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Shauna Rush

5-POINT FRIDAY, JULY 31st, 2020

Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.


Baseball news I am keeping an eye on -


MLB's 2020 season is not even a week old and one team has already experienced a coronavirus outbreak that has caused multiple games to be postponed.


Nineteen Miami Marlins players and coaches have so far tested positive for COVID-19. While the Phillies also announced a pair of positive tests, for a coach and a home clubhouse staff member, after their game against the Marlins.


"The health and safety protocols were designed with a challenging circumstance like the one facing the Marlins in mind," MLB said in a statement, following the news. "The response outlined in the joint MLB-MLBPA Operations Manual was triggered immediately upon learning of the cluster of positive cases, including contact tracing and the quarantining and testing of all of the identified close contacts. The Marlins' personnel who tested positive remain in isolation and are receiving care."  


In an effort to minimize disruption to the season while containing the outbreak, MLB has revised the schedule to isolate the Marlins and Phillies. At the moment Miami's season has been halted until Monday, August 3rd.


Formula 1 news I was expecting -


FIA announced that it had given up hope of holding races in the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico this year because of the increasing number of COVID-19 infections in the Americas.


Instead, they are set to add a further three European races. Likely to be at the Nurburgring in Germany, on October 11th; the Imola Circuit in Italy, on November 1st; and the first-ever race at Portugal’s Portimao circuit on October 25th.


Formula 1 had hoped to hold a race in Canada before the end of the year, having decided in April to postpone a race scheduled for June. But even though the infection rate is relatively low in the country, they have had to abandon these plans because of strict local travel restrictions.


Soccer news I am following -


The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced that it will stage a reduced 2020 season. called“The Island Games," with all games available on the OneSoccer subscription service. The closed doors tournament is set to start on August 13th and will be played in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.


All eight CPL teams, including the expansion team Atlético Ottawa, will initially play a round-robin tournament of 28 regular-season games, with each team playing each other once. The top four teams will move to the second round group phase, with the top two then progressing to the single-match championship game. The winner will earn a place in the 2021 Concacaf League, a qualifying tournament for the Concacaf Champions League.


“We are excited about The Island Games…and the level of support from the Government of PEI, and City of Charlottetown who have been at the forefront of all our planning with our priority being that every participant and PEI citizens will be safe,” said CPL commissioner David Clanachan. “We are appreciative of all their hard work and their enduring support in making our season a reality.”

Rugby news I am excited by -


This year's Autumn Tests are set to be replaced by an eight-team tournament in which the Six Nations sides will be joined by Japan and Fiji.


The tournament is set to start on November 14th, two weeks after this year’s postponed Six Nations is to be completed.


Reports indicate that the tournament will be made up of two groups. England, Wales, Ireland, and Fiji in Group 1. While Japan will join Scotland, Italy, and France in Group 2.


Official confirmation of the schedule and venues in expected in August. Although New Zealand is currently the preferred destination for the tournament due to the countries success with the COVID-19 pandemic.


What I've been watching -


Tony Hawk breaks down skateboarding's legendary spots from Vox. The video exemplifies how skateboarders test what the thoughts on what public spaces should be. While proving how the most basic and forgotten architecture can be creatively utilized.

Have a wonderful weekend, all!


Jonathan

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