I read that when I got up this morning. Hercules Gomez tweeted that the league has set a deadline of noon on Tuesday. If it isn’t met they will lock out the players.
Sounds like everything is back on track: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...ll-team-training-testing-ahead-season-restart https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...new-agreement-sets-stage-resuming-2020-season
And we're back! Each conference will be divided into three groups for the group stage. Due to standing from last year, RSL is one of the seeded teams for the tournament. The other two WC seeded teams are LAFC and Seattle. EC seeded teams are Toronto, Atlanta, and Orlando (host). No info on TV broadcasts, but I'm excited! Also, the tournament will implement the new 5 subs per game rule. Who else is excited to see Freddy use 2 subs per game?! https://www.mlssoccer.com/mls-is-back-tournament/tournament-structure
From RSLSoapbox: https://www.rslsoapbox.com/2020/6/10/21286598/the-salt-mls-is-back Rossi has a pregnant wife and Kreilach will have a newborn in early July. We might be missing 2 of our better (best?) players for the tourney.
But it won't count for the RMC. The Committee felt that a fan-based trophy being possibly won, or at least competed for, in a tournament where the fans can't even be there, and with an unknown number of matchups, didn't make much sense.
That's a long winded justification. I would have gone with this: The Rocky Mountain Cup should be decided in the Rocky Mountains. Fight me.
We drew a tough group including SKC , Rapids and Minnesota. Should be interesting. The Group with LAFC, LAG and PTFC should be fun too.
I don't care if the draw was rigged, this will be a fun tourney! GROUP A Eastern Conference Orlando City SC Inter Miami CF New York City FC Philadelphia Union Chicago Fire FC Nashville SC GROUP B Western Conference Seattle Sounders FC FC Dallas Vancouver Whitecaps FC San Jose Earthquakes GROUP C Eastern Conference Toronto FC New England Revolution Montreal Impact D.C. United GROUP D Western Conference Real Salt Lake Sporting Kansas City Colorado Rapids Minnesota United FC GROUP E Eastern Conference Atlanta United FC FC Cincinnati New York Red Bulls Columbus Crew SC GROUP F Western Conference LAFC LA Galaxy Houston Dynamo Portland Timbers FC
26 isn't evenly divisible by 4, so some group had to get the extra teams. An odd number of teams in a group causes problems with scheduling for a limited-time tournament.
Also: the teams in the group of six will only play three games apiece. It's an odd adjustment to make the tournament as "equal" as possible.
I'm surprised by HOW MUCH I'm looking forward to this. I've missed the game, the ups, the downs, the mehhhhhhhh, the embratsu, and the rare moments of joyful triumph.
Wiebe has RSL finishing last in the group. Thoughts? https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...t-group-predictions-and-analysis-andrew-wiebe
As some of you know from 2007-2012, I had the pleasure of interviewing a number of RSL players and coaches, along with many from other teams. Aside from JK, no other interviewee impressed me more than Robin Fraser. Quite simply, when he spoke, I listened. Every word of his seemed to be thoughtful and carried weight. Not gonna lie, I wish somehow he was RSL's current coach, and I think if anyone can turn the trainwreck in Denver around, he's the guy. With that as background, read this, please! https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...-fraser-you-re-very-aware-youre-black-america
If this group play at their form when the season was interrupted I would say YES. But, nothing is clear right now. One big question for me, did Rossi spend the break getting into better condition? Also, if he and Albert don’t play our chances of finishing last greatly improve.
Coming in to the season like this and trying to anticipate results is just weird. It's basically the first week of the season and playoffs at the same time. Who knows what any of it will look like?
Hard to pick any of the teams ahead of RSL in our group. But also hard to pick RSL ahead of any of them. It is a very even group. at least on paper. Do we have any confirmation yet who will and will not be participating?
The there’s this: 6.2% positive coronavirus test rate in Orange County, Florida yesterday, down a bit from tests performed on Thursday, still way up over the norms there. The rate of positive tests from June 5 to June 12 in the Orlando area - soon to be home to the NBA and MLS - has tripled.— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 13, 2020
Rates in the county don't matter much, if they all remain as isolated as planned. Same for the NWSL preparing to be in Utah with numbers rising there. Do I have faith the isolation will work? Not really. That doesn't necessarily mean I think they'll get sick, just that isolation is only liable to work to a certain degree. Plus you have the hotel staff which won't be subject to isolation protocol. And there's this: D.C. United player tests positive for coronavirus https://t.co/YcNvYl7L64 #dcu #mls— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) June 13, 2020