The Philadelphia Union's introduction into MLS will come in the intense atmosphere of Qwest Field as Major League Soccer's newest team will face its second newest in the league's 2010 season opener on March 25th.
MLS announced the home openers for 15 of the league's 16 teams on Thursday, with Philly-Seattle kicking off the season on Thursday, March 25. Toronto FC's home opener has not been determined yet as the club is awaiting the outcome of its proposal to install a grass surface at BMO Field.
The New York Red Bulls will unveil Red Bull Arena on March 27 with a match against the Chicago Fire, while Toronto FC and Columbus renew acquaintances at Crew Stadium that same day.
Here is a rundown of all the MLS home openers:
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2010
Philadelphia Union at Seattle Sounders (ESPN2)
SATURDAY, March 27, 2010
Toronto FC at Columbus Crew
Chicago Fire at New York Red Bulls (ESPN2)
D.C. United at Kansas City Wizards
Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas
Real Salt Lake at San Jose Earthquakes
New England Revolution at Los Angeles Galaxy
SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2010
Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA (Telefutura)
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010
Chicago Fire at Colorado Rapids
New England Revolution at D.C. United
Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2010
D.C. United at Philadelphia Union (Fox Soccer Channel)
Toronto FC at New England Revolution
San Jose Earthquakes at Chicago Fire
Seattle Sounders at Real Salt Lake
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What do you think of these match-ups? Looking forward to seeing Red Bull Arena? Think the Philly-Seattle opener is going to be as good an atmosphere as Seattle's inaugural match this year?
Share your thoughts below.
Why do we ALWAYS open at Kansas City?! I really can’t stand it. It depresses me having to watch a soccer game in that little minor league baseball park with no seats opposite the press box. Ugh.
let’s just say that i can’t wait for the stunned silence in seattle when the union score first… and the several hundred die hard SOB’s that make the trip go absolutely mental. and i plan to be right in the middle of that chaos.
COME ON PHILLY!
Booking my plane ticket for Mar 27 as we speak..NY here I come, going to be good to be back in civilization!!!
Union James- keep on hoping bro.
Have there been any rumors about the first Philly players? All I have heard is San Jose wants to give Convey away.
I am hoping to see 2k Union fans in seattle cheering our team on throughout our 3-2 win.
only 184 days
Posted by: JFC | September 24, 2009 at 05:06 PM
You must be a Red Bulls fan.
Seattle should get the opener every year until another team can draw, continually, a higher average per game.
RSL fan
RLS at SJ has an SJ win written all over it. Lame.
only 184 days
i thought Philly @ NY would be a good start to the year but the stated lineup isnt bad at all. can’t wait!
hope FSC will finally broadcast MLS matches in HD during 2010.
Cowboys parking is actually 75 bucks. I was at the game Sunday. A Miller lite and a pretzel cost me 15 bucks. The whole experience was rediculously expensive. I’d rather go to a game at pizza hut park any day.
i will be at evry Red Bull Arena game……………..but what i still wish MLS does……is copy the EPL sitting apprach..where the fans are like right on the field……if yopu notice in Stamford Bridge the field goes down after the endlines so its like when the fans sit/stand theirr eyesight is exactly level with the feild rather than the fans being so far away. ReD Bull’s first row will be 21 feet away(boundary width)…..whats stamford bridges Boundary width anybody know?
$60? Seriously? And I thought Danny Snyder was a criminal.
One more thing on Jerry world. Parking alone costs $60 per day. Red Bulls Arena will be a great stadium and the tickets will be a fraction of what it costs for a Dallas Football game plus a PSL license, plus $10 Beers and $13 Hamburgers, etc..
gary,
from a ‘quakes fan ,please!! take convey to philly….i’d even give him up for free w/ nothing in return….just get him the hell out of san jose!
It will be nice for Columbus to start their third consecutive MLS Cup campaign with an easy three points.
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Like the easy three points they got this year?
“Last year, the Sounders played the MLS Cup runners up in the first game”
note: MLS Cup runners-up sounds much better than calling them their actual name now in retrospect..
I can’t wait for the first trip to Red Bull Arena. Will they be giving out jagerbombs to the first 10,000 fans?
wally: I think that’s fair — they have a weak schedule coming up.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/results?id=306&season=2009&_league=eng.1&cc=5901
TFC is going away right now so they can put grass down. MLS is not giving TFC the armpit, they are accommodating them.
Ives- What is it about the New York stadium that will make it the best by a mile? What makes it different than any other new stadium?
The only way the Sounders/Philly opener can match the opener last year is if we present the MLS Cup to the fans.
Last year, the Sounders played the MLS Cup runners up in the first game. All I wanted was solid effort and good enthusiasm from the fans, maybe even a goal. (Expansion teams don’t usually start well) That first game blew my expectations out of the water. We could beat Philly 6-0 and it still wouldn’t compare.
I believe my original comment must have been sensored (surely not Ives?!)
