Six FC Dallas players have reported tested positive for COVID-19. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Report: FC Dallas suffers coronavirus outbreak; MLS tournament in doubt?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 7/1/20

One week before the start of the Major League Soccer tournament at the ESPN Wild World of Sports complex in Florida, one club is already in the middle of a coronavirus outbreak.

3rd Degree reported that six FC Dallas players tested positive for the coronavirus upon the team's arrival to its hotel.

The Athletic's Sam Stejskal and Paul Tenorio confirmed the story:

MLS has announced six positive COVID tests in Orlando. @samstejskal and I can confirm the below report that all six positives are FC Dallas players. (Silver lining: no positives for any other team in bubble.)

FCD didn't train yesterday and won't train today. First game is July 9 https://t.co/Go6NJsWXx4
— Paul Tenorio (@PaulTenorio) July 1, 2020

ESPN's Taylor Twellman added that those believed to be infected are quarantining at the campus hotel and that many within the FC Dallas camp were exposed.

Following these reports, FC Dallas confirmed the six positive tests and announced all members of the team's delegation are quarantined in hotel rooms until additional test results are known:

pic.twitter.com/yTdNjMKtgX
— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) July 1, 2020

It's no surprise such an outbreak comes from a Texas team, as cases in the state spiked throughout the final week of June into early July.

The club announced its first positive result in early June.

Dallas is supposed to open the return-to-play tournament with a July 9 fixture versus Vancouver Whitecaps. As of Wednesday afternoon, MLS hadn't commented on if this match will be postponed, canceled or if Dallas will suffer a coronavirus-related forfeit.

It's worth noting that multiple entities in the sports world have reported supposed "false positive" results. Arsenal, Norwich City, Orlando Pride, the UFC, and the PGA Tour are just a handful of examples.

These issues continue to raise doubts about the accuracy of current COVID-19 tests.

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