Major League Soccer said Saturday it will resume its season once the MLS is Back tournament in Florida wraps up.
The league’s 26 teams will each play 18 games, with the first between FC Dallas and Nashville set for Aug. 12. Dallas and Nashville are playing three additional games after withdrawing from the league’s tournament because of positive COVID-19 cases.
A majority of games will be played without fans because of local regulations. Teams will be subject to a rigorous testing protocol and will use charter flights to travel.
MLS continues to work with the Canadian teams because of travel restrictions. The Canadian teams have not been included in the first phase of the schedule.
MLS suspended the season on March 12 because of the pandemic after teams had played two games each.
The league has been playing the monthlong MLS is Back tournament without fans at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. The championship match is set for Tuesday between the Portland Timbers and Orlando City.
Players and team personnel have been sequestered in a pair of Disney resorts for the duration of the tournament, which started on July 8. The group stage matches of the World Cup-style tournament counted toward the regular season.
“Since suspending play in March, we have been working on plans to play as much of our season as possible, beginning with the tournament in Florida and resuming in our local markets following the competition,” Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We remain focused on the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff, and look forward to continuing our season in our home markets.”
Eighteen clubs will make the playoffs, with the MLS Cup championship game set for Dec. 14. Decision Day, the final day of the regular season, is set for Nov. 8.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Lionel Messi scored an exquisite solo goal and earned a penalty that led to another goal, helping Barcelona beat Napoli 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Messi added to Clement Lenglet’s opener when he kept control of the ball despite falling as he dribbled past several defenders and scored inside the far post in the 23rd minute.
Messi earned a penalty converted by Luis Suárez for a third goal for the hosts before Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne pulled one back in first-half injury time, also from the spot.
Barcelona advanced 4-2 on aggregate, and will meet Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals on Friday in Lisbon, Portugal.
• Robert Lewandowski scored two goals and assisted on two as Bayern Munich cruised into the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Chelsea, completing an overwhelming 7-1 victory on aggregate.
Bayern has won 18 straight competitive games going back to February and hasn’t lost since December.
ITALY: World Cup winner Andrea Pirlo was named the new coach at Juventus, hours after Maurizio Sarri was fired.
Pirlo was given a two-year contract, Juventus announced.
Sarri was fired after his first season in charge ended with the team’s Champions League exit Friday in the round of 16, even though Juventus won the Italian title.
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