MLS to Return in ‘MLS is Back’ Tournament in Orlando

Major League Soccer has unveiled its grand plan to return to competitive play in its 25th season. The league announced on June 10 that ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando will host all 26 MLS teams in the “MLS is Back” tournament, starting July 8. Each team’s group-stage matches will count toward the regular-season standings, as the tournament winner will earn a position in the 2021 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

“We are pleased to team up with Disney to relaunch the 2020 MLS season and get back to playing soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said, per the league’s official release. “The opportunity to have all 26 clubs in a controlled environment enables us to help protect the health of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play.

“We also recognize that the death of George Floyd and others has focused our country on issues of racial injustice, inequality and violence against black men and women. Together with our owners, players and staff, the league and its clubs are deeply committed to creating meaningful and impactful programs to address these issues that have plagued our society for far too long.”

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Tournament format

Prior to the tournament, teams may begin training in their own markets but must arrive in Orlando no later than seven days before their first match; they can begin arriving as early as June 24.

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The tournament will begin with 16-consecutive days of matches, as each team will play three group-stage matches. Games will start at 9 a.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., with a majority of matches scheduled for the evening.

Following the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the four best third-place finishers will advance to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of a round of 16, a quarterfinals, a semifinals and the championship match that will take place on Aug. 11. During the knockout stage, matches that end regulation in a tie will be decided by a penalty-kick shootout.

Each of the league’s 26 teams will be drawn into one of six groups during a live draw on Thursday. In the East, there will be three groups, with one consisting of six teams, and the other two groups consisting of four teams each; in the West, there will be three groups of four teams each. Nashville SC will move into the Eastern Conference for the rest of the 2020 season after starting its first MLS season in the West.

Orlando City SC will be the top seed in Group A, the lone six-team group, and will play in the tournament-opener on July 8. The other top five seeds will be Atlanta United FC, Los Angeles FC, Seattle Sounders FC, Toronto FC (the four semifinalists of the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs) and Real Salt Lake (the team with the next-highest points total in the West from 2019). Each of these five teams will be drawn into their respective groups first before the remaining 20 teams are placed in conference-based groups.

Furthermore, the tournament will adopt new International Football Association Board (IFAB) substitution rules, allowing teams to make five changes per game. Teams will be allowed to name 23 players per game, too, as opposed to the traditional 18.

Video reviews will be available for Professional Referee Organization (PRO) refs during the tournament.

The full “MLS is Back” competition guidelines can be found here.

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In cooperation with U.S. Soccer, Canada Soccer and CONCACAF, MLS has worked to implement a one-time change to MLS berths to the CONCACAF Champions League, regardless if the team is American or Canadian. Previously, the regular-season points leader in the conference opposite of the Supporter’s Shield winner advanced to the Champions League.

Players may also earn a financial bonus, as well, as there is a $1.1 million prize pool.

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At the conclusion of the “MLS is Back” tournament, the league will resume its regular season with a revised schedule, followed by the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

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Key dates

• June 24: Teams begin to arrive in Florida
• July 8: “MLS is Back” tournament group stage begins
• July 25 to July 28: Round of 16
• July 30 to Aug. 1: Quarterfinals
• Aug. 5 to Aug. 6: Semifinals
• Aug. 11: “MLS is Back” tournament final

Quick facts

• Number of matches: 54 (39 group-stage; 15 knockout)
• Number of matchdays: 26
• Format: Group stage–>Round of 16–>Quarterfinals–>Semifinals–>Final
• Minimum matches: 3 per club
• Maximum matches: 7 per club

For more on the Lions and the rest of MLS, as the league readies its return to play, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.

To contact Victor for tips and/or memes (happy to send or receive), you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.