Our long national nightmare is over. The MLS schedule is out.
About a month before the beginning of the season, MLS finally released the entire schedule for all 18 MLS teams. Previously, only each team’s first home game was known, and some clubs like the LA Galaxy got an early jump on releasing the schedule by leaking the dates and opponents of some key matches. But finally, you can plan your life around your favorite team’s schedule and start buying your plane tickets for those away trips. See the league schedule here.
As for the long awaited television deal… it will be a bit longer of a wait. But MLS did release the ESPN schedule for the year. ESPN will broadcast 21 matches, 17 on ESPN2 and 4 on the Worldwide Leader. All of them fortunately will be available on ESPN3.com and ESPN Deportes. Eight matches will feature the Red Bulls, six the Galaxy, and five Seattle, including the opening match pitting the Galaxy at the Sounders. Absent from the TV schedule? New MLS team Vancouver, rebuilding Columbus, new management Toronto, and MLS Cup contender Dallas. Odd that MLS couldn’t fit a new club and one of its better clubs on the TV schedule. See when your favorite team is on ESPN here.
The schedule also goes out of its way to emphasize regional rivalries. We knew ahead of time about the Cascadia Cup pitting Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland, but the league didn’t schedule the games back-to-back as promised. In addition to this Northwest rivalry, the league has created a I-95 Corridor rivalry (D.C. United, Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bull, and New England Revolution), the SuperClasico (the Los Angeles derby), the Rocky Mountain Cup (Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids), and the Battle for El Capitan (Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas).
So what do you think? Do you like your team’s schedule? Excited for the Rocky Mountain Cup or sad your team isn’t involved in a Cup contest? Sound off below.
I’ve converted the schedule into an Excel spreadsheet that makes it MUCH more usable than the MLS website version. If you’ll tell me how to send it to MLS Talk, you’re welcome to post it somewhere for your readers to download.
Tell him !
@ Glenn – I would love to have that spreadsheet. The MLS website is horrible for viewing the schedule.
@ Post – The reason why Vancouver isn’t featured on any ESPN games is because they are from Canada. ESPN would lose half of their ratings because the Vancouver games will probably be showed on TSN. ESPN would rather not compete with another channel.
I’m glad it is out. Bummer that our away game at Real Salt Lake is on a Wednesday. And our next nearest neighbor- Kansas City- is also away on Wednesday. Oh well. Everything else looked fine.
I just wish that the MLS was on Versus Channel to get better exposer rather than being on that crooked FSC!
At the moment Alistair, FSC hasn’t signed a deal. ESPN/ESPN 2 & Telefutura/Galavision has announced their MLS Matches. FSC might be late or Vs. could be the new folks in town.
A one-year deal with FSC has been signed, so MLS will return there this season.
How do you know this ?
Do you have the details ?
Games ?
@AllenAHopkins tweeted it yesterday:
@AllenAHopkins Sources confirm #MLS has agreed in principal to a new 1-year TV deal w/@FoxSoccer. Fox Soccer’s national TV schedule to be released soon.
I really wish there were more day games.
Don’t forget the Brimstone Cup (Chicago and Dallas)…
NHL is crushing it on Versus. MLS would do the same.
Get off of FSC. I just can’t imagine an MLS watching guy signing up for FSC. More like I already have FSC, now do I watch MLS or not….
For anyone in UK and Ireland, it looks like ESPN International (paid channel on Sky/Virgin) will be carrying about 2 MLS matches a week, including the play-offs. Though they haven’t released their schedule for it yet. I think!
Hey everyone let’s make up rivalries! I mean, yeah, real rivalries are based on good teams playing a lot of meaningful games against each other, but that wouldn’t be fair to teams that suck. And we’re Amurrica damn it so we need 55.6% of teams to make the play-offs. Best team after 34 games?! What does that prove? You were consistently better than the other 17 teams? Who cares! It’s a tragedy for a champion to lose their last game. I mean what if LA goes 33-0-0, but loses their last game to finish 33-0-1? I mean, we can’t have The Don give a trophy to a losing team, that doesn’t make any sense! WE NEED SPECIAL MOMENTS.