Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Alonso sure play will resume
Coach confident team will be able to finish inaugural season
Despite the uncertainty that has been caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso is confident that Major League Soccer will resume and finish its 2020 season before the end of the year.
MLS, like many other professional sports leagues, has been on pause for the past two weeks amid concerns about the coronavirus. The league suspended its season for at least 30 days on March 12 before extending the suspension of all matches with a target return date of May 10 to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation.
“I’m convinced we’ll play again this season,” Alonso said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “Right now we have to wait, but I’m confident we’ll be able to play.”
Alonso emphasized the importance of people following the guidelines placed by the authorities. Inter Miami altered their logo on Monday to encourage social distancing by separating the white herons, which were connected in the original logo.
“Together, we can get through this moment,” Alonso said. “Please respect the authorities, ourselves and our families so we can get through this.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber’s comments during an appearance on ESPN’s show “Get Up” on Tuesday morning echoed Alonso’s confidence. Garber said the league plans to play as many games as possible, adding that MLS is figuring out how teams can get back to playing quickly while also prioritizing the safety of the fans, coaching staff and players.
“Once we are comfortable that we can get our players with 3-4 weeks of training and we have the guidance that we can get crowds back into our stadium, we can begin the relaunch of our season,” Garber said. “Our intent is to play as many games as we possibly can. That means moving our regular season later into November. That means moving the MLS Cup back into December. Our plan is to have a single-elimination format that did so well last season and have the MLS Cup hosted in the team market that earns it.”
Garber added that the league is looking at multiple ideas to continue play — including having matches played behind closeddoors, regional play and indicated that the league could do something that could be “very, very different” during the offseason without going into details.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami players are adjusting to working from home like many Americans. Alonso said the team has implemented fitness and tactical plans for each player to work on remotely.
“Every chance we’ve gotten to talk to the players has been great,” Alonso said. “The players amongst themselves have been in touch constantly. We try to not let one or two days pass without them hearing from the staff so they know we’re with them and together through this difficult time.”
Alonso’s message to the fans who’ve waited nearly six years — and some even longer — for MLS soccer to be played in South Florida again was simple: “I want to tell them that we miss them. We send them a hug from afar.”