MLS reportedly has sent teams a proposal to end its coronavirus shutdown by hosting training and matches in Orlando at ESPN Wide World of Sports on Disney World property.

“This community is ready to do it and Orlando is the perfect city to hold an event like that,” Pareja said during a videoconference Wednesday. “Based on the experience, the infrastructure, everything. Orlando has everything to hold it. So if the league decides so … I think it will be a great decision to bring it here.”

As Pareja was talking with reporters, Gov. Ron DeSantis said during his news conference he wants professional sports to return to Florida. He said if MLS wants to play games in Orlando, “Do it.”

Pareja said he is optimistic MLS will be able to move toward resuming play in about a month, but he added he is just an observer waiting for guidance from the league.

Orlando City players upbeat as MLS moves toward resuming playing at Disney

He said it was a long 54 days since training was suspended. Orlando City completed its seventh day of individual workouts on Wednesday.

“It has been great to see them again, at least closer, with limits on the interaction with them,” Pareja said of the players’ individual workouts, which include strict distancing protocol. “… Having them in the facility has been great. Boys are happy, they are very excited and very optimistic to see this progress to the next stage.”

Pareja said the pandemic has forced coaches to be more creative as they help players train. He said the same level of creativity will be needed when play resumes.

He’s never worked with more than three substitutes during matches, but he said he thought it was great FIFA supported a shift to five subs because players have not been able to do group training for months and will likely play a heavy schedule.

“For us, it’s fine,” he said. “In terms of the health of the players, it’s good. I like it.”

The Athletic, ESPN and the Washington Post have reported MLS is considering using a tournament format, reducing how much time teams are sequestered at a neutral site and catching up on games missed during the coronavirus shutdown.

While Pareja acknowledged there may be more fouls and slowdowns during matches at moments such as throw-ins while players get back to peak fitness, he recalled his experiences as a player and sees no issue with multiple matches played each week.

“In the ’80s and ’90s, we used to play in my country in long tournaments and almost 60 games a year,” he said. “It was incredible. When I remember that, it was Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and on and on.”

“I think players are capable to perform three times a week with no problem.”

He added if a player is not ready, it’s an opportunity for other players to see minutes and for a coach to use his whole roster.

Whenever play resumes, it’s clear it will be done without fans.

Pareja acknowledged it will be a big change because supporters ordinarily add passion to the sport.

“If that’s the scenario, then we can take the best of that,” he said.

The coach added that knowing fans are watching the matches at home will help.

UFC resumed fighting Saturday in Jacksonville and didn’t shut down when one fighter tested positive for coronavirus. Other leagues have suggested a player would be isolated, but they wouldn’t necessarily stop play after a positive test.

Pareja said it’s all new territory for MLS officials to navigate, noting European soccer teams were grappling with the same issues.

“My approach to that situation is that we have to be very optimistic,” he said, “that we have to have faith in God and He will help us get through that situation. I think we as human beings [have] to be right now just facing this with bravery and see that some solutions will come soon. I try to be positive. You see that people are [thinking about playing] … games again is fantastic and hopefully that will happen. … I think we’re going to get out from this situation soon.”

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DeJohn had just completed an individual workout at the Lions’ training facility in Kissimmee Monday. Orlando City’s technical staff stepped up the intensity of the individual drills during the second week of limited workouts and DeJohn couldn’t help but look ahead to Major League Soccer resuming play.

“We worked pretty hard during the quarantine, but being out here is a little bit different than just going out to run by yourself,” he said. “So the legs are coming and getting stronger and we’re just ready to get back out there and start playing again.”

MLS has informed teams it would like to host those matches to Orlando, with The Athletic’s Sam Stejskal reporting teams would begin individual training in Florida June 1 and resume play on June 22 while sequestered at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports on Disney World property.

While steps toward resuming play have been met with questions about safety and compensation among NBA and MLB players, the pro soccer players in Orlando bring a different perspective.

They have quarantined in a city that isn’t a coronavirus hot spot, possibly because the theme parks shut down quickly and residents are more spread out in Orlando than other urban centers hit hard by the virus.

