MLS will suspend a portion of their season for at least the next 30-days as the collective World figures out how to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Sports Illustrated‘s Grant Wahl first reported and the league confirmed Thursday.
“Our clubs were united today in the decision to temporarily suspend our season–based on the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Agency of Canada, and other public health authorities, and in the best interest of our fans, players, officials and employees,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We’d like to thank our fans for their continued support during this challenging time.”
MLS has essentially followed the lead of other soccer leagues in Europe and throughout the Globe. Champions League games have been being played in empty stadiums while the Europa Leauge has said they would reschedule theirs. Meanwhile, La Liga has been put on an indefinite hiatus as Serie A games will be suspended until April 3.
As far as the sports in the United States go, Major League Soccer isn’t alone in their decision to suspend games. The NBA announced last night that they would suspend the rest of their regular-season indefinitely after Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The NCAA also announced yesterday the NCAA Tournament would be played in empty arenas while a number of major conferences have begun to outright cancel their own tournaments.
Major League Soccer — as of now — looks like they’re still planning on making up the suspended games as Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said as much in a release.
