Major League Soccer will resume its 2020 regular season in teams’ home markets following the end of the MLS is Back Tournament, the league announced Saturday. The first game is scheduled for Aug. 12, the day after the tournament ends, and will feature a showdown between FC Dallas and Nashville SC.
The league’s 25th season began on Feb. 29 and was suspended on March 12 as many sports leagues around the world shut down operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLS is Back Tournament, which began on July 8 has been played entirely at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex just outside Orlando, Florida, is set to culminate on Aug. 11 with a final between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City SC. While the single-site environment worked for the tournament, the league has decided not to continue with that format and will instead take a multi-phased approach toward resuming the 2020 regular season.
“What drives MLS is this soccer culture and getting into our markets and getting our players back and getting them home, getting them to play in their stadiums and being able to train in their training grounds,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said during halftime of the MLS is Back Tournament semifinal match between the Portland Timbers and the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 5.
Mark your calendar.

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 8, 2020
The group stage games of the MLS is Back Tournament will count toward the regular season, and the revised, phased schedule will see each team will play an additional 18 regular season games, resulting in a 23-game season. FC Dallas and Nashville SC were both forced to withdraw from the tournament after experiencing a significant number of positive COVID-19 tests. To make up the three group stage games they missed, the two sides will play each other three teams ahead of the league’s first phase.
Due to travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, the league’s three Canadian teams will play against each other during the first phase of the schedule, and it is unclear how they will play out the rest of the season. The regular season will end on Nov. 8, with 18 teams to qualify for the playoffs which will culminate with the MLS Cup final on Dec. 12.
#MLS Commissioner Don Garber said teams will be taking chartered flights and bus for travel in order to avoid extended road trips. He added, "We're aware of the need to be flexible" in terms of maybe needing to postpone games if something happens with the coronavirus.
— Alex Vejar (@AlexVReporting) August 8, 2020
According to its plan, MLS will continue to work closely with the league’s infectious disease advisors and will test players and staff every other day, including the day before each game. In continued efforts to adhere to health and safety guidelines, teams will travel by chartered flight or bus, planning to arrive on and depart location on match day to minimize the amount of time spent away from their home market.
The “majority” of games are expected to be played without fans in attendance, but MLS said that it is working with individual clubs, local health authorities and government officials on a plan for limited capacity at certain games where allowed. FC Dallas announced that it intends to allow fans at its games against Nashville SC with capacity capped at 1,500 people, but Garber said those plans have not yet been approved by the league.
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/mls-season-resumption-details-date/