Major League Soccer makes its return tonight

The MLB, NBA and NHL seasons are set to return in the coming weeks, but before they return, Major League Soccer will resume its season tonight.

It’s doing so with the MLS is Back Tournament, which will be done through a World Cup-style tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

We're 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

The #MLSisBack Tournament starts tonight with the Group Stage by @Heineken_US! pic.twitter.com/HL5dmKY5rh

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 8, 2020

The tournament will kick off with one game tonight between Orlando City and Inter Miami, before settling into a three-game-per-day format for the rest of the round-robin.

Although the action will commence as planned tonight, the MLS has already run into its fair share of issues over the past two weeks.

As teams started to arrive in Orlando and quarantine themselves at Walt Disney World Resort, the positive COVID-19 tests started to accumulate.

That includes nine players and a coach from FC Dallas testing positive, which led to the team being removed from the tournament.

FC Dallas was supposed to open the tournament against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Thursday, but now the Whitecaps won’t play until next week and their group is down to just three teams.

Vancouver has had issues of its own, however, as five players have not traveled with the team to Florida, including top-end strikers Lucas Cavallini and Fredy Montero.

Both are dealing with COVID-related family issues and have decided to skip the tournament in the best interest of them and their families back home.

For the MLS though, the tournament will go on and the round robin will be played daily from tonight until July 23.

It will be followed by a round of 15 from July 25-28, the quarterfinals on July 30 and Aug. 1, the semi-finals on Aug. 5-6 and the tournament final on Aug. 11.

You’ll be able to watch all the games on TSN.