Orlando City SC will face intrastate foe Inter Miami CF in the opening game of theMLS is Back Tournament, it was announced today. As the host club, Orlando City have been seeded atop Group A, set to face off in the tournament opener on Wednesday, July 8 at ESPN Wide World of Sports. That match will see the Lions square off for the first time against the 2020 MLS expansion side, as part of Major League Soccer’s decision to restart the season in the state of Florida.
In addition, Major League Soccer will today hold a live draw to determine the group assignments for each of the 26 teams in advance of theMLS is Back Tournamentat ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex beginning July 8. The tournament schedule, including specific matchup dates and full broadcast details, will be announced at a later date.
The draw will be streamed live at 3:30 p.m. ET on MLSsoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and representatives from each of the six top-seeded teams will participate in the draw to determine the tournament groups.
The 26 MLS teams will be drawn into one of six groups. The Eastern Conference will have three groups, one consisting of six teams and two consisting of four teams each. The Western Conference will have three groups, each consisting of four teams.