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Hub AI
MLS is Back Tournament AI simulator
(@MLS is Back Tournament_simulator)
Hub AI
MLS is Back Tournament AI simulator
(@MLS is Back Tournament_simulator)
MLS is Back Tournament
The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League Soccer teams, 24 participated in the tournament; FC Dallas and Nashville SC withdrew after several of their players tested positive for COVID-19 just before their first matches. The tournament was held behind closed doors from July 8 to August 11, 2020, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The tournament featured a group stage, which was counted toward the 2020 MLS regular season standings, followed by knockout rounds. The tournament champion, Portland Timbers, qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, and the 2020 season resumed upon completion of the tournament.
The 2020 Major League Soccer season, the 25th season of the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, began on February 29, 2020. On March 12, the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, following the cancellation of several matches. At the time of the cancellation, all 26 teams had played two league matches. On March 19, the suspension was extended until May 10, and on April 17, was again extended to June 8. On May 1, the league announced that players were allowed to resume individual outdoor training at MLS facilities on May 6. The COVID-19 pandemic is the first interruption of regular season play since the 2001 season, in which many late regular season games were cancelled due to the September 11 attacks.
Plans to resume the MLS season at a single venue were made by the league in April and May. Among the locations considered were Las Vegas, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Orlando. The name, "MLS is Back", was reused from a marketing slogan used prior to the season.
The tournament was announced by Major League Soccer on June 10, 2020. Teams could begin traveling to Florida on June 24, though they could arrive no later than seven days prior to their first match. The tournament was planned to feature 54 matches (later reduced to 51 following the withdrawal of FC Dallas) played on 26 days, all taking place behind closed doors without spectators at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida.
The 26 teams were originally split into six groups based on their conference, with one group containing six teams and five containing four teams. Each team would play three group stage matches, and the results would be counted into the 2020 MLS regular season standings. However, following the withdrawal of FC Dallas and Nashville SC from the tournament, a revised structure for the group stage was announced on July 9, 2020. The tournament was split into six groups of four, with Chicago Fire FC moving from Group A to B.
Following the group stage, 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage: the top two teams from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams. The knockout stage culminated in the tournament final on August 11. If a knockout match was tied at the end of regulation, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (no extra time was played).
During the tournament, teams were allowed to name a maximum of twelve substitutes, an increase from the MLS rule of seven. Additionally, teams were allowed to make up to five substitutions in a match, following a temporary amendment to the Laws of the Game by IFAB in order to lessen the impact of fixture congestion caused by the pandemic. However, each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, excluding those made at halftime.
The MLS is Back Tournament champions qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. As a one-time change, this berth replaced the one normally awarded to the regular season conference champion that did not win the Supporters' Shield. The berth was awarded regardless of whether the champion was from the United States or Canada. Were the winners from Canada, they would still have participated in the 2020 Canadian Championship. The tournament also featured a $1.1 million prize pool for players to earn additional bonuses.
MLS is Back Tournament
The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League Soccer teams, 24 participated in the tournament; FC Dallas and Nashville SC withdrew after several of their players tested positive for COVID-19 just before their first matches. The tournament was held behind closed doors from July 8 to August 11, 2020, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The tournament featured a group stage, which was counted toward the 2020 MLS regular season standings, followed by knockout rounds. The tournament champion, Portland Timbers, qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, and the 2020 season resumed upon completion of the tournament.
The 2020 Major League Soccer season, the 25th season of the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, began on February 29, 2020. On March 12, the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, following the cancellation of several matches. At the time of the cancellation, all 26 teams had played two league matches. On March 19, the suspension was extended until May 10, and on April 17, was again extended to June 8. On May 1, the league announced that players were allowed to resume individual outdoor training at MLS facilities on May 6. The COVID-19 pandemic is the first interruption of regular season play since the 2001 season, in which many late regular season games were cancelled due to the September 11 attacks.
Plans to resume the MLS season at a single venue were made by the league in April and May. Among the locations considered were Las Vegas, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Orlando. The name, "MLS is Back", was reused from a marketing slogan used prior to the season.
The tournament was announced by Major League Soccer on June 10, 2020. Teams could begin traveling to Florida on June 24, though they could arrive no later than seven days prior to their first match. The tournament was planned to feature 54 matches (later reduced to 51 following the withdrawal of FC Dallas) played on 26 days, all taking place behind closed doors without spectators at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida.
The 26 teams were originally split into six groups based on their conference, with one group containing six teams and five containing four teams. Each team would play three group stage matches, and the results would be counted into the 2020 MLS regular season standings. However, following the withdrawal of FC Dallas and Nashville SC from the tournament, a revised structure for the group stage was announced on July 9, 2020. The tournament was split into six groups of four, with Chicago Fire FC moving from Group A to B.
Following the group stage, 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage: the top two teams from each of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams. The knockout stage culminated in the tournament final on August 11. If a knockout match was tied at the end of regulation, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner (no extra time was played).
During the tournament, teams were allowed to name a maximum of twelve substitutes, an increase from the MLS rule of seven. Additionally, teams were allowed to make up to five substitutions in a match, following a temporary amendment to the Laws of the Game by IFAB in order to lessen the impact of fixture congestion caused by the pandemic. However, each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, excluding those made at halftime.
The MLS is Back Tournament champions qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. As a one-time change, this berth replaced the one normally awarded to the regular season conference champion that did not win the Supporters' Shield. The berth was awarded regardless of whether the champion was from the United States or Canada. Were the winners from Canada, they would still have participated in the 2020 Canadian Championship. The tournament also featured a $1.1 million prize pool for players to earn additional bonuses.