NEW YORK – Major League Soccer announced on Friday plans to unveil the 2011 MLS regular season schedule next Thursday, Feb. 10.
“Assembling the schedule begins after MLS Cup and involves several interdependent factors including competitive fairness, international competitions, stadium availability, broadcast windows, and club preferences,” the league said in a statement released Friday. “The 18 home openers were announced Dec. 20, and we have waited until the entire schedule is complete before making it public.”
The 2011 league season will feature a balanced schedule, with each team playing the others once at home and once away.
With the addition of two new expansion clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, each club will now play a total of 34 regular season matches. In 2010, teams' season schedules consisted of 30-matches.
“We recognize that the timing of [the schedule’s] release has caused some inconvenience and we appreciate our fans’ continued patience,” MLS said in the statement.
First Kick 2011 starts on Tuesday, March 15, with the nationally televised match between the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy (9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT, ESPN).
The Galaxy will then host the New England Revolution in their home opener at 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 20 at The Home Depot Center. Tickets are available for that match through the Galaxy Kickoff Pack, which includes four tickets and two Galaxy blankets, starting at $96. BUY NOW
Download the Galaxy schedule to your desktop or mobile calendar, and stay informed of any additions or changes! Visit www.lagalaxy.com/schedule and click on the "download" banner at the top of the page.
