The Fire are one step closer to restarting their season.
The team announced Thursday they will begin voluntary individual workouts Friday at SeatGeek Stadium. On May 1, MLS said teams would be permitted for such activities beginning May 6, dependent on getting clearance from local authorities and health officials. Phase 3 of Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to open up Illinois begins Friday.
The Fire are one of the final teams to be cleared. Per reports, DC United was recently given the go-ahead, leaving only the San Jose Earthquakes without clearance for the individual workouts.
In a news release, the team said the protocol for the individual workouts was led by Fire’s medical staff and “involved review and consultation with MLS and state and local medical and infectious disease experts.”
“By allowing players to utilize team-operated fields for individual workouts on a voluntary basis, the Fire will be able to provide a controlled environment that ensures adherence to safety protocols and social distancing measures for players and staff,” the team said in a statement.
The Fire will conduct voluntary workouts Friday and Saturday, with four separate 60-minute slots. They will have access to the stadium field at SeatGeek Stadium and also their regular on-site training pitch. Access to treatment rooms and other areas may only be given to players rehabbing from operations.
Also on Thursday, MLS announced that teams can begin to use outdoor fields for voluntary small group sessions. Those sessions would also be in compliance with health and safety protocols created in consultation with medical and infectious disease experts.
The Fire said they would “eventually progress to small group training sessions in the near future.”
On March 12, MLS announced it was suspending its season due to concerns over COVID-19. The league has proposed restarting the campaign with a quarantined tournament in Orlando, though the plan has not become official and players have voiced concerns with how long they’d be separated from their families.
On Wednesday, ESPN reported the league is changing its plans for that event, fitting it into a tighter schedule.
