MLS Is Back Tournament 2020: Schedule, Start Date, Odds, News On Soccer Season Returning

Pro soccer is officially restarting in America next month with the MLS is Back Tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on July 8 and run until a champion is declared on August 11. All 54 matches will take place at the ESPN World Wide of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World, with the 29 matchday special event serving as the leadup to the return of the proper 2020 MLS season, which has been on hiatus since March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clubs have been able to prepare for the rebooted campaign since June 4, the date that the moratorium on training was lifted. While not all teams have begun training—their plans must include strict coronavirus testing policies, be approved by both medical staff and infectious disease experts, as well as involve the entire team—all 26 are slated to arrive on campus on June 24 and participate in the MLS is Back Tournament with a guaranteed spot in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League on the line.  

Get ready for the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament by checking out the full schedule, key dates, details, rewards and odds below. Don’t forget to check back around the event’s start for in-depth predictions, picks and much more as the 2020 MLS season inches closer to its highly anticipated return.

2020 MLS is Back Tournament Schedule And Key Dates

June 24: Teams arrive in Orlando

July 8: Group Stage

July 25-28: Round of 16

July 30-August 1: Quarterfinals

August 5-6: Semifinals

August 11: MLS is Back Tournament Final

MLS is Back Tournament 2020 Details

• Tournament begins with a group stage to determine seeding in the bracket, which includes a Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship round.
• 54 total matches (39 in group stage, 15 in knockout rounds) will take place over 26 matchdays.
• Each club will play a minimum of three matches, with the finalists playing a maximum of seven.
• The 26 MLS teams will be split into six groups, three for the Eastern Conference and three for the Western Conference. The East will have one group of six teams and two groups of four teams, while the West will have four teams in each of its three groups.
• The top two teams from each group and the four third-place finishers with the best record advance to the knockout stages, with the MLS using its regular season procedures to determine any tiebreakers within a group (which includes wins, goal differential, goals for and disciplinary points in that order). Third-place tiebreakers will be based on points, goal differential, goals for and fewest disciplinary points, in that order.
• New protocols will allow teams to now make a maximum of five substitutions per match, but most do so within three opportunities to sub. Any changes made at halftime will not count towards those three opportunities.

Sam Stejskal noted that there has already been a positive COVID-19 test for a player on an MLS roster, but the tournament is likely still to go on:

2020 MLS is Back Tournament Rewards

• The results of each group stage game will count for points in the 2020 regular season standings.
• The tourney champion will earn a guaranteed place in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League. This spot will be awarded in lieu of the traditional regular season conference champion that did not win the Supporters’ Shield.
• Players will earn additional bonuses from a $1.1 million prize pool for their performance during the event.

MLS is Back Tournament Odds

Oddsmakers recently released odds for the MLS is Back Tournament, setting lines on not only for the winner of the entire event, but also which sides will come out on top and qualify from each of the six groups. Los Angeles FC has the best odds to emerge victorious in Orlando, with the third-year club opening as 15/4 (+375, or net $3.75 for each $1 risked) favorites to break through and claim its first ever trophy. Atlanta United is tied for the second-best odds in the field at 15/2 (+750) and is a legitimate threat to add yet another trophy to the collection after capturing an MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup within their first three years in the league. The Seattle Sounders are the other club with a +750 betting line to win the MLS is Back Tournament and the defending MLS Cup champions certainly have what it takes to win it, although the squad will be without its raucous crowd—an immense homefield advantage for Seattle—by having to play every game in this tourney at a neutral site. New York City FC (9/1) and Toronto FC (10/1) round out top-five contenders list for this event.

Here is a full look at the odds for each group and the tournament champion, courtesy of BetOnline.ag:

Odds to Win MLS Is Back Tournament

• Los Angeles FC                        15/4
• Atlanta United                          15/2    
• Seattle Sounders                      15/2    
• New York City FC                     9/1     
• Toronto FC                              10/1    
• LA Galaxy                                12/1
• Minnesota United                     15/1    
• Montreal Impact                       18/1    
• New York Red Bulls                 18/1    
• Sporting Kansas City                18/1   
• Columbus Crew                        20/1    
• Real Salt Lake                          22/1    
• FC Dallas                                 25/1    
• Philadelphia Union                    25/1    
• Portland Timbers                      25/1    
• New England Revolution           28/1    
• San Jose Earthquakes              28/1    
• DC United                                33/1    
• Inter Miami CF                         33/1    
• Colorado Rapids                      40/1    
• Chicago Fire                            50/1    
• Houston Dynamo                     50/1    
• Orlando City                             50/1    
• FC Cincinnati                            60/1    
• Vancouver Whitecaps               66/1
• Nashville SC                            75/1    

MLS Is Back Tournament Group Odds

Odds to Win Group A

• New York City                          3/2      
• Philadelphia Union                    5/2      
• Inter Miami                               6/1      
• Orlando City                             6/1      
• Chicago Fire                            5/2
• Nashville SC                            18/1    

Odds to Win Group B

• Seattle Sounders                      5/6      
• FC Dallas                                 13/5    
• San Jose Earthquakes              5/1      
• Vancouver Whitecaps               15/2    

Odds to Win Group C

• Toronto FC                              6/5
• Montreal Impact                       3/1      
• D.C. United                              4/1      
• New England Revolution           4/1      

Odds to Win Group D

• Minnesota United                     8/5      
• Sporting Kansas City                9/5      
• Real Salt Lake                          7/2      
• Colorado Rapids                      6/1      

Odds to Win Group E

• Atlanta United                          1/1      
• Columbus Crew                        3/1      
• New York Red Bulls                 3/1      
• FC Cincinnati                            9/1      

Odds to Win Group F

• Los Angeles FC                        10/11  
• LA Galaxy                                2/1      
• Houston Dynamo                     6/1      
• Portland Timbers                      15/2

To Qualify from Group A

• New York City                          2/5      
• Philadelphia Union                    5/9      
• Inter Miami                               3/2      
• Orlando City                             3/2      
• Chicago Fire                            7/4      
• Nashville SC                            4/1      

To Qualify from Group B

Seattle Sounders                      1/10    

FC Dallas                                 1/2      

San Jose Earthquakes              2/3      

Vancouver Whitecaps               1/1

To Qualify from Group C

Toronto FC                              1/6

Montreal Impact                       1/2      

New England Revolution           2/3      

D.C. United                              10/13  

To Qualify from Group D

Minnesota United                     1/4      

Sporting Kansas City                2/7      

Real Salt Lake                          5/8      

Colorado Rapids                      11/10  

To Qualify from Group E

Atlanta United                          1/8      

Columbus Crew                        2/5      

New York Red Bulls                 2/5      

FC Cincinnati                            9/5      

To Qualify from Group F

Los Angeles FC                        1/20

LA Galaxy                                1/4      

Houston Dynamo                     1/1      

Portland Timbers                      7/5