Liga MX players on Monday began training in club facilities after three months of coronavirus-enforced holiday.
Mexico and the South American continent are still battling to contain the dreaded virus as the numbers of confirmed cases keep rising. It is not different in Mexico’s first division, with about 40 personnel in clubs tested positive of the dreaded virus.
Although normalcy is beginning to return across the world with the US and some European countries reducing the restrictions after reaching the peak of the pandemic in their respective countries, it appears to be otherwise in the South American region.
Before players were allowed to return to training, tests were carried, and the stated number of cases was discovered. The Mexican government has said more positive cases wouldn’t derail the July 24 return date for action.
As part of the safety procedure, Club America, Cruz Azul, Pumas, Leon, Necaxa, Atletico de San Luis, Tigres, Santos Laguna, and Toluca trained in small groups on Monday. As they all did these under the league’s sanitary protocol, Chivas will also return to training soon.
The pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 Clausura season last month. So, the clubs are to resume preseasons ahead of the July 24 start date for the new season. For now, games are scheduled to be played behind closed doors until the government says otherwise. The government order is not looking like changing anytime soon with the increasing cases. So, spectators are expected to be glued to their TV screens and enjoy the games at their respective homes.
With the 2020 Clausura season canceled after Liga MX was adamant it would be finished, with seven rounds of games remaining in the regular season, the league body had to yield due to the rising numbers, forcing the playoffs to be abandoned in favor of starting afresh with the Apertura.
The new format for 2020 Clausura
As a result, a new format for the playoffs has been come up with and announced earlier this month. The top four clubs in the regular season will advance into the last eight, while teams occupying the fifth place to 12th will play an elimination round of games. The winners of the games join the other four quarterfinalists. According to the format, the elimination round is a one-game only that will be hosted by the team highest in the table hosting. The game will go into penalties to decide which team goes through in case of a draw after 90 minutes.
