San Diego Loyal to resume USL season on July 11
SD Loyal
The San Diego Loyal will soon restart their inaugural season.
Slowly but surely, some major soccer leagues like the German Bundesliga and the Portuguese league have resumed play amongst the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no clear sight of the MLS continuing play, but the USL, where the San Diego Loyal play, officially announced that it would make its return on July 11, 2020.
The Loyal is the newest professional sports team in the region, and the team was gaining momentum before the coronavirus crisis. The team from America’s finest city had played just two games in the 2020 USL season before the league was suspended, but they were undefeated in this span.
Landon Donovan’s team began their inaugural campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Las Vegas Lights at home. Junior Burgos opened the scoring for Las Vegas in that game, but Charlie Adams was able to score to salvage a point for San Diego.
A sold-out crowd made for a vibrant atmosphere at Torrero Stadium as the Loyal began their history with a solid result. San Diego then went on to get its first victory in franchise history in their second match as the Loyal visited the Tacoma Defiance.
Donovan’s team took a 2-1 win as Francis Atuahene scored both goals that led to San Diego’s win. The Loyal was currently first in the USL Western Conference with four points and was building significant momentum. The league suspension came at a bad time for San Diego, and it will be interesting to see how the team can do when the league resumes play.
We’re BACK!@uslchampionship announced provisional start date of July 11.#USL | https://t.co/iFGsO3t9s1 pic.twitter.com/awkuKSRZhN
— United Soccer League (@USL_HQ) June 4, 2020
The Loyal are already training towards the continuation of the season, but there is not a definite date as to when they will play their first game or against who that game will be. The USL will make further announcements in the coming weeks, but it seems that the season will resume with no fans in the stands.
Francisco, 26, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego Loyal, San Diego Wave.