Major League Soccer is preparing to begin its MLS is Back Tournament on July 8 at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. But before teams take the pitch, MLS Executive Vice President of Communications Dan Courtemanche says safety is of the utmost importance.
"Testing is going to take place twice before they come down, and then once all of our players, coaches, staff, the entire entourage of what is nearly 1,500 people. Once they arrive, they will have a regular cadence of testing essentially every other day throughout the tournament," explained Courtemanche."We were laser-focused on it."
Something big will be missing, though: a live audience. During a typical season, fans regularly pack stadiums for all 26 of the league's clubs, with Atlanta United averaging a league-best 52,510 fans per game during the 2019 season. While Courtemanche commends the fans' enthusiasm, he says games without crowds is the right decision during this unprecedented time.
"It's part of the entertainment. Our fans are incredible. As much as we'd love to have them there, above all else, the health and safety of everyone participating and involved in the MLS is Back Tournament is our priority."
The MLS is one of the first U.S. sports leagues to return to action. The NBA will be tipping off at the end of July — also at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex — while Major League Baseball continues to be embroiled in negotiations to begin their season. But for the MLS, the timing wasn't urgent.
"We wanted to make sure that we got it right first before being the first one out," Courtemanche said. "It wasn't necessarily about being first. It was about getting it right."
In addition to taking appropriate safety measures, the MLS and other sports leagues around the world are also addressing the civil unrest over systemic racism and police brutality. The English Premier League resumed its season on June 17 where players and coaches from Aston Villa and Sheffield United took a knee on the pitch at the start of their match. This month, MLS released a statement reiterating its stance that players right to peaceful protests, and Courtemanche elaborated on it Thursday.
"We're a league with players from 75 different countries, the most diverse league in the world. We believe we have an environment of diversity, equality, and inclusion," he said. "We do believe that players have their right to peaceful protest and if they wanted to do that during the national anthem, we're going to support that."
