FRISCO, Texas – On this episode of “The Luchi Gonzalez Show” on 105.3 The Fan, presented by Toyota, FC Dallas head coach Luchi Gonzalez spoke about the team’s imminent return to training at Toyota Stadium and the possibility of playing games without fans once the 2020 MLS season resumes.
If you missed the live episode, here are some highlights from this week’s installment. Plus, you can also listen to the whole episode after it airs on The Fan'swebsite.
This week, MLS announced that players are allowed to practice individually on team outdoor fields after weeks of only doing in-home workout sessions in the wake of COVID-19. Coach Luchi gave a rundown of how his team has been managing their individual training sessions and how they’ll approach the return to club facilities next week.
“Our players have been working very well independently and following our plan with video and Zoom conferences,” Luchi said. “So, we feel confident that we will accomplish our goals this week. We’ll take feedback from MLS with how other teams have done it over the last few days, and we’ll make our protocol and have a fresh start beginning next week.
“First and foremost, it has to be safe for the players and staff. That’s why we’re taking our time to make sure our protocols are very fool proof. We’ll take their temperatures, use gloves and masks, distancing between players in terms of what fields and quadrants they’re going to be in. We want to be very specific and safe so that we do this right because that’s important. This is a great next step for us and I know the players are excited.”
After giving an overview of their training protocol for next week, Luchi touched on the possibility of resuming MLS play without fans in stadiums.
“I know there’s an idea of starting (the season) in closed-door environments or neutral environments even,” he said. “So, we’re going to respect that and be ready to do it. And if that is the case, we’re going to see it as an opportunity and take advantage of it as a team in terms of our competitive mindset.
“I know that whatever we decide has to be in the best interest of players safety, staff safety and fan safety. Yeah, we want our passionate fans with us – and they’re connected with us no matter what even if they can’t be present – but if we’re risking their lives because they’re physically too close we have to be careful and do the right thing in terms of their well-being.”
Before he signed off for this week, Luchi expressed his enthusiasm for this next step towards a more normal workflow with his team.
“I’m super excited. I know the staff and players are excited too. We’re going to learn next week because this is a good next step for us. I’ve been waking up earlier this week because I’m anticipating the schedule next week. I can’t wait to see our boys.”