The club has a partnership with Orlando Health that has helped maintain safety protocol during individual Orlando City and Orlando Pride workouts.

And players see the rest of the state of Florida slowly easing back to work around them.

Orlando City vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi said Thursday his club feels more confident about its ability to return to the pitch than many other markets.

“If this was a league in Orlando, man, I feel like we could have started last week because conditions are different,” Muzzi said.

MLS leaders have embraced his confidence.

ESPN Wide World of Sports features 30 soccer fields, several of which were used for events such as the Homegrown Game throughout MLS All-Star Week last year. The complex is adjacent to multiple full-service hotels, where players could be easily isolated to maintain a quarantine throughout the playing period.

ESPN has installed broadcast equipment throughout the Wide World of Sports complex, which makes it easier to air matches.

MLS’ plan does not come without questions.

The timeline is aggressive, with just a few weeks of preseason training when some teams haven’t been able to start individual workouts yet due to local safety orders. And MLS players have their own compensation questions.

ESPN reported MLS sent a proposal to the players union asking all players to take a 20% pay cut along with some other unspecified reductions in expenses to help offset the loss of revenue that would have been generated from playing matches in front of fans.

The MLS Players Association and the league have not ratified a collective bargaining agreement that was agreed to verbally during the preseason, and it reportedly doesn’t include a force majeure clause that would absolve owners from paying players if a season was canceled due to the pandemic.

“We are working very closely with the league across many levels. Right now our collective focus is on keeping players and staff safe and healthy,” an MLSPA spokesperson wrote in an email to Pro Soccer USA in March. “We are confident that our partnership with the league will continue to be strong.”

That partnership will be tested as both sides try to hammer out an agreement that allows for safe return to play.

And while state and city leaders have insisted there are enough tests available for all those who need them in Florida, other parts of the country are reporting testing shortages that could call into question using thousands of tests to host MLS play in one location.

The same issues are being debated by NBA and MLB players. Positive COVID-19 tests involving NBA players helped trigger the shutdown of pro sports, and the death of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns’ mother due to COVID-19 have altered the way the league approaches resuming play.

MLB is trying to play more games, which would likely mean players would be more isolated from families for a longer period of time and face more chances to get exposed to the virus. And the MLB’s player compensation issues are complicated.

For now, Orlando City and Orlando Pride players are fired up about working at their respective training facilities and can sense a return to play in both leagues is around the corner.

“It’s so good to come back to work,” Orlando Pride defender Shelina Zadorsky said after a Tuesday workout. “… I think it’s getting those good vibes back and hopefully getting excited to progress toward … team training hopefully when things are safe again.”

Masks, temperature checks and a long list of other safety guidelines couldn’t dent DeJohn’s upbeat outlook, either.

“I think everybody’s getting excited for whatever’s to come,” he said.

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Every player on the Orlando City roster participated in voluntary individual training sessions at the team’s facility in Kissimmee on Wednesday. Muzzi said those sessions gave him hope after the team spent two months in isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Muzzi acknowledges it won’t be a complete return to normal. He expects the Lions will need to play games without supporters in the stands in order to expedite a return to match play.

Although Muzzi said everyone at the club would prefer to play in front of fans, but it’s an issue of timing. In order to complete a full season, he said teams will need to return to the pitch before it will be safe to pack stadiums again.

“There’s going to be a process to get back to normal,” Muzzi said. “I think the most important thing is that we need to be safe and playing games as soon as possible. Once we get that going then we’re going to eventually move back to having games at the stadium, but it’s going to be a process.”

Orlando was one of four MLS teams to participate in individual training sessions on Wednesday along with Inter Miami CF, Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City. Five more teams resumed training on Thursday. Each of team is at an advantage due to its location in states that have reported fewer cases and received less strict government mandates.

For instance, Florida began a statewide reopening of select businesses the first week of May. Compared to teams in markets such as New York or Seattle, Orlando City feels more comfortable resuming individual training.

“If this was a league in Orlando, man, I feel like we could have started last week because conditions are different,” Muzzi said.

