Major League Soccer announced Saturday that it would be postponing the first match of the MLS is Back Tournament scheduled for Thursday after several FC Dallas members tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Florida.
MLS issued a statement announcing that the game between FC Dallas and Vancouver Whitecaps FC would be postponed to an undisclosed later date after 9 players and one coach on Dallas tested positive for coronavirus.
FC DALLAS SEES 9 PLAYERS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 AHEAD OF MLS TOURNAMENT: REPORT
The league also said that Vancouver was delayed in arriving at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Orlando earlier this week after two players’ test results came back inconclusive for COVID-19 during the teams pre-travel screening.
The results eventually came back negative and the team will arrive on Monday.
The decision to cancel the first match of the tournament comes just after news broke that several members of FC Dallas tested positive upon arriving for the tournament.
The club initially confirmed Wednesday that six players were infected but reports emerged later that day that three more players and one coach had also tested positive.
“In consultation with MLS medical officials, FC Dallas took proactive steps to isolate the newly affected players as well as all FC Dallas players and staff in Orlando out of an abundance of caution. All members of the club delegation are following MLS health and safety protocols and will remain quarantined in their hotel rooms pending the results of further COVID-19 testing,” the statement read.
Both teams will play their first game on July 15.
“The later match date will allow both teams additional training days in Orlando in advance of their first match,” the league said in a statement.
