the league originally delayed the start of its regular season until May 29 and canceled the playoffs to accommodate a shortened season. Now, the league is fully canceling its 2020 fixtures to preserve the safety of players, staff and supporters amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the league’s summer season is canceled, all clubs are still allowed to host training and friendlies throughout the summer as long as they abide by local and federal regulations.
“We went through all scenarios possible in order to get our players on the field this summer and complete a national season,” WPSL President Sean Jones said. “However, it became apparent that to play matches in certain areas of the country in June and July would be irresponsible and a potential health risk.”
The league is also exploring the option of creating a fall season if it would align with a postponed or canceled NCAA season.
The WPSL mainly offers an opportunity for college players to compete during the NCAA offseason, and 70% of WPSL players are current students. Seventeen of the players selected in the 2020 NWSL Draft were alumni of the WPSL.
Although decisions have yet to be made at the collegiate level, many schools are beginning to prepare for the fall semester to take place remotely, which could force the cancellation of fall sports such as women’s soccer.
If this occurs, the WPSL is positioning itself to create a fall season that would fill the void of the NCAA season.
“Should the college seasons be postponed to the late fall or spring semester, the WPSL is in prime position to provide a structured platform for student-athletes to continue to train and compete in a competitive environment to be properly prepared for their upcoming collegiate seasons,” WPSL Commissioner Rich Sparling said. “However, we do not expect a decision for the next 30 to 60 days.”