MLS is Back Tournament
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando FL
Group A, Matchday 2
Thursday, July 8 – 9:00 AM ET
With Major League Soccer coming back to action after the training moratorium that was forced upon the league two weeks into the regular season in March, all 26 teams are heading to Orlando, Florida where they will compete in the MLS is Back Tournament in Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. Players and staff will enter the 14-court complex and complete in a World-Cup style tournament with strict health checks and procedures and no fans.
The MLS is Back Tournament will kick off on July 8 with two teams that are local to the Sunshine State, where Orlando Magic will host expansion side Inter Miami. The second game on Matchday 1 will see another MLS expansion team, Nashville SC facing Chicago Fire FC. Matchday 2 opens with two long-time foes from Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, with NYCFC facing Philadelphia Union as part of Group A early rounds.
NYCFC is coming off the back of the 2019 season which was the best in the club’s history, finishing first in the MLS Eastern Conference, but then being knocked out of the Playoffs. The Cityzens were busy with giving a great performance in the CONCOCAF Champions League around the time the regular season begun in March. Which is probably why the opening of the 2020 MLS Regular Season was shaky with a 1-0 loss at Columbus Crew SC on Week 1, followed by another 1-0 loss on the road on Week 2 to Toronto FC.
NYCFC will probably come to the tournament in a very similar format and try to recreate last season’s success, taking out the stinging two losses the boys in sky blue conceded in on the first two games of 2020 before the shutdown. New coach Ronny Deila will play Brazilian forward Heber at the front and expect him to bring another explosive performance of goals as did in the CONCACAF, whilst rotating the squad of reserves and regular starters to support Heber from midfield. Sean Johnson will have to bring his great goal keeping abilities, to make up for NYFCF’s defense which sometimes leaves holes.
Philadelphia Union are also coming on the back of their best season yet, finishing the MLS 2019 Regular Season ranked third in the Eastern Conference, and like NYCFC also eliminated from the Playoffs. The Union started the 2020 season with a 2-0 loss on the road to FC Dallas on Week 1, but managed to come out with an impressive draw on the road against Major League Soccer powerhouse LAFC, where the crowds at Banc of California saw the two teams trading stunning goals before parting ways at a 3-3 draw.
One of Philly’s biggest surprises of 2019 was German forward Kacper Przybylko who is expected to bring to the Union attacking power together with Brazilian Sergio Santos. The midfield will be covered with Jamiro Monterio and one of the team’s leaders, Philadelphia Union veteran Alejandro Beyoda.
The two sides last met in October of last year at the Union’s Talen Energy Stadium, where NYCFC won 2-1.