MLS "extremely unlikely" to resume play in mid-May due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Major League Soccer is "extremely unlikely" to resume play in mid-May, as had been previously targeted, the league said in a statement released Tuesday. League play has been suspended since March 12 due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 19, MLS stated that it was extending its suspension for eight weeks, in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), setting a target return date of May 10. But the ongoing situation has now meant that date being revised. Separately, a training moratorium has been put in place for all clubs through April 24.

Read the full statement from MLS:

Major League Soccer continues to regularly evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how it will affect our plans for the 2020 season. Although we hoped to return to play in mid-May, that is extremely unlikely based on the guidance of federal and local public health authorities. Our goal remains to play as many games as possible, and while we currently have enough dates to play the entire season, we recognize at this time that it may become difficult to do so. We continue to learn more every day from the medical experts, and we expect to have additional details in the coming weeks regarding when we can return to play. As we have throughout this process, we will update our fans with every decision, and we thank them for their support and understanding during this extremely challenging time.