MLS Considering Tournament Formats, Neutral-Site Games to Complete 2020 Season

Major League Soccer is contemplating multiple ways to restart and conclude the 2020 season, which has been suspended indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"From tournament formats and neutral locations, ultimately playing an abridged regular season, but doing everything to get as many games," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said to Taylor Twellman of ESPN.

Garber added that matches would likely occur behind closed doors should play resume this year.

MLS completed two matchdays before the pandemic forced an indefinite stoppage. The league announced it would remain in a holding pattern until at least May 10. All team training facilities are also closed until April 24, which would make hitting that mid-May return difficult given the relatively small window for players to prepare.

The Bundesliga's chief executive, Christian Seifert, confirmed to the New York Times' Tariq Panja that Germany's top two divisions are aiming to get their campaigns back on track by early May. The Mirror's David Maddock reported the Premier League was in discussions with officials from the British government to get the pieces in place for a return in June.

Garber told Twellman that MLS is aiming to keep its 34-game regular season for 2020 but that things could change. He added that moving games to neutral locations would be one way to avoid any problems that might arise from different states having different stay-at-home orders in place.