On Friday, exactly 155 years after Union troops marched into Galveston, Texas, to announce to all enslaved people in Texas they were free, more than 70 black players in MLS joined together to announce the creation the Black Players Coalition to fight the racial inequalities in that still exist in the league and the country. 

Former United States soccer coach Bruce Arena questioned the relevance of playing the country's national anthem before matches in professional sports leagues, saying it was inappropriate.

Arena said he understood why some athletes take a knee to protest racial discrimination during pre-match renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner," saying it was appropriate as long as it was respectful.

Bill Hamid, one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, took to social media to trash restrictive social distancing rules surrounding the upcoming MLS Is Back Tournament. This being social media in 2020, it took no time at all for someone to point out how Hamid has failed to properly social distance himself lately.

It was reported at the start of June that NBA superstar Kevin Durant had bought a minority stake in the Philadelphia Union. On Monday the club confirmed Durant and his company, Thirty Five Ventures, bought a 5-percent stake of the club.

Although national news reports have died down as protests have become more peaceful, there is a widespread movement going on across America, protests demanding Black Lives Matter. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, the soccer world has emphatically joined the movement, in Europe and the U.S. 

Longtime U.S. men's national team member Fabian Johnson is seeking a move to MLS, according to a report.

Kristian Dyer of Sports Illustrated tweeted that Johnson, who plays for Borussia Monchengladbach of the Bundesliga, has been in contact with "multiple" MLS teams through his agent.

Rivalries highlight the 'MLS is Back Tournament' after a draw on Thursday pitted regional foes against each other in a return to action following a three-month coronavirus hiatus.

All 26 MLS teams will congregate at Disney World resort in Orlando for a tournament without spectators that will start on July 8 and crown a winner on Aug. 11.

The stage is set. Who takes it all?  pic.twitter.com/u5jDSUItCi

Major League Soccer will restart the season on July 8, after being shut down for almost three months by the COVID-19 outbreak, by staging a tournament without fans at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, it said on Wednesday.

"We selected Orlando because we wanted a neutral site where we could bring all 26 of our teams together and do it in a format that would be compelling and partner with a company (Disney) that has best in class operational excellence," said MLS commissioner Don Garber during a conference call.

With the United States Soccer Federation debating whether to repeal its rule requiring players to stand for the nation anthem, Major League Soccer reconfirmed Tuesday that it does not prevent anyone from kneeling in protest.

The USSF's board of directors held a special meeting Tuesday to discuss its anthem policy but did not take immediate action, according to the New York Times. Per the report, no decision is likely to come before the board has a regularly scheduled meeting on Friday.