MLS 2020 season suspended due to coronavirus

MLS announced on Thursday morning the 2020 regular season has been postponed for 30 days due to the spread of coronavirus. The move comes a day after the NBA suspended their season after a player tested positive for the virus.

Grant Wahl was the first to report the news on Thursday, quickly corroborated by The Athletic staff. MLS did not take long to confirm and officially announce the move.

The timing of the announcement makes sense, as teams, such as the San Jose Earthquakes, were scheduled to be traveling on Thursday for games on Saturday. While the Quakes’ following game, March 21 at home against Sporting Kansas City, was already postponed following local orders to cancel mass events, the game this Saturday was scheduled to take place against the Philadelphia Union in Pennsylvania. With the decision made early, the Quakes won’t be forced to travel, even on charter flights as the league mandated on Wednesday, and then have to come back home or stay in Philly without a game.

For now, the suspension appears to affect three games: Saturday’s game at Philadelphia, April 4 at Minnesota United, and April 11 vs. D.C. United, in addition to the March 21 game already postponed.

The Quakes released a statement after the news was announced:

The Earthquakes organization fully supports Major League Soccer’s decision to suspend the season. The health and well-being of our fans, players and staff remains our top priority. We appreciate the support and patience of all of our fans and partners during this difficult time.

We’ll keep you posted on developments to the story as they arise, but the top line is that the league is going quiet for 30 days. Stay safe, practice good habits, and we’ll offer updates as we get them.

For now, what do you think? Let’s chat in the comments below.