ORLANDO, Fla. – Nothing can feel truly normal inside a facility being maintained amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, but as it concerns getting back to Major League Soccer action, the Portland Timbers took a step toward normalcy on Monday night.
That’s when the team started its training session, its third since traveling to Orlando, Florida, with a particularly late kickoff: 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Instead of players arriving at the ABC Wide World of Sports Complex in matching practice gear, the Timbers were divided beforehand into teams of green and grey. Seven days out from their MLS Is Back Tournament opening game against the LA Galaxy (July 13, 7:30pm PT, FS1), Portland tried to maintain as much of a gameday atmosphere as possible on Monday, including playing full-speed, 11-on-11 soccer for much of the night’s session.