MLS took a small step towards returning to play this week, as a handful of clubs returned to individual training sessions at their facilities. It's a long way from games, but it's a start.
As the league continues to look down the road and update plans to return, in conjunction with public health guidelines, a number of scenarios remain to resume the 2020 season. At the moment, hope isn't lost on playing the full 34-game schedule.
"We, as a league, are going to be as agile as we can and innovative as we can to try and get that full season in," Atlanta United president Darren Eales told reporters on a video conference call. "Ideally, we want that full season in front of fans. That is our plan. Clearly, there will come a time where we have to say that's just not possible but we're still in the realms where we can do that."
Games were suspended in mid-March, with just two weeks of the regular season in the books.
"One of the positives we have as a league is that we were right at the start of our season," Eales said. "Our contracts run through the 31st of December, that gives us a lot of latitude and flexibility in terms of fitting in the full season."
Before games can happen, teams will need to move from individual training to small groups then eventually full team. For groups to begin training together, more COVID-19 tests will have to be conducted, like in the Bundesliga, which helped pave the way for their return on May 16.
"There's a general sense across the major leagues in America that testing will become readily available," Eales said. "That'll be part of how we take the next step."
