Here’s what Inter Miami and Miami FC players are doing during the coronavirus hiatus
Paul McDonough thought he had experienced every hurdle an expansion Major League Soccer franchise could face after helping build Orlando City, Atlanta United and Inter Miami.
But nothing prepared him for dealing with a global health crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. In the span of 24 hours, McDonough, Inter Miami’s chief operating officer and sporting director, went from preparing for a historic home opening game to planning for an unprecedented league suspension of at least a month.
The 30-day suspension will affect at least 38 MLS games, including four Inter Miami matches – Mar. 14 at home vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, Mar. 21 at home vs. New York Red Bulls, Apr. 5 at home vs. Philadelphia Union and Apr. 11 on the road at Houston. If the suspension is extended to eight weeks, five more Inter Miami games would be affected.
“It’s another obstacle, and we have to make sure we handle it properly,” McDonough said by phone Monday. “I understand the urge and desire to push forward and train, but we have plenty of time for games. As hard as it is, we are urging our players, coaches and staff to stay at home and ride this thing out. When we think we’re in the all-clear, we’ll get back to work. It is not prudent on our part to rush this.”
When the season resumes, those games would have to be added into an already crowded schedule, unless the league ultimately chooses to play a shortened season.
MLS training moratorium
On Sunday, MLS extended its training moratorium through Friday Mar. 20. Players are asked to remain in the markets of their clubs, rather than travel. Inter Miami’s roster includes players from Colombia, Jamaica, Venezuela, Argentina (3), Scotland, Mexico, Panama and Canada. Those players all plan to stay in South Florida during the hiatus.
Coaches and the training staff spent all weekend devising plans for essentially a second preseason – a minimum of four weeks with no games. The same is happening with Inter Miami’s United Soccer League team, Fort Lauderdale CF, which is coached by U.S. Under-23 coach Jason Kreis. The club’s youth academy is suspended.
There is no training taking place at the team’s Fort Lauderdale facility for the time being. Players were instructed to do open-air runs, not to work out in apartment complex gyms or public gyms. Injured players who need rehab are going in two at a time, staff sanitizes the equipment when they leave and the next pair of players go in.
“Things are constantly evolving, and our main concern now is to make sure all the players and staff are informed and safe,” McDonough said.
Miami FC players in isolation
Another Paul in town – Miami FC general manager Paul Dalglish -- is also dealing with a suspended professional soccer team. Miami FC plays in the USL’s top-tier Championship division. The team was scheduled to play its home opener against the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Friday at Riccardo Silva Stadium on the FIU campus.
“We know the earliest we’re going to re-start; however, we don’t know when we’re really going to re-start, so it’s just a fluid situation and we have to be able to adapt,” said Dalglish. “We have to manage on a daily basis the current climate with one eye on the future. How do we get ready for once we’re given the green light to play again?”
The USL had told its teams that training in small numbers is okay if they train in private facilities. Because Miami FC trains at a public facility at FIU, players are training in isolation. The strength and conditioning coach prepared individual programs for each player to follow. The team meets via video conference.
Asked how Miami FC players are handling the situation, Dalglish said: “Everyone’s in different situations. Some have family situations where they’d rather be with the family. Some want to visit places they call home. But traveling is not that easy, and also, it’s not responsible to travel. We are managing that situation.
“My family’s here. We’re just self-isolating in the house as much as we can, only going out when we need to. The players will be doing the same. I don’t own the players. They are are human beings. Every situation is different. If a player does travel, there will be a procedure and self-isolation period before they can join the team.”
Dalglish said coaches normally figure out a team’s training regimen based on the upcoming game and then going backwards. But they can’t do that.
“We don’t know if we’re one month out, two months, or three,” Dalglish said. “We really don’t know.”