Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports
By DAN KARELL
Fret not, MLS fans. The offseason is over.
Just 47 days since the LA Galaxy were crowned MLS Cup champions, teams across the league are returning to the training pitch to begin preparations for the 2015 season. Boots are being laced up, shin guards and ankle tape being applied, and sprints are being run across the country as players prepare for the season ahead.
MLS teams will be heading to multiple locations, most heading for warm-weather training in Arizona or Florida, while some will be heading to England, Ireland, or Sweden to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
Here is a closer look at each of MLS’ 20 clubs preseason plans:
CHICAGO FIRE
Entrance physical: Sunday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: Feb. 5 vs. Norwich FC Norwich, UK.; Feb. 12 vs. Queens Park Rangers in London, UK.; Feb. 22-28 at Simple Invitational in Portland, Ore., vs. Stabaek (Feb. 22), Portland Timbers (Feb. 25), and vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 28).
COLORADO RAPIDS
Entrance physical: TBA
First day of training: TBA
Match schedule: Feb. 15 vs. San Jose Earthquakes in Las Vegas, Nev.; Feb. 18-28 at Diamond Desert Cup in Tucson, Ariz. vs. Sporting KC (Feb. 18), vs. New England Revolution (Feb. 21), vs. FC Tucson (Feb. 25), vs. opponent TBD (Feb. 28).
COLUMBUS CREW
Entrance physicals: Thursday/Friday
First day of training: Saturday
Match schedule: Jan. 24-Feb. 6 training camp in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.; Feb. 13-15 at ATX Challenge in Austin, Texas vs. FC Dallas Feb. 13, vs. Opponent TBA Feb. 15; Feb. 18-Feb. 28 at IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla. vs. TP Mazembe (Feb. 18), vs. Costa Rica U-23s (Feb. 21), vs. Philadelphia Union (Feb. 25), and vs. opponent TBD (Feb. 28).
D.C. UNITED
Entrance physicals: Thursday
First day of training: Friday
Match schedule: Jan. 24-Feb. 6 training camp in Bradenton, Fla. vs. Orlando City (Jan. 30), vs. Jonkoping Sodra (Feb. 3), vs. Malmo FF (Feb. 6); Feb. 13-15 ATX Challenge in Austin, Texas; vs. Austin Aztex (Feb. 13) vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 15); vs. FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas (Feb. 20)
FC DALLAS
Entrance physicals: TBA
First day of training: TBA
Match schedule: Feb. 1-8 training camp in Bradenton, Fla.; Feb. 13-15 ATX Pro Challenge in Austin, Texas; vs. Columbus Crew (Feb. 13), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 15); Friendly vs. D.C. United in Frisco, Texas (Feb. 20)
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Entrance physicals: Saturday/Sunday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: Feb. 4-10 Desert Friendlies in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 4), vs. Portland Timbers (Feb. 7), vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 10); Scrimmage vs. Houston Dynamo U-18s in Houston; vs. Austin Aztex (Feb. 18); Feb. 21-28 Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C.; vs. Charleston Battery (Feb. 21), vs. New York City FC (Feb. 25), vs. Orlando City (Feb. 28).
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Entrance physicals: Thursday/Friday
First day of training: Saturday
Match schedule: vs. Seattle Sounders (Feb. 6); vs. Hammarby in Stockholm, Sweden (Feb. 16); vs. Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, Ireland (Feb. 21); vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 28)
MONTREAL IMPACT
Entrance physicals: Thursday
First day of training: Friday
Match schedule: TBA
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Entrance physicals: Thursday
First day of training: Friday
Match schedule: Jan. 26-Feb. 6 training camp in Casa Granze, Ariz.; Scrimmage vs. Real Salt Lake (Jan. 31), vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 4); Feb. 15-28 Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. Real Salt Lake (Feb. 18), vs. Colorado Rapids (Feb. 21), vs. Seattle Sounders (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28)
NEW YORK CITY FC
Entrance physicals: Thursday/Friday
First day of training: Saturday
Match schedule: Jan. 24-Feb. 2 training camp in Jacksonville, Fla.; Feb. 6-16 training camp in Manchester, UK; vs. St. Mirrin in Paisley, Scotland (Feb. 10), vs. Brondby in Brondby, Denmark (Feb. 15); Feb. 19-March 1 at Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C.; vs. Orlando City (Feb. 21), vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 25), vs. Charleston Battery (Feb. 28).
