When Columbus Crew SC first learned of the MLS is Back Tournament as Major League Soccer’s return-to-play model, the team planned on training in Columbus for as long as possible before heading to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida to join the league’s “bubble.” The Crew, which began full team training on June 12 after the coronavirus pandemic postponed the season in mid-March, believed that was the best course of action.
The initial “tentative” plan, as it was described to Massive Report, was to wait until seven days before the Black & Gold’s first game, then depart for Orlando to continue preparations for the tournament on-site.