Fans could be faced with widespread testing in order to attend Sounders gamesGETTY IMAGES
Sounders Owner Adrian Hanauer said that "all ideas are being considered by MLS owners in order to resume play" this season, and one potential option is "testing everyone prior to entering a stadium to watch a game or match," according to Jayda Evans of the SEATTLE TIMES. Hanauer said, "That's not too crazy to imagine. There's equipment and you have to be able to run people through fast enough. But we as a society, we're going to have to be open to things like that." Evans notes the original target return date was May 10 with a "possible championship in December, but that will surely be pushed back." The positive is that MLS "isn't close to the point where it needs to outright cancel" the season "in order to plan for next year." Hanauer said that league owners are "being flexible in finding solutions to salvage pieces of its 25th season." But Hanauer said, "Until we have significant amounts of fast testing that is not bypassing those people who really need the fast testing, I don't see a path to having sport. With that said, 90 days ago it took five days to get a test result. Now we have the technology to do it in five minutes. Who knows, it could be 30 seconds in another 60 days" (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/9).
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT: PRO SOCCER USA's Julia Poe noted NWSL Orlando Pride Exec VP Amanda Duffy "remains confident the league will be able to reschedule every game" of the '20 season. She said, "There's nothing that we have that would indicate it'll be a season any different than what we had expected other than start dates." Duffy said that "discussions are ongoing" between NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird and the BOD. She "reiterated a tentative timeline that Baird previously set out for a league restart, which would see players 'on the field in some capacity' by late May and matches resuming in late June." Duffy added that leaders throughout the league "will prioritize health and safety of everyone involved in matches while planning a return to the pitch" (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 4/8).
