Like other paused sports leagues, Major League Soccer is currently exploring its options for resuming the 2020 season. A plan said to be in consideration is the use of a hub location in Orlando, the Associated Press reports.
The potential plan would allow training camps to get underway June 1 with all 26 teams reporting to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World for games to be played behind closed doors. There remains uncertainty whether the MLS will opt to go this route, but it has the support of key locals.
“What I can say if this community is ready to do it, then Orlando is the perfect city to hold an event like that,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “The experience, infrastructure, everything. Orlando has everything to hold it. If the league decides to do that, I think it’ll be a great decision to play it here. It’s just rumors right now, but I don’t see any other city that has the experience and possibility to hold such an event like Orlando.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also expressed his support for resuming sports in the Sunshine State, announcing this week that he will work with any league commissioner to accommodate practices or games that may not be advised in other areas of the country.
The NBA has also considered using Orlando and the Disney property to stage games. The Wide World of Sports has plenty of courts and fields to accommodate both leagues, with broadcasting capabilities also prevalent. Housing players and essential personnel in the area is feasible given the area’s mass tourist appeal and abundance of hotels.
The 2020 MLS season was only a few weeks in before operations were suspended in mid-March.
