As positive COVID-19 cases rise in Florida, it’s not looking that great to hold sporting events in Orlando. Or the entire state for that matter.
Nevertheless, MLS announced their “MLS is Back” tournament before this recent spike and here we are. As teams arrive in Orlando in preparation for next Wednesday’s resumption to the 2020 season, players and staff are tested when entering the “bubble.” It turned out that six players from FC Dallas tested positive for COVID-19 while in Orlando.
Revealed by FC Dallas and MLS, two FC Dallas players originally tested positive when the team arrived in Orlando on June 27. In subsequent testing, four other players tested positive. This brings a total of nine FC Dallas players testing positive after three players previously tested positive weeks ago before the team left for Florida. The infected players are currently in isolation apart from the rest of the team while the team is in quarantine apart from everyone else within the bubble. Nobody from another team had interacted with anyone from FC Dallas so they’re unaffected.
And the offical statement from @MLS HQ: pic.twitter.com/cHA1iuO6og
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) July 1, 2020
If there is something to be said, it’s that among teams already in Orlando, nobody else on another team has tested positive. On the other hand, FC Dallas has a good portion of their team sick, with the chance that other FC Dallas players could follow, and it’s not a guarantee other teams won’t eventually have players testing positive in the coming days.
When it comes to FC Dallas, a decision hasn’t been made on whether or not they will play. This is only speculation, but it’s probably more likely FC Dallas would play with a squad whose players tested negative. They begin their tournament against Vancouver on July 9, 12 days after the two initial positive tests.
