The worst-case scenario for Med City FC was realized last night when the National Premier Soccer League board of directors voted unanimously to cancel the 2020 NPSL regular season due to the ongoing and uncertain COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release sent today at noon Eastern Time, the league made the following statement:
“On March 23, the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) extended its ban on soccer activity until April 30, and the CDC last week has recommended there be no group activities for 8 weeks, which coordinates to May 10.
Given these circumstances, the 2020 NPSL summer season, under its current competition structure, has been cancelled. This decision was made unanimously by our Board of Directors.
This action was not taken lightly. Over the past few weeks, the league has spoken to many of its teams and affiliate organizations. Every situation is different and has its own set of circumstances. The NPSL is balancing the immediate needs of its teams, and ensuring that there is a successful, thriving league for years to come.
Please visit NPSL.com for more information, including a short FAQ section regarding this decision.”
It’s another off-season blow to Med City FC, who had been scheduled to play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time this week. That game was postponed by US Soccer a few weeks ago and no more information has been shared at this point on the status of the tournament.
“It’s honestly quite devastating,” says Med City FC general manager and co-owner Frank Spaeth. “We’ve been gearing up for the season, finalizing player signings, finishing up sponsor agreements, selling tickets, and now the league season is over before it ever got started.”
While the league season is officially cancelled, Spaeth is still optimistic that the Mayhem may play some games this summer. “The Open Cup isn’t cancelled at this point yet, so there’s a chance we could still represent our team and the city in that,” Spaeth says. “And if we do get the all-clear later in the summer, we’re talking with a couple other teams in the conference about the idea of some type of round robin tournament. It will depend on how soon we’re allowed to get back on the field and if we can find the players to make it happen.”
In the meantime, Spaeth says the team has alerted the players they had signed for the season to the situation, letting them know they are under no obligation to Med City FC for the summer. “It wouldn’t be fair to have the players wait around to see if anything is going to happen,” Spaeth says. “If we do get to have some games, we’ll reach out to them to see if they are able to and interested in participating. But, especially for the guys who are from abroad, if they can get home and are able to spend this difficult time with their families, we want to make sure they can do that.”
And while it’s a hard pill to swallow, Spaeth believes that ultimately it is the right call to make. “Under the circumstances, I think they are making the right decision. One of the thoughts expressed by a member of our conference during a call this week was about what happens if one of our teams has a player test positive for COVID-19 and then an entire team has to be quarantined. That creates a huge problem for an entire conference. The most important thing right now is the health of the players, coaches, staff and their families. Soccer simply has to take a back seat during these challenging and uncertain times.”
Spaeth says any questions can be directed to the club via email at medcityfc@gmail.com. More information is also available on the National Premier Soccer League’s website at www.npsl.com.