Anyways – Big fat BOOOOOO to MLS for giving TFC the armpit away as our season opener….again. Here’s hopingt he veto sticks and we all go to NE instead.
I’d also like to see some U20 coverage, at least of the US side.
interesting that LA is not anyone’s home opener. perhaps its an indication that beckham and landon will not be around at the start of the season
It will be nice for Columbus to start their third consecutive MLS Cup campaign with an easy three points.
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I wouldn’t count on that, but you know they are counting on thousands of Toronto fans coming down. It’s the only way to guarantee a full house for the home opener
Glad to see we get the first game again this year.
I wonder if the football lines will be gone. For those that didn’t notice even though the Hawks have started neither game has had a hint of football lines on the field. So other than plastic grass I know that was a major concern for many out there.
I haven’t heard if they are bringing grass in or not for the CUP.
Tickets for the final went on sale earlier this week.
i think the league did right to have the fire and ny open their new stadium, at least in my biased fire opinion. i’m really looking forward to that match and seeing what the stadium looks like.
Phil Brown has apparently been given 6 weeks to turn it around at Hull and save his job. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean typical top flight risk aversion–sitting the young guys and playing the experienced vets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/24/hull-city-phil-brown-pressure
It will be nice for Columbus to start their third consecutive MLS Cup campaign with an easy three points.
chicago may be going through a transition next year. who knows if the oldies like mcbride-blanco will be back. Rolf (the metro killer) will be gone etc…
its going to be an interesting offseason for many teams
Philly/Seattle will be a fun season opener. Quest is a tough place to play, but Peter Novak will put together a solid, organized team.
Posted by: JVC | September 24, 2009 at 02:14 PM
It’ll be even more fun since the sounders will have 8 months to figure out how to remove that huge piece of plexiglass that they installed over the mouth of the visiting team’s goal.
why doesn’t the season open at red bull arena? we opened this past season in seattle already.
zongzap: every team is stronger, so they didn’t have much of a choice 🙂
brilliant marketing – Red Bull opens a new stadium and who do they schedule? one of the stronger teams. You’d think they would try to arrange things so that they played a team they have a chance of beating. Nothing like sending the home crowd into a funk by getting thrashed in the first game in your new house
Hope it has grass. Too much crappy turf in this league already
oh the luck of the fire
we get to play in a beautiful stadium for our first game
plus the revenge of the second city will make it all the more beautiful
thanks–i’ve never been to a metrostars/red bull game at giants stadium but i’m planning on going to the arena next spring for sure.
I think Philly has made some good moves already, and have a good shot at being competitive.
Philly/Seattle will be a fun season opener. Quest is a tough place to play, but Peter Novak will put together a solid, organized team.
Let’s see Red Bull Arena cost 180-200 million and Jerry World cost 1.3 billion and you are trying to compare them, really?
is it a guarantee that the red bull arena will be ready for the opener? and anyone know what the ticket prices will be?
Posted by: Murphy | September 24, 2009 at 02:05 PM
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It’s easily going to be ready. Ticket prices have held steady from last year… and from what I’ve seen are among the cheapest in the league.
is it a guarantee that the red bull arena will be ready for the opener? and anyone know what the ticket prices will be?
(SBI- Red Bull Arena will essentially be completed by November so the opener in 2010 isn’t really a question.)
Calm down guys, I was just having a laugh. I know Red Bull Arena will be the grandest stage in American soccer, and I very much look forward to seeing games on tv there, and if Atlanta had a team, I’d probably make a trek up. Sorry if my joke didn’t land.
(SBI-It happens to all of us.)
hopefully we (Wiz supporters) will be seeing the construction of the new stadium from our sets at the home opener…
loll John its so true good analogy. Its funny how there’s ALWAYS a hater in the bunch(jacob a).
First victim… Chicago!!!
Posted by: dena | September 24, 2009 at 01:25 PM
Ha,Ha!!!
Fire house expands eastward. Next Stop, almost the Big Apple.
Looking forward to making this trip and of course the match.
Am I the only one that hates lineup threads? And a U-20 one? That sounds excruciating.
“No matter how nice Red Bull Arena is, it will still be nothing compared with Jerry World.”
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That’s like saying your wife is nothing compared to Megan Fox. To that I say “DUH!” and “so what!”
No matter how nice Red Bull Arena is, it will still be nothing compared with Jerry World.
(SBI-What’s the point if this comment again? One stadium cost a BILLION, the other cost a fifth of that. Red Bull Arena will be the best stadium in MLS by a mile when it opens.)
ives, you should do a…who should start for the u-20’s? article
Here’s to hoping the Union try to put together a solid team from the start — not saying 2 ridiculous DPs from day1, but some really solid players that make a little bit of money will be nice. Like to see Convey come home and try to rebuild his career.
First victim… Chicago!!!
Can’t wait for red bull arena, maybe something about the team will be enjoyable