NEW YORK – Major League Soccer Wednesday extended the team training moratorium through, and including, Friday, April 3 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

MLS training facilities remain closed to all players and staff with the exception of players requiring medical treatment or rehabilitation, under the direction of the team medical staff, that cannot be performed from the safety of their residence, the league said.

While MLS players are expected to remain in each club’s respective market, MLS will review individual requests by players to relocate to another market by car, taking into account the player’s situation.

MLS said it will remain in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada on this continually evolving situation and provide further updates as they become available.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.