VANCOUVER, BC - Whitecaps FC confirmed on Monday that the provincial public health officer, local health authorities, and infectious disease experts, in coordination with the club's COVID-19 working group and Major League Soccer, have approved the club's plan to resume full team training.
“We are very thankful to our frontline heroes as we make another positive step forward,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “We are well prepared for this phase and the time we now spend in Vancouver, training as a team, will be critical as we move towards the MLS is Back Tournament. Everyone at our club has worked extremely hard to get to this point. We will be ready for whatever it takes.”
Building on the health and safety protocols implemented for voluntary individual workouts and small group sessions, the club’s detailed plan addressed all the guidelines outlined by the league and health officials on June 4.
Monday’s session marked the club’s first full team on-field training session since March 11. Following the league’s suspension in play, all players followed a microcycle outlined by the club’s sports medicine & science department. The club’s voluntary individual training sessions started back on May 12 and small group training sessions have taken place for just over a week. Training sessions remain closed to media members and limited to essential personnel.
The MLS is Back Tournament is set to kick off on Wednesday, July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Each team will play three group stage matches, and those results will count in the 2020 MLS regular season standings. After 16 consecutive days of group stage matches, the top two teams from each group along with the four best third-place finishers will move on to the knockout stage. The knockout stage will include a Round-of-16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the Championship match will take place on August 11. The tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
Last Thursday, Whitecaps FC were drawn into Group B with Western Conference rivals Seattle Sounders FC, FC Dallas, and San Jose Earthquakes. The tournament schedule, including specific matchup dates and full broadcast details, will be announced at a later date
The club’s COVID-19 working group includes chief medical officer Dr. Jim Bovard, sporting director Axel Schuster, chief executive officer Mark Pannes, vice-president of soccer operations Greg Anderson, chief operating officer Rachel Lewis, director of performance strategy Dr. Ben Sporer, as well as Vancouver Coastal Health Authority - Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Josh Douglas.
