In years without a World Cup, American soccer is typically a predictable operation. Leagues hum along, player development initiatives persevere and secondary tournaments await, but the work is more often about careful curation than critical competition.
The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, however, has elevated the 2021 agenda. It has forced the men’s and women’s national teams to alter plans, MLS and its players to confront economic hardships that could imperil the season and the NWSL to operate without some stars.
The year typically starts with winter camps for the senior national teams in California, but because of tighter health restrictions there, the men and women will train in separate cities in Florida starting this weekend.