(Reuters) – Major League Soccer said on Tuesday it had postponed Nashville SC’s first game of the Orlando-based MLS is Back Tournament after five players tested positive for COVID-19, and will evaluate the club’s participation in the tournament.
The news comes one day after MLS pulled FC Dallas from the tournament after 10 of the club’s players and a staff member tested positive for the virus.
Nashville, who arrived in Orlando on July 3 for the month-long tournament that begins on Wednesday at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, were due to face Chicago Fire FC on the first day of action on Wednesday.
MLS said two Nashville players received confirmed positive tests at the weekend while three more received their positive results late on Monday. Four other players received inconclusive test results and require further testing.
“In conjunction with the club, MLS will continue to evaluate Nashville SC’s participation in the MLS is Back Tournament following the results of additional testing,” MLS said in a statement.
Testing results from the five clubs that arrived in Orlando on Monday will be available later on Tuesday.
MLS also said the Toronto FC match versus D.C. United originally set for July 10 will now take place on July 12 due to the Canadian club’s delayed arrival in Orlando.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
