Going back to work

Orlando City enjoys 1st day of solo workouts

Players across MLS participated in voluntary individual workouts at their team facilities on Wednesday, stepping foot on regulation pitches for the first time in 54 days.

Four teams

returned

to

training on

Wednesday — Orlando City, Inter Miami CF, Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City. More clubs such as Nashville SC are expected to join this week under a new MLS rule that allows voluntary individual workouts under strict safety protocol.

“Today was a great experience,” Orlando City captain Nani said. “We are happy and very pleased to be back in our training ground and be able to train, even if it’s individual training with some distance between the players. It was fun and it’s always nice to feel free again and touch the ball.”

The visual of players training on their team fields stirred excitement throughout the league, and some clubs fed that buzz by using hashtags such as #SoccerIsBack on social media.

But Nashville SC general manager Mike Jacobs emphasized patience as teams begin the long process of returning to match play.

“It’s easy to kind of get drunk on the