The coronavirus pandemic is now causing entire teams to drop out of MLS is Back Tournament. After several players, including LAFC’s Carlos Vela, previously opted to sit out the event, now FC Dallas will withdraw its entire team from the competition.
According to the team’s announcement, the decision was made after 10 FC Dallas players and one coach tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.
“Given the impact of the number of positive tests on the club’s ability to train and play competitive matches, we have made the decision to withdraw FC Dallas from the MLS is Back Tournament,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber in a statement. “The health of everyone involved in our return to play has always been our top priority, and we will continue to make decisions consistent with that priority.”
The MLS is Back Tournament is scheduled to kick off on Wednesday, while FC Dallas supposed to play its first game against Vancouver Whitecaps the next day. The league first postponed the game indefinitely to monitor the situation, but now removed FCD from the competition after the situation got worse.
FC Dallas might not be the last team to leave the competition, considering that several others have infected players. Nashville SC finds itself in a particularly sensitive situation as five of their players tested positive so far.
