By AVI CREDITOR
Major League Soccer fans, get out your pens and calendars, and get ready to do some circling.
MLS released its full 2010 schedule Wednesday, with the season kicking off March 25 in Seattle when the Sounders take on the expansion Philadelphia Union at Qwest Field at 9:30 p.m. EST (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes).
MLS Cup-holders Real Salt Lake begins its title defense two days later at San Jose.
The opening weekend contains some other enticing games: Coach Curt Onalfo leads D.C. United into Kansas City to face his former team, the Wizards; Chicago plays the first regular-season game at New York's new Red Bull Arena; and the Houston Dynamo squares off with FC Dallas in a Texas derby all on March 27.
Here are some of the more intriguing match-ups the schedule has to offer:
- April 1 – Chivas USA at L.A. Galaxy
- April 10 – D.C. United at Philadelphia Union
- April 17 – Real Salt Lake at L.A. Galaxy
- April 24 – Philadelphia Union at New York Red Bulls
- April 25 – Seattle Sounders FC at Toronto FC
- May 1 – New York Red Bulls at D.C. United
- May 5 – Kansas City Wizards at D.C. United
- May 8 – New England Revolution at Columbus Crew
- May 29 – New York Red Bulls at New England Revolution
- July 8 – Real Salt Lake at Chicago Fire
- July 15 – Seattle Sounders FC at D.C. United
- July 25 – Colorado Rapids at Seattle Sounders F.C.
- August 5 – Columbus Crew at Philadelphia Union
- September 5 – San Jose Earthquakes at Houston Dynamo
- September 18 – New York Red Bulls at FC Dallas
- September 25 – Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake
- October 9 – Toronto FC at Chivas USA
- October 10 – New England Revolution at Houston Dynamo
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What do you think about some of the early-season match-ups? Which game can you not wait to see? Excited for the new rivalries that Philadelphia will create with D.C. and New York?
Share your thoughts below.
I will be at the Red Bulls friendly against Santos and the MLS opener against the Fire. I am a Red Bulls fan but I am equally excited about seeing McBride play and obviously Robinho for Santos.
Yep, I agree Ives, that Chicago Fire vs. Union match is going to be a snoozer. I mean a Fire legend coaching against his former club. No story line there.
(SBI-Listen Frank. A) I didn’t write this post, B) the list of matches was just a sampling and C) Nowak has coached against Chicago several times already during his time with D.C. so it’s not quite the story it might have been six years ago when he started his coaching career.)
What’s wrong with an unbalanced schedule? Doesn’t it promote rivalries?
I was thinking the same thing the other day. I hope they’ve designed the stadium in a way that facilitates future expansion.
C’MON WIZARDS!!!
Hey Ives…. Do you think the league will expand to a 34 game schedule when Van and Por join in 2011? That is 4 more games (assuming home and away continues). They would have to add more week day match days or prolong the schedule a couple more weeks. OR will they go to the dreaded division alignment to keep the 30 game schedule intact?
What do you think?
I wanna see Houston at Seattle. They played each other 5 times last year. Then the Dynamo eliminated the Sounders in the playoffs. The sounder nations is dying to get the Dynamo at home i would think.
gotta love those 11 pm saturday night kickoffs!!!
I can’t wait for the NY road trip up 95. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new stadium.
im having trouble understanding what you mean by having 17 days off between june 10th and the 17th? lol did ya mean july?
PDX will be able to expand to 24,000 from 20,000
YVR will be able to expand to 55,000 from 24,000
SEA will be able to expand to 67,000 from 35,500
So, no it won’t be anything like what’s going over in mini-stadium land along the ACELA
Not on a Saturday. No big deal at all.
Does anyone know how playoffs are this year?? Is it the top four from each division now that the divisions have an even amount of teams or is it still top two of each division and best remaining 4?
And go!!!
What other Crew home games are going to be good? Trying to decide what 5 games I am going get tickets for.
Sorry KTO,
You are outta luck, the Don said next year the schedule will stay at 30 games and thus be unbalanced. I saw it live two months ago.
He joked that the first thing people would do when he left is change to a single standings league.
I really think that MLS HQ agrees with me, they will not be stopping at 20 teams. Just doesn’t make any business sense at all.
I’m counting down to Toronto @ Columbus. Another year, another loss for the visitors 🙂
Please get your priorities straight.
If you had a plan last year the 4 and 8 game plans will be available Feb 5th at 10am. If not they go on sale to the general public on Feb 8th at 10am.
As to the push for season ticket holders in the lower bowl? It does kind of suck for those who don’t want to make the leap now. However I understand them doing it to try and sell more season tickets after the grand opening.
Don’t worry though, I took a tour of the place when I bought my season tickets this year. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. There isn’t even an “eh” seat. Great sight lines throughout.
Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to MLS growing to 20 teams but a 16 team league, 30 game home/away schedule is about as good as it gets. I’m entirely against anything that will return MLS to unbalanced schedules (except if we have a delay with the 20th team not being able to launch with #19 Montreal) and really hope that sentiment is agreed with at MLS HQ.
what? Union have 17 days off between June 10th and June 17th. The games past group stages are pretty dispersed where scheduling MLS games shouldnt be that big of a deal.
R7 rocks and NJTS is going to love all the SOBs going nuts on the way to Harrison.
Any clue as to when RBArena will start selling the 4 and 8 game packs? Kind of ridiculous that they shove you to buy a full season if you want to get level 100 seats right not.
Disappointed the DC at Philly game is so soon. Not only is the stadium not ready, but I won’t be back in the DC area yet. Definitely traveling up to Red Bulls Arena for the July 10 DC game. Not that I am a Philly Fan but I might go up for a game just to check out the stadium. (It also helps that my gf best friend works for the Union front office)
Not listed above but I’m glad the LA Galaxy isn’t coming to New York until AFTER the World Cup, hopefully with Becks and Lando in tow.
Oh course New York Red Bulls at DC United has to be when I start my exams. Went to high school with Tony Tchani and would love to see him play against my mls team. Hopefully it works out
I liked the Sunday afternoon games. I don’t have to give up my Saturday night, and usually don’t have anything planned on Sunday anyways. I understand why they would schedule less of them though.
Fewer Sunday afternoon Games this year. I think this is a good thing.
Not much of a “World Cup Break” eh?
Philly has 3 teams within 5 hours drive of the city, why would they build a stadium that only holds 18,500 ?
Are they trying to help the ticket scalping agencies ?
I am worried about the same thing next year with Portland and Vancouver.
April 1st. D-Day.
I’ll be doing a road trip to NY, Philly, and D.C. There are 2 weeks during the season when all 3 teams have home games within a 7 day period.
July 10th D.C. United @ Red Bull New York
July 15th Seattle Sounders @ D.C. United
July 17th Toronto F.C. @ Philadelphia Union
October 2nd Kansas City Wizards @ Red Bull New York
October 7th LA Galaxy @ Philadelphia Union
October 9th San Jose Earthquakes @ D.C. United
Man, I am looking over the Sounder’s schedule, with as close as the league was last year, every game seems like a huge game.
Fun. Get the CBA worked out because I am ready for some soccer.
What is MLS thinking starting some of those east coast team’s games at 8:00 pacific ?
ha… Nothing beats the R7, but damn sure wouldn’t want to take it to NJ.
April 24th! Philly goes to New Jersey on the R7.
Dc vs philly in the afternoon sucks for traveleres or does it?
finnaly can start planning that road trip from boston to philly.