Real Salt Lake coach Freddy Juarez is all too excited about Major League’s Soccer return. But what he likes most is that the league was able to properly incentivize its players to return.
RSL resumes its season next month as MLS announced details of the MLS Is Back Tournament on Wednesday morning. It starts July 8, features 54 total matches and has some real implications for the winner.
The victor of the tournament receives an automatic bid into the 20201 CONCACAF Champions League and a $1.1 million prize.
“I think that was crucial,” Juarez said, adding that what really excites him is “it’s not just a preseason tournament.”
The possibility of a gloried summer tournament existed in its early stages, causing some RSL players to express doubts about going. The original length of time away from families also irked players around the league.
But all that changed in the weeks that followed.
Teams will start arriving to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando as early as June 24 for preseason training. After the three-game group stage period in which games count toward regular season standings, the Round of 16 starts July 25. The tournament final is Aug. 11.
That time frame gives teams about four weeks before the tournament starts. Juarez said he’s happy with getting that much time to prepare his team for competition after initially feeling concerned teams would only get two or three weeks.
Tournament games will be played in three time slots: 7 a.m., 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. MDT. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league landed on those times to account for the summer weather in Orlando.
Juarez said he’s “not a fan” of the morning game, but knows it has to be done due to “TV and all that.” But as long as every team has to play in the morning and it’s fair, he’s OK with it, he said.
“We’ll be ready to play,” Juarez said. “It’s not like we never have played at those times.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) New Real Salt Lake coach Freddy Juarez at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Tuesday Dec. 3, 2019.
Juarez also said he expects all of his players to travel to Orlando. There was a question about whether midfielder Damir Kreilach would because his wife is expecting a child in early July. But Juarez said he’s spoken with Kreilach and it appears the timeline will work in RSL’s favor in regard to him playing.
After the tournament concludes, the regular season will resume, Garber said. Plans for that have yet to be announced, but what’s known so far is teams will play only within their conference.
Garber said he’s “very optimistic” about the season resuming after the tournament and that fans should expect their teams to play games in their home markets despite the date being currently unknown. It’s even possible that in some markets, spectators will be allowed to attend depending on local health protocols, Garber said.
A live draw Thursday at 1:30 p.m. MDT will unveil the seedings for the tournament’s six groups — one of six teams and the other five of four clubs each. Orlando City SC gets the No. 1 seed in Group A, which is the six-team group.
Juarez said he might try to get the entire team together via Zoom for the draw. He also said he expects to have the full tournament schedule on Friday.
MLS released a COVID-19 prevention protocol for the tournament. All teams will travel to Orlando by charter plane. Prior to that, each team’s “essential members” will take two Polymerase Chain Reaction tests 24 hours apart.
Players will take antibody tests as part of a physical exam that includes a temperature check and a questionnaire.
During the first two weeks in Orlando, every person will be tested every other day. After those initial two weeks, testing reduces to “regularly,” including the day before a game.
If someone tests positive for COVID-19, they are relocated to an “isolation area” and their return to play will be determined by test results and symptoms.
The number of COVID-19 cases spiked in Florida last week, leading to some of the biggest daily increases in the state since the pandemic started back in March. And while Garber said there is “no specific protocol” regarding a number of positive tests that would shut down the tournament, he seemed relatively unconcerned about that idea.
"We’re confident that we’ll be able to manage our tournament, which is isolated from the public,” Garber said.
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