The MLS training moratorium is set to expire on May 15. However, the league has extended its moratorium several times after originally announcing a 30-day suspension on March 12. Muzzi is uncertain if the moratorium will actually expire next week or be extended again.

MLS commissioner Don Garber previously said the league is aiming to push the playoffs into the winter, with the MLS Cup final held in late December. At a certain point, the league will be forced to shorten its season.

Muzzi doesn’t think the league has reached that point yet, and he is confident teams can complete a 34-game season along with the playoffs.

Amid the changes in MLS, the pandemic is also shifting the international landscape of the game. Muzzi said the Orlando City scouting team has spent all of the past two months watching film to update its database of potential targets.

Leagues around the world have been affected differently. In France, the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons were canceled. In Germany, meanwhile, the Bundesliga will restart match play in nine days.

Muzzi said it’s hard to predict how schedules and transfer windows will line up in the future, particularly without any sense of how the FIFA calendar will change. But he said Orlando City will make a move on any players who might help the team if they become available.

“Our scouts are busier than ever because they have more time,” Muzzi said. “The market is going to change, of course. It’s something that I think everybody expects. It’s not going to be the same market as before. We keep our eyes open. There’s going to be a lot of opportunities out there.”

The start of individual player workouts at team outdoor facilities required collaboration across the league. Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes led a subcommittee to create the protocol utilized by all four teams on Wednesday.

Individual training is still very different from previous team workouts. Players wear masks upon entry and complete a thermal screening before entering the facility. A field marshal sanitizes everything players touch — from cones and weights to the balls and goals — before another player uses them.

Muzzi said the situation is perfect for strength and conditioning coach Fabian Bazan, who is known for the volume of his shouted commands during Orlando City training sessions. Although players used to make jokes about Fabian’s booming voice, it’s now an asset as he leads players through their workouts from a 10-foot distance.

After nearly two months quarantined in their homes, Muzzi said this is like a return to preseason for the Lions. But he said players have been eager to make those first steps.

During the moratorium, the team used motivational speakers and online training sessions to stay mentally sharp. Players completed “homework assignments,” during which they scouted film, presenting their own tactical analysis of opponents.

“Right now, everybody’s so motivated, so pumped up just being back in the fields,” Muzzi said. “The guys want to play, they want to go back and restart this thing.”

As Orlando City prepares for a full return, Muzzi said the club must balance this eagerness with an understanding of its role in the Orlando community.

“We’re in a position to play an important role in the recovery,” Muzzi said. “I think that we need to realize that we have that responsibility. It’s not only the game itself, but it’s also being able to mend and to give things back to people. Everybody wants to go back to normal.”

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Four teams returned to training on Wednesday — Orlando City, Inter Miami CF, Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City. More clubs such as Nashville SC are expected to join this week under a new MLS rule that allows voluntary individual workouts under strict safety protocol.

The visual of players training on their team fields stirred excitement throughout the league, and some clubs fed that buzz by using hashtags such as #SoccerIsBack on social media.

But Nashville SC general manager Mike Jacobs emphasized patience as teams begin the long process of returning to match play.

“It’s easy to kind of get drunk on the whole euphoria of being like, ‘We’re back,'” Jacobs said. “The reality is this is not a return to play just yet.”

The return to training on Wednesday reflected the massive impact of coronavirus on everyday life. MLS protocol for these outdoor sessions outlines how to avoid contact that could potentially spread the virus.

Players receive designated parking spots at the club facility, with each car separated by at least three empty spots. Upon arrival, players undergo a screening process that includes a check of their temperature. Once they are cleared to enter the facility, each field is split into quadrants and players are required to remain within their assigned section.

Players must wear masks from arrival until they have reached their designated quadrant on the field. While training, players can’t physically interact in any way, including passing the ball or shooting the ball past anyone else.

This first day of training was unlike any players had previously experienced.

Nashville SC captain Dax McCarty said despite the limitations, he’s looking forward to using team pitches after almost two months of quarantine.