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Entrance physicals: TBA
First day of training: TBA
Match schedule: Feb. 17-March 1 at IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla.; vs. HB Koge-Denmark (Feb. 18), vs. Oklahoma City Energy FC (Feb. 21), vs. Toronto FC (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28)
ORLANDO CITY
Entrance physicals: Thursday
First day of training: Friday
Match schedule: vs. D.C. United in Bradenton, Fla. (Jan. 30); Feb. 21-28 Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, S.C.; vs. New York City FC (Feb. 21), vs. Charleston Battery (Feb. 25), vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 28).
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Entrance physicals: Saturday/Sunday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: vs. Jacksonville Armada in Jacksonville, Fla. (Feb. 7); vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (Feb. 10); Feb. 18-28 at IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla.; vs. Costa Rica U-23s (Feb. 18), vs. TP Mazembe (Feb. 21), vs. Columbus Crew (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28).
PORTLAND TIMBERS
Entrance physicals: Thursday
First day of training: Friday
Match schedule: Jan 28-Feb. 11 in Tucson, Ariz. for Desert Friendlies; vs. Sporting Kansas City (Jan. 31), vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 7), vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 10); Feb. 22-28 Simple Invitational in Portland, Ore.; vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 22), vs. Chicago Fire (Feb. 25), vs. Stabaek (Feb. 28).
REAL SALT LAKE
Entrance physicals: Friday
First day of training: Saturday
Match schedule: Jan. 26-31 training camp in Casa Grande, Ariz.; vs. New England Revolution (Jan. 31); Feb. 3-12 training camp at UC-Irvine in Irvine, Calif.; vs. UC-Irvine (Feb. 7), vs. OC Blues (Feb. 12); Feb. 15-March 1 at Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. New England Revolution (Feb. 18), vs. FC Tucson (Feb. 21), vs. Sporting Kansas City (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28).
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
Entrance physicals: Sunday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: Scrimmage vs. Earthquakes U-18 (Jan. 28), vs. Sonoma County Sol (Jan. 31); Feb. 2-10 Desert Friendlies in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 4), vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 7), vs. Portland Timbers (Feb. 10); vs. Colorado Rapids in Las Vegas, Nev. (Feb. 15); vs. Fresno Fuego (Feb. 18), vs. Sacramento Republic in Sacramento, Calif. (Feb. 21), vs. SF Stompers FC in San Jose (Feb. 25), vs. LA Galaxy in San Jose (Feb. 28).
SEATTLE SOUNDERS
Entrance physicals: Friday
First day of training: Saturday
Match schedule: Jan. 29-Feb. 6 training camp at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif.; vs. UCLA (Feb. 4), vs. LA Galaxy (Feb. 6); Feb. 15-March 1 at Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. FC Tucson (Feb. 18), vs. Sporting KC (Feb. 21), vs. New England Revolution (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28).
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Entrance physicals: Saturday
First day of training: Sunday
Match schedule: Jan. 25-Feb. 10 training camp in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. Portland Timbers (Jan. 31); Feb. 15-March 1 Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. Colorado Rapids (Feb. 18), vs. Seattle Sounders (Feb. 21), vs. Real Salt Lake (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28)
TORONTO FC
Entrance physicals: Saturday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: Feb. 1-9 training camp in Orlando, Fla.; Feb. 16-March 1 IMG Suncoast Pro Classic in Bradenton, Fla.; vs. Oklahoma City Energy FC (Feb. 18), vs. HB Koge (Feb. 21), vs. New York Red Bulls (Feb. 25), vs. Opponent TBA (Feb. 28).
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
Entrance physicals: Saturday
First day of training: Monday
Match schedule: Feb. 2-11 Desert Friendlies and training camp in Tucson, Ariz.; vs. New England Revolution (Feb. 4), vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 7), vs. Houston Dynamo (Feb. 10); vs. University of Victoria Vikes in British Columbia (Feb. 15); Feb. 20-March 1; vs. Portland Timbers (Feb. 22), vs. Stabaek (Feb. 25), vs. Chicago Fire (Feb. 28)
Does anyone know if the preseason games going to be streamed this year?
Is this schedule not affected by the CBA expiring at the end of the month?