Back MLS Is!

Sorry to go all Yoda with the headline, but I can only take so many "MLS Is Back" headlines in one day.  This morning MLS officially announced the long rumored and very leaked Orlando tournament.  The tournament will start on June 8th and run through August 11th, World Cup style.  7 groups of 4 teams and one group of 6, with the top two in each group and 4 of third placed team moving on to the 16-team knockout round.  Every team will play 3 group stage games that will count in the regular season standings.  The knockout stage games will not count in the standings.  MLS also said they expect to continue the regular season in some format back in home markets after the tournament, with playoffs and MLS Cup to follow.

We'll know the schedule of games and opponents after tomorrow's draw at 1:30, with the TV announcement coming shortly after that.  We know games will be at 7am, 6pm, and 8:30pm MT and all games will be nationally televised on ESPN, FOX, and/or Univision.  Which is good news, because the Altitude-Comcast/DISH dispute won't get in the way of fans seeing the games.  For the first 16(?) days there will be 3 games a day, much like the World Cup, with no games overlapping.

For the Rapids, it has reported that Galvan will be joining the team just before the tournament starts.  Also, following up on yesterday's news, apparently Ford's surgery was to replace a drain in his knee which is commonly done every couple of weeks with his condition.  That doesn't indicate he'll be ready to play any time soon, but its good news they aren't doing new work on the knee.

Also the Committee of 10, who organizes the Rocky Mountain Cup, has announced that any games between the Rapids and FSL in Florida will not count towards the 2020 Rocky Mountain Cup.  They said that they will wait for the post-tournament regular season plans to be announced before determining if and how the Cup will be awarded for 2020.

Full transparency, I am a member of the Committee of 10