“Players have been missing those fields, missing the scenery, just missing the the smell of the grass,” McCarty said. “There’s a lot of, I think, cautious optimism and excitement that comes along with news like this. This is the first baby step towards hopefully getting back to a normal routine. … The best part about all of this is that we get to go back to our team facilities, which in my estimation are, in terms of the fields, some of the best in the league.”

Kickin' it under the sun. pic.twitter.com/dzMQEZoUar

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 6, 2020

Providing a safe playing surface was one of the main motivations behind this return to the pitch.

Before the new league protocol, players were finding any scrap of grass they could to train on — a backyard, a lawn at an apartment complex, local high school fields. These spaces were rarely regulated to the same level as a team facility, which meant players were training on worn-down, uneven and potentially unsafe surfaces.

Players were also often heading to public areas — such as parks or local public fields — that would open them to the possibility of being approached by strangers or fans. Jacobs said this put players at a higher risk of possibly being exposed to the pandemic. It was a challenge teams across the league faced, regardless of climate or density of their city.

“A lot of guys live in condos, so they don’t have access to parks, they don’t have access to green space backyards,” Inter Miami captain Luis Robles said. “For the most part South Florida, during this this self quarantine, [has] shut down all the parks. There just wasn’t the access that they needed in terms of space to do all the running to really say fit. So for us to be out here using this space is great. It’s nice to be back.”

On the grind. #InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/ZJy1Wy1NS7

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 6, 2020

As MLS looks to return to matches, Jacobs said the league will implement the return to full-team training in a series of phases. Intermediate stages could include small-group training and the use of indoor facilities such as weight rooms.

Jacobs said the league will track the ability of each club to implement protocol and maintain safety. This will be used as a benchmark for when and how to progress to the next phase.

“If we have any hiccups, the chance now is when we go back to square one, we actually would be further back in our ability to kind of return to getting games in the field,” Jacobs said. “So this is a really critical stage, not only for Nashville SC but for our whole league.”

Despite the excitement about returning to the pitch, the next steps for the league remain largely unclear for players, coaches and executives. The league has yet to announce how many weeks of full-team training would be necessary before a return to matches, although coaches and players such as McCarty suggest four weeks is the ideal.

One issue is the disparity in how different markets have been hit by the pandemic. Although some teams were able to take advantage of the new league protocol on Wednesday, others located in harder hit regions could not open facilities due to local government restrictions. 

For instance, as of Wednesday there were 19,415 COVID-19 deaths in the Bronx, the neighborhood where New York City FC holds matches at Yankee Stadium. That’s 134 times greater than the total number recorded in the entire state of Kansas, where Sporting KC plays. 

Sporting KC captain Matt Besler said his zip code had reported only seven cases when he checked it this week. It made him more confident leaving his home than players in other regions might have felt. As long as the disparities persist, it will be difficult for the league to return to regular play without moving players to different cities.

Besler said his focus is on playing as many games as possible. This could mean playing matches without fans, but the captain said his priority is making sure players have a say in how the season progresses.

“I’m confident that whatever does happen and whatever the solution is going to be, I think the players’ voices will be heard,” Besler said. “We all want to try and play as many games as possible and we want to finish out our season. I don’t know if that’s possible or what that could look like. But I can tell you that you know from both sides, we’re going to try and do everything we can to do that.”

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It was the first day MLS allowed voluntary individual workouts on outdoor fields since the league mandated a shutdown in training sessions and matches in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Players wore masks upon arrival and whenever they were in the vicinity of teammates or other members of the staff. Each player was screened before moving to their assigned area of the field.

Captain Nani said the return to the pitch was a welcome change after weeks of trying to train at home.

“Today was a great experience,” Nani said. “We are happy and very pleased to be back in our training ground and be able to train, even if it’s individual training with some distance between the players. It was fun and it’s always nice to feel free again and touch the ball.”

This morning our training ground opened to players for individual workouts following CDC and League guidelines and with help from @OrlandoHealth.

