Major League Soccer announced Wednesday that its season will resume
starting July 8 with a tournament in Florida.
The league’s 26 teams will be divided into six groups for the
opening round of the tournament played without fans at ESPN’s Wide
World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World.
Teams had played just two games to start the season when the league
suspended play on March 12 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
While in Florida, players will be sequestered in a resort with a
rigorous testing protocol. Each team will have three group matches,
played over 16 consecutive days with multiple games a day. The
group matches will count toward the regular season.
Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout round, with the winner
earning a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.
Following the tournament, teams will resume the season in their
home markets.
Teams can begin arriving for training on June 24. Those that have
already been training in market must arrive no later than seven
days before their first match.
