The New England Revolution now can start their countdown.
Major League Soccer announced Wednesday in a press release all 26 clubs will compete at the “MLS is Back Tournament,” which will take place between July 8 and Aug. 11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. The tournament marks the restart of the 2020 MLS Season, which paused in March after just two rounds of play due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Having returned to full training Monday, the Revolution are excited to test themselves against their MLS peers.
“With all the uncertainty that’s been around the world the last three, four months, it’s definitely nice to have a date to look forward to — something that we as a team can work towards,” Midfielder Scott Caldwell said Wednesday in a Revolution press release. “It’s definitely nice to have that, for sure. We’ll be working together to be as fit and ready as possible come tournament time.”
Defender Brandon Bye expects the “MLS is Back Tournament” will intensify Revolution practice sessions.
“It definitely put some urgency in your training and your preparation,” Bye said. “At the end of the day, you know this date is on the clock. You’re looking at it and you’re ready to compete those days.”
“MLS is Back Tournament” group-stage games will count in the regular season standings. Knockout games will follow the group stage, and the tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. The added incentives already have affected the Revolution.
“… We just want to go out there and make our fans proud every single day,” goalkeeper Matt Turner said. “We’re going work our hardest and I know everybody’s excited about the prospect of the tournament. We’re going to go down there and try to win the thing because why else do we play this game then to be competitive and to win? So, we want to give our fans something to cheer for.”
MLS will conduct the “MLS is Back Tournament” draw at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the Revolution will be keen to learn the dates, times and opponents in their upcoming games.
