The moment all fans had been waiting for is finally upon us: MLS is back after a three-month hiatus. The league is bound to resume on July 8th but this time, it'll feature a new World Cup-style format to finish the season in just four weeks.
All 24 clubs (FC Dallas and Nashville SC withdrew) will be playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Walt Disney World Resort, Florida with a day-long schedule that'll have teams divided into six groups, three for the Eastern Conference, and three groups for the Western Conference. But, how will this new format be?
MLS is Back Tournament format:
Every single one of the 24 clubs will play three games over a 16-day period. The two teams with the best record of every group and the four best third-place finishers will classify to the knockout stage.
The knockout stage will feature a round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and obviously, a grand final. All outcomes will settle after 90 mins and tied games will go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time.
MLS is Back groups
Group A (Eastern Conference)
1. Orlando City SC
2. Inter Miami CF
3. New York City FC
4. Philadelphia Union
Group B (Western Conference)
1. Seattle Sounders FC
2. Chicago Fire FC
3. Vancouver Whitecaps
4. San Jose Earthquakes
Group C (Eastern Conference)
1. Toronto FC
2. New England Revolution
3. Montreal Impact
4. D.C. United
Group D (Western Conference)
1. Real Salt Lake
2. Sporting Kansas City
3. Colorado Rapids
4. Minnesota United FC
Group E (Eastern Conference)
1. Atlanta United FC
2. FC Cincinnati
3. New York Red Bulls
4. Columbus Crew SC
Group F (Western Conference)
1. LAFC
2. LA Galaxy
3. Houston Dynamo
4. Portland Timbers
Schedule and Notable Dates:
+ Group stage: July 8th to July 23rd
+ Round of 16: July 25th to July 28th
+ Quarterfinals: July 30th to August 1st
+ Semifinals: August 5th & 6th
+ Final: August 11th
Upcoming Season and Prizes:
Notably, all group stage matches will also grant points for the 2020 season's seeding. Also, the winner of the tournament will qualify for the upcoming edition of the CONCACAF Champions League.
Moreover, MLS has guaranteed a grand prize of $1,100,000 for the winning franchise to mitigate the impact of the salary reductions players and team owners agreed upon during the hiatus.