We’ve got to say, it’s great to be back. #SoccerIsBack pic.twitter.com/rmbAXqC0Pd

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 6, 2020

Under the new MLS protocol, each field was divided into four quadrants. Players could not leave their assigned quadrant of the field, and they weren’t allowed to physically interact in any way, including passing the ball or trying to shoot the ball past anyone.

The team utilized the variety of fields available at the club’s training facility. Each player was assigned to one of three scheduling blocks throughout the day to divide up time on the field.

Although these workouts are voluntary under the league mandate, every Orlando City player opted to train on the pitch on Wednesday. That included designated player Dom Dwyer, who suffered a lower body injury at the start of the season that sidelined him from the first two matches before the coronavirus shutdown.

Coach Oscar Pareja said the time off helped Dwyer catch up with the rest of the team in his recovery process, and he is now “ready to go” whenever the Lions return to full-team training.

Here’s a peek at Orlando City DP Dom Dwyer putting in work at the team facility this afternoon. Last month, coach Oscar Pareja told me the striker is “ready to go” after an injury sidelined him at the start of the season: https://t.co/8XM7PjQTvg pic.twitter.com/LtVbcIH92a

— Julia Poe (@jpoe24601) May 6, 2020

Players used foot ladders, hurdles, weights and other equipment to perform strength and cardio exercises. They also used their time on the field to get touches on the ball.

Midfielder Mauricio Pereyra acknowledged these exercises are only the start of rebuilding the team’s fitness, but they offered hope for the future.

“The body is feeling these 54 days without training, but I think the most important in this moment is the safety and then we’ll have the time to get in shape,” Pereyra said. “Of course it’s the first step, but we have a long way now. This is the beginning. We hope soon we can train with the full group.”

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Star athletes will dedicate their jerseys and uniforms to highlight healthcare workers in their communities.

Nani is one of three MLS players to join the initiative, along with Los Angeles Galaxy striker Chicharito and U.S men’s national team star Jozy Altidore. Morgan joins the project along with U.S. women’s national teammate Carli Lloyd.

With their jersey tributes, Nani and Morgan will highlight Dr. Raymond Franklin and Dr. Steve Chung. The pair work for Orlando Health and have used their pathology and laboratory teams to create a COVID-19 test that provides a result within hours.

The project will begin releasing thank you messages from each player beginning on May 6.

Lloyd shared her jersey dedication ahead of National Nurses Day, which will be celebrated Wednesday, and highlighted a New Jersey nurse Henry Snyder.

#NWSL fans

This Wednesday, on National Nurses Day, we want to thank all the frontline healthcare works.

Join @CarliLloyd and make a "jersey" in their honor. Tag your post with #TheRealHeroes. pic.twitter.com/sjIQn40zNY

— NWSL (@NWSL) May 4, 2020

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The workouts cannot conflict with any local or state government health policies.

Players will be allowed to practice on team fields as long as they are outdoor and following health guidelines. The league also released a detailed protocol that must be followed throughout workouts.

“By allowing players, on a voluntary basis, to utilize team-operated fields for individual workouts, MLS clubs will be able to provide a controlled environment that ensures adherence to safety protocols and social distancing measures for players and staff,” the league said in a statement.

Athletes will not be able to access indoor facilities such as locker rooms and weight rooms. 

Clubs will be required to divide their fields into four quadrants, with only one player allowed in each quadrant at any given time. Players will not be allowed to share balls during these training sessions, which will eliminate any passing or shooting drills.

Before a team can begin its individual training sessions, a club must submit a plan to the league. That plan must include protocol for issues such as how to restrict facility access to essential staff and how to sanitize equipment and spaces, including balls, cones and goals.

Players will have to perform a Standard Screening Assessment before utilizing the facility, which will include a check of their temperature to ensure possibly infected players aren’t using the fields. Teams will also need to create a schedule that allows for staggered arrival to the team facilities to avoid any contact between players or coaches.

Staff and players will be expected to use protective equipment and hand washing and disinfectant stations must be installed.

Clubs also must develop a COVID-19 emergency action plan and assign a staff member to oversee implementation of MLS safety requirements.

The MLS small group and full team training moratorium will continue through at least May 15. 

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