Soccer Star Rodney Wallace Praises MLS for Handling COVID-19 Pandemic, Reveals Why Tournament Is Successful (Exclusive)

Major League Soccer was one of the first pro sports leagues in the country to return to action amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly every team traveled to Florida for the MLS is Back Tournament, and there hasn’t been a new positive test in almost a month. PopCulture.com got a chance to speak with MLS star Rodney Wallace, and he revealed how the MLS has handled playing during the pandemic with no severe issues.

“It’s been successful because of protocol,” Wallace said. “In order for it to be successful is players and families and organizations have to really respect what the ultimate mission is. If you’re a family member. You have to do what’s right for the whole family. If that means staying at home as well and protecting everybody, so the athlete does not go into the bubble feeling sick with COVID or whatever it is, that’s a big plus.”

And because of the lack of positive tests, fans have been watching a number of exciting matches with the championship game being played on Tuesday. Wallace, who is currently a free agent as he’s rehabbing from a hip procedure, has been enjoying the action for the past month.

“It’s awesome to watch. I love being in a position where I’m so busy doing something else, but at the same time, it’s like I’m scouting because I’m watching these players have been held back from playing because of the virus,” Wallace said who has helped some of the players heal from injuries with his CBD brand Rewind. “To see them come back to the field and getting injured here and there, it’s been great to watch because I’ve able to personally help a lot of these players with Rewind.”

Wallace, 32, has put together a stable soccer career. Along with being a member of the Costa Rica National Team, Wallace has been playing professionally since 2009. He’s spent the majority of his career with the Portland Timbers and helped the team win the MLS Cup in 2015. He was also named Comeback Player of the Year in 2014 after missing half the year due to him suffering a torn ACL at the end of the 2013 season.

“I’m in the process of coming back to playing,” Wallace said. “My last hip resurfacing was on December 20. Now I’m just about eight months into my rehab process. Right now, I’m entering my own preseason before things really ramp up for me and hopefully be in a situation where I’m able to suit up again and return to playing with joy.”

Wallace has done nearly everything in his career but would love to win another championship. So if he has an opportunity to choose his next MLS team, he wants to go to an organization that has the goal of winning it all.

“I’m in a position where I’m allowed to try to explore all of those areas because I put myself in the situation, and it’s a positive,” he said. “If I have the option of choosing one team over another, I would do it based on all of those factors. The locker room is such a big factor, and does the team have ambitions to win the championship? If I’m able to come back and get a trophy, which is ultimately what I’m looking for, it would be amazing.”