Toros’ Echeverry pleased to see players on field after two months away
EDINBURG, Texas – Since Rio Grande Valley FC opened the 2020 USL Championship season at H-E-B Park in March, the team has not able to step back onto the pitch for nearly two months. That changed this week, when the Toros returned to the field for individual training sessions under safety parameters set by the USL due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Thursday, the team had trained via Zoom video calls. As players stepped foot on the pitch, you could sense and feel everyone’s eagerness to return.
“I enjoyed it, my staff enjoyed it and I think by the looks from some of the players I think that they were out there [training on their own],” Head Coach Gerson Echeverry said.
Although it was not a typical training session for the Toros, it did mark a small step to have a chance to progress and eventually be able to train in larger groups.
“It was good for them to be on our field and being able to not only get some fitness, but play the ball around, get some touches on the ball,” Echeverry said. “There was a lot of smiles and I think it was pretty good for them to be out there. I know for me; it was fun seeing them run around and kind of just getting a little bit of some normal back into my life. Being able to see my staff, being able to see my players.”
The guidelines issued by the league see players and support staff enter through the outside of the stadium, not exposing anyone’s health. All players and staff showed up to training fully dressed in their training gear, while everyone wore facemasks and staff wore gloves. Everyone’s temperature was taken immediately after getting out of their vehicles as a precautionary check.
The team was separated in two different groups where each player fully trained on their own. As the pandemic continues to threaten the country, Toros staff and local authorities are working together to ensure no one is being jeopardized and put at risk as we take the first step to resuming play.
Individual training will continue as the Toros and the rest of the USL Championship League continue to work toward a return to action, proceeding in the safest way possible.
# TOROS UNIDOS #
