Sounders’ Raul Ruidiaz tests positive for COVID-19; Wednesday’s match postponed
Sounders forward Raul Ruidiaz has tested positive for COVID-19 with another member of the Peru national team.
The Peruvian soccer federation issued a statement Monday saying Ruidiaz and Alex Valera have not shown serious symptoms of the coronavirus and have remained in isolation since before the results were known.
Ruidiaz, who is on international duty with Peru, did not board the team’s bus for practice Monday as he awaited the results of a second test, according to a report by Franco Panizo of SBI Soccer.
Ruidiaz last played for the Sounders on Oct. 3, left Seattle last week and has been with Peru since at least Oct. 7. He played 74 minutes in Peru’s 2-2 draw with Paraguay in a World Cup qualifying match Thursday. Peru is scheduled for a match against Brazil on Tuesday.
Ruidiaz was scheduled to return to Seattle following Peru’s match with Brazil. He would be required to quarantine for 10 days after traveling back to Seattle.
The Sounders did not immediately respond for comment Monday.
Ruidiaz leads the first-place Sounders with nine goals in 13 games this season, including a goal in his most recent match with the team — a 3-1 win over Vancouver.
Meanwhile, Major League Soccer announced that Wednesday’s match at CenturyLink Field between the Seattle Sounders FC and the Colorado Rapids has been postponed.
Per the league, while there have been no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the Colorado Rapids staff and players, based on the total number of cases, Major League Soccer — in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — has postponed Colorado Rapids matches for the next 10 days.
Rapids players who have continued to test negative will have the ability to attend team training but will otherwise remain quarantined.
“We obviously are aware of the situation,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer told reporters during a video conference call after Sunday’s loss to Los Angeles FC. “We’ll tackle that when we’re back in Seattle.”
The Rapids’ past four matches have been postponed, including Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy, because of positive COVID-19 tests. A total of five Rapids players and 13 staffers have tested positive for the virus since Sept. 23. The team also hasn’t trained since Oct. 5.
Major League Soccer is evaluating options for rescheduling the impacted matches, which includes Sounders FC’s match against the Rapids on Wednesday. The Rave Green next play Sunday at San Jose, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.