Disney World is providing a solution for the return of major league sports.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Last week, it was officially determined that the NBA would be resuming its 2020 season at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex — and they’re not the only ones. Also coming to the complex for a season reboot is Major League Soccer! Today, the league announced some more details and WHEN they’ll be going for the goals again. Take a look!
MLS announced this morning that season would return with an “MLS is Back Tournament” on July 8th. All 26 of the league’s clubs will be playing at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with no fans in attendance and up to three matches each day.
©Disney
Players will begin arriving in Orlando on June 24th and later for preseason training. Around 2,000 people will need to gather for the return of the season, so health measures will be very important to keep the players, coaches, and crews.
Health considerations for the return of MLS include:
- Prior to traveling, all members of the clubs will undergo multiple illness tests and physical exams.
- Travel to Orlando will occur via a charter plane.
- Upon arriving, club members will be tested again and tests will resume every day for the first two weeks in Orlando. Beyond that, testing will continue regularly and prior to each match.
- Prevention measures will be taken into account such as face coverings, physical distancing, general hygiene, and cleaning and sanitation.
- During matches, members are asked to exercise care when spitting or clearing their nose, required to wear masks on the bench and in the technical area, asked not to exchange jerseys or kiss the ball, and asked to wear masks or face shields for press interactions.
The league also has a detailed response plan for the event of a player becoming sick. You can learn about all of these health measures and more from the official MLS statement.
©MLS
The statement also mentions that members of the club will be staying at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, which might explain the delay of reopening for those accommodation options. An interesting note: Some of our readers have been able to confirm July reservations at the Swan and Dolphin.
Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort
The tournament will ultimately include 54 total matches which WILL count in the 2020 MLS regular season standings. The prize pool is set at around $1.1 million and the winning club will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates about the MLS and other leagues coming to Disney World! Goooooooooaaaaaaaal!
Click here to learn more about the return of Major League Soccer!
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While I miss all sports this doesn’t make any sense. The border is closed for all countries. The restrictions for Canada are to be extended past June 21st, something that everyone in Canada supports. Also Europe and Asia have the same restrictions. There should be no waiver given to athletes and their staff. If I can’t go to Buffalo for my cousins funeral, then restrictions should be for everyone.
Jim, it’s just going to be domestic teams playing in a tournament to restart their soccer season. However, now I’m curious about players and coaches who might live outside of the United States.
Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver are teams in the MLS and are, of course, part of the tournament. Not sure if border will be opened by then.
Jim, thanks so much for pointing that out.