Nashville SC is now the second club to depart Orlando due to positive COVID-19 cases, the club announced today, three days after FC Dallas had to withdraw from the MLS is Back Tournament. Nashville said that one player tested positive as the individual arrived at the host hotel, while another eight players tested positive a few days after arriving. On a call with media this afternoon, Nashville CEO Ian Ayre said that a majority of players who tested positive are asymptomatic, while there are a couple with minor symptoms.
Ayre also addressed recent on-air comments made by ESPN soccer analyst Taylor Twellman, who implied Nashville might have been irresponsible in following health protocols. Ayre: “Last night, I was watching the (Orlando City-Inter Miami) game and I saw Taylor Twellman comment that we needed to do our job in preparing our team. He didn’t feel bad that we were not participating. I think that’s hugely disrespectful to us but also to anyone who is affected by the virus. ... You can’t make those sort of sweeping comments without facts. We 100 percent worked within the tournament guidelines and protocols.”
