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MLS players approve plan for summer tournament in Orlando

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In a key step toward the potential return of Major League Soccer, the MLS Players Association announced Sunday that it approved a package of economic concessions for the 2020 season, modified the CBA and extended it for a year, and agreed to participate in a summer tournament in Orlando.

The plan has been sent to league owners, who can either accept the terms or present another counteroffer.

"While a difficult vote in incredibly challenging times, it was taken collectively to ensure that players can return to competition as soon as they are safely able to do so," the MLSPA added.

The return-to-play proposal would see the players arrive in Orlando on June 24, sources told Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal of The Athletic.

Clubs would be given a two-week training period to prepare for a tournament-style competition featuring three group-stage matches before a knockout phase. Teams that fail to reach the knockout rounds would go home, according to Tenorio and Stejskal, who note that six weeks is the maximum time a club could spend in Orlando.

If the owners sign off, that would end a series of negotiations between the players and the league. Among many other issues, the two sides have been going back and forth on wage-reduction proposals for some time.

In its statement, the MLSPA said it agreed to salary reductions "across the entire player pool, reduced team and individual bonuses, and additional concessions to existing and future terms of the CBA."

Major League Soccer, which is slowly allowing teams to return to limited group training sessions, has been suspended since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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