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FC Dallas head coach Luchi Gonzalez is sure that the decision to pull out of the MLS is Back tournament was the right one for the club, players and the league. Major League Soccer announced on Monday that the club would not be taking part in the competition, which starts Wednesday, following 10 players and one member of staff testing positive for COVID-19 whilst in Orlando. "It was a process, a delicate one," Gonzalez told ESPN's Stefano Fusaro on Tuesday. "It took a lot of people involved in communicating between the staff, the players, how they're doing, their progress, their situation, the leadership of the club, ownership, and then the league and obviously the commissioner. "We wanted to be on the field more than anybody, but at some point it gets to a moment where there are risks that are just so uncertain and you've got to just collect yourself and assess the damage and do what's best for the recovery and the health and safety of individual people, their family, and know that there are going to be better days ahead. - Stream MLS Is Back LIVE on ESPN networks, ESPN app (U.S. only)
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- MLS is Back Preview: Why your club can win it all/why it won't "It was a process but for sure I think it was the right decision." Gonzalez stressed that recovering the players was the priority over getting the team in the tournament. The FC Dallas delegation arrived at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on June 27 and is still inside the hotel in quarantine, with no firm information on when they'll be able to return to Texas. "We're trying to figure out what the logistics are in terms of our opportunity to go back to Dallas" said Gonzalez. "That's going to take us staying here a little bit longer and learning how we can get everybody healthy here first, but there are some ideas being discussed about how we get everybody eventually to Dallas. "Is that going to be one group? Two groups? I don't know. I have no idea. We're going to learn more." Atlanta United coach Frank de Boer said on Tuesday that the club hasn't had any positive cases over the three recent tests and is feeling safe in the Orlando bubble. "All the safety measures are here to feel safe," said the former Holland international in a video conference. "When Dallas came here they were probably contaminated already in Dallas itself. That's different. I think when people get contaminated here, it's a different case I think." Sporting Kansas City's Mexican striker Alan Pulido also expressed his confidence that MLS is Back is still on course. "First of all it's a shame what happened with FC Dallas, but the health and wellbeing of everyone is always most important," said Pulido, also in a video conference. "Being here, [the positive cases] do catch our attention, but it doesn't mean anything will happen to us. "We have to keep following the measures that are required, like using face masks, regularly washing our hands, not having contact with others because you don't know what it could mean. "You try to be responsible, but obviously we're here for the tournament, focusing on winning, which is important and why we're here." MLS is Back kicks off Wednesday with Orlando City against Inter Miami, although Nashville SC also reported five positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday and its game against Chicago Fire, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed. "In conjunction with the club, MLS will continue to evaluate Nashville SC's participation in the MLS is Back Tournament following the results of additional testing," read an MLS statement on Tuesday.
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