Sporting KC reports player’s positive COVID-19 test ahead of Sunday MLS is Back debut

Sporting Kansas City confirmed Friday afternoon that an unnamed player has tested positive twice for COVID-19.

The positive test comes less than a week after Sporting KC landed in Orlando Sunday for the MLS is Back Tournament. All players on the squad had tested negative upon arrival.

The team’s first game is Sunday against Minnesota.

According to league protocol, the player in question has been moved to an isolation area within the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World, where teams are based and playing for the duration of the tournament.

The test was confirmed as positive following two mandatory test results in a total of five testing days since the club’s arrival.

In response to the confirmed positive, all Sporting players and staff members will be tested daily for the next 14 days. In addition, any individual who came within six feet of the player for more than 10 minutes will be tested but will be allowed to continue to work and train as normal as long as he or she wears a face mask at all times.

Sporting KC also had a false positive ahead of traveling to Orlando, with a player’s first test coming back as positive but the second showing negative for the virus.

The positive test reported Friday adds to continued tension surrounging the “Orlando bubble,” after both FC Dallas and Nashville pulled out of the tournament due to an excess of COVID-19 cases.

Sporting KC had shared a floor with Nashville at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.

Kansas City’s first game of the tournament is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central Time Sunday against Minnesota United.

This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Sporting KC reports player’s positive COVID-19 test ahead of Sunday MLS is Back debut."