Major League Soccer is suspending its young season for a 30-day period amid growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic has seen a number of major events canceled, with E3 one of the latest, as well as Survivor, season 41. And it has continued to plague the world of sports, as the MLS is now following the surprising move made by the NBA this week.
The decision was announced by MLS commissioner Don Garber on Thursday. In a statement published on the league's official website Mlssoccer.com, Garber revealed all of the clubs were united in their opting for a suspension of operations following advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and various other health agencies. The MLS season is only two weeks old but, based on the advice coming from the aforementioned entities, there will be no MLS soccer being played for the next 30 days, while the league assesses the way forward. The statement adds that plans for the continuation of the campaign will be announced subsequently.
This follows the NBA's decision to suspend its season indefinitely on Wednesday night. The suspension was implemented after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was reported as having tested positive for COVID-19. The player was listed as questionable for a match between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Arena after tests for influenza and strep throat came back negative, however, a coronavirus test revealed signs of the pathogen. Gobert's Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell has since tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, the NCAA had stated games would continue, but without fans present. It has since been announced that the SEC, ACC, Pac-12 and AAC have all canceled their tournaments. Where soccer is concerned, Italian Serie A outfit Juventus confirmed on Wednesday that their defender, Daniele Rugani, had contracted the virus. A Premier League fixture between Manchester City and Arsenal was also postponed on the day due to coronavirus fears.
Source: Mlssoccer.com