The spread of the coronavirus has forced another USL Championship club to move a match.
Expansion side San Diego Loyal SC announced Wednesday night that it will be postponing its game this Saturday against Rio Grande Valley FC to July 29.
Tickets to Saturday’s match will be honored on July 29.
In a statement, the club said its decision was made in “collaboration with key stakeholders including state and local health authorities” and the USL. The University of San Diego – where the club plays its matches – has canceled or postponed all events that are expected to have more than 100 people attend. As of Wednesday night, there were no known cases of COVID-19 at the university.
“Taking care of fans, players and staff is the highest priority at SD Loyal, and the club carefully weighed its options when making the decision to postpone the match,” San Diego Loyal SC president Warren Smith said in a statement. “SD Loyal is a team of the fans, and we want to do all that we can to ensure they get to see their club play. Amid the concerns over COVID-19, we also want to take all appropriate precautions for the safety of our staff, players and fans.
“We are grateful to Rio Grande Valley FC for agreeing to reschedule the match, and we look forward to playing them here in July.”
Smith said that the club had the option of playing the match with no fans in attendance, the club felt it was in “the best interest” to postpone.
Because of the coronavirus, San Diego Loyal SC is already playing a closed-door match Wednesday night in Washington against the Tacoma Defiance
The team, coached by Landon Donovan, began its USL Championship campaign last Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Las Vegas Lights FC in a nationally televised match.
San Diego Loyal is the second USL Championship side to postpone matches because of the coronavirus. Hartford Athletic has pushed back its first two home matches of the season.