MLS is Back tournament details

Major League Soccer is back.

It comes both in the form of a new, World Cup-style tournament as well as the name for that tournament.

The tournament will take place at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, from the group stage on July 8 to the finals on August 11.

Key Dates

• June 24: Teams begin arriving in Florida
• July 8: MLS is Back Tournament group stage begins
• July 25-28: Round of 16 begins
• July 30- Aug. 1: Tournament Quarterfinals
• August 5-6: Tournament Semifinals
• August 11: MLS is Back Tournament Final

Every team will play three group stage games, which will count toward regular season standings. The winner of MLS is Back will be awarded a CONCACAF Champions League spot in lieu of the Supporters Shield runner up.

The first stage will be a round robin, consisting of six groups – three in the east and three in the west.

Here is how the draw panned out.

Nashville joins the Eastern Conference in Group A to round out the only six-team group. In the five four-teamed groups, each team will play each other once. In Group A, things are a little different. Orlando, the top seed, will play Inter Miami in their first ever game to kick off the tournament. Here is the rest of the matches for Group A.

Several major derbies will take place, including a Cascadia Derby between Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders, The Rocky Mountain Derby between the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake, the Pink and Purple Florida Derby between Orlando City SC and Inter Miami CF, the Canadian Derby between Montreal Impact and Toronto FC, the Hell is Real Derby between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew SC, the Flyover Derby between Sporting KC and Minnesota United, the unnamed derby between New York Red Bull and Atlanta United, and El Traffico betwen LA Galaxy and LAFC.

Sure some of these aren’t officially named derbies, but most of the biggest games in MLS will take place during the tournament.

Though MLS plans to continue the season after MLS is Back finishes in August, there is no word if fans will be allowed in stadium.

Having all of these derbies played now could ensure that several bitter rivals do in fact play this season, or it could mean one fewer game high intensity game in front of a pumped up crowd.

After having won the Supporter’s Shield in 2019 with a record 72 points, it’s no surprise that LAFC have opened as favorites to win the MLS is Back tournament, with +450 odds. Right behind the Black and Gold are perennial Eastern Conference powerhouse Atlanta United and MLS Cup holders Seattle Sounders, both being given +750 to win the tourney.

And MLS debutantes Nashville SC are unsurprisingly at the bottom of the chart, with odds at +7500 for anyone who thinks the club could pull a ’98 Chicago Fire and are capable of winning hardware in their inaugural season.

MLS is Back will be broadcast on the usual MLS partners, ESPN and FS1.