As the world’s COVID-19 pandemic becomes manageable, Major League Soccer is making a comeback in the form of the recently confirmed ‘MLS is Back Tournament’ that will take place in the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida on July 8th. With normal MLS schedule paused since March, the MLS is Back Tournament will get Major League Soccer back on track. It will also be a stepping stone to continue the MLS 2020 Regular Season to continue after the Orlando tournament.
Adopting a similar format to a FIFA World Cup, the tournament will include all of the 26 MLS taams, which gives a total of 54 games to be played- 39 of which are to be group stage games, and 15 are knockout rounds. And with normal season league standings, a 2021 CONCACAF Champions League position and total of $1.1 million at stake, there is no doubt that all teams will be desperate to do well in the MLS is Back tournament.
With players having played in very few to no real games since mid-March (when the MLS was postponed), it is natural that teams will be training as much as possible in the weeks leading up to the Orlando tournament.
FC Dallas and New York City FC are taking their preparation to the maximum, as the two teams have recently been the first to announce a pre-MLS tournament friendly to take place in Orlando. The game is due to kick off on Saturday, July 4th,2020 – 4 days prior to the first Group Stage games.
The two teams were originally scheduled to meet at NYCFC’s Yankee Stadium on March 14th but the match was cancelled after the league’s COVID-19 postponement on March 12th. The last time FC Dallas met NYCFC was at Toyota Stadium in September, and it finished in a 1-1 tie.
In the few MLS 2020 regular-season games that were played before COVID-19 caused the disruption, FC Dallas got off to a fairly strong start, winning 1 game against Philadelphia Union (2-0) and drawing 1-1 against Canadian franchise Montreal Impact. They are coming into the MLS is Back tournament standing at 4th in the Western Conference, with a total of 4 points through the 2 games played. In the MLS Orlando tournament group draw that happened last week, FC Dallas were drawn in Group B; meaning the club will face Seattle Sounders FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and San Jose Earthquakes in the group stage of the tournament.
New York City FC and their manager Ronny Deila had a slightly rockier start to their 2020 MLS season, with the franchise only winning 1 of its 5 preseason friendlies and losing both of the 2 MLS regular-season games played prior to COVID-19. The club lost both games 1-0 to Columbus Crew SC and Toronto FC respectively, which ultimately led them to last place in the Eastern Conference standings at 14th. The MLS is Back group draw saw New York City FC drawn into group A, where they will come up against Orlando City SC, Chicago Fire FC and Philadelphia Union.
One key player to watch for FC Dallas is Reggie Cannon, a young USMNT defender. Cannon is ‘fired up’ for the MLS is Back tournament after his team’s shock exit from the 2019 MLS Cup playoffs and is ready for revenge so will be a force to be reckoned with on the field. Meanwhile, NYCFC’s depth is something to be feared; with an attacking line led by Heber, Maxi Moralez and Alexandru Mitrita amongst others, the team definitely poses a threat.
While FC Dallas seem to have the upper hand going into the friendly, NYCFC won’t let their shaky start to the season rattle them, and the game will be very well-contested.