The MLS 2015 schedule was released yesterday and fans will now be treated to some changes from previous seasons as a new eight-year television contract goes into effect. The new MLS season will feature 20 teams that will each play 34 regular season games. There will be a new game of the week introduced on Univision on Friday nights, while ESPN and Fox Sports will televise Sunday evening double headers. Two rivalry weeks will be introduced this season, June 26-28 and August 28-30 along with a “Decision Day” on the final day of the season that will pit all the Eastern Conference games on at the same time and all the Western Conference games at the same time, two hours after the Eastern Conference matches, to maximize playoff scenarios and reduce the chance of scoreboard-watching, meaningless matches, and the like.
The Eastern conference regular season champions, DC United, will open up their season on Saturday, March 7 at home against fellow CONCACAF Champions League MLS team, Montreal Impact at RFK. The first three months of the season will certainly test DC’s ability to get results as they play 14 league games between March 7 and May 30, and does not include CONCACAF Champions League games, which begin in late February with a two-leg matchup against Costa Rica’s Alajuelense. DC has 7 games scheduled in May, however, a run of 5 out of 6 games at home between April 11 and May 13. Here are five notable games on the calendar for DC this upcoming season:
1) at New York Red Bulls (Sunday, March 22, 7:00p.m. ESPN2) – The rematch of last year’s playoff match-up will be DC’s second game of the season as they visit the Red Bulls in Harrison, NJ. DC has had a few bad trips to Red Bull Arena in a recently and it would not be a great start if DC continues to struggle there. DC hasn’t beaten the Red Bulls in New Jersey since their 2012 playoff match up, when DC won 1-0, to cap off a 2-1 aggregate playoff win.
2) vs. LA Galaxy (Saturday, March 28, 7:00p.m.) – The defending MLS Cup champions make their only visit to RFK early in the season. LA may not have Landon Donovan or even their new showpiece, Steven Gerrard, for this game, however, they will still be a formidable squad led by 2014 MLS MVP Robbie Keane and young striker Gyasi Zardes. This game will be a good chance for DC to set the tone for the season and test their squad early in the season.
3) vs. Philadelphia Union (Sunday, July 26, 5:00p.m. ESPN2) – The day of the Gold Cup Final, DC will host I-95 rivals in what should be an improved Philadelphia team that acquired striker CJ Sapong from Sporting Kansas City in the offseason. If the U.S. National team makes it to the Gold Cup final, DC might be without goalkeeper Bill Hamid and forward Eddie Johnson, as they are both on the USMNT radar and always candidates for a call up.
4) at NYCFC (Thursday, August 13, 7:30p.m.) – DC’s first trip to Yankee Stadium to face expansion club NYCFC will be a mid-week tip that will begin a new rivalry for DC. There is a good chance that Frank Lampard will be with New York by the time DC meets the new club for the first time, making this match-up have playoff feel to it if both teams are in the top six of the Eastern Conference come August.
5) at Columbus Crew (Sunday, October 25, 5:00p.m.) – DC has struggled with Columbus over the past few seasons, they haven’t been able to beat the Crew since October 20, 2012 at RFK and haven’t won in Columbus since August 18, 2007. The final game of the season will be played in Columbus, so if DC goes into that game needing a win to secure a playoff spot or in contention for top spot in the East or the Supporters Shield, it will be a huge task for the Black and Red.
Other notable games this season include a Rivalry Week match on August 30 as the Red Bulls host DC. Ben Olsen’s squad will visit expansion team Orlando City twice this season, April 3 and June 14, while the lone matchup at RFK occurs on May 13. The second to last week of the season will be a flex week, where Univision, ESPN and Fox Sports will be able to flex the best match ups to TV slots, DC hosts Chicago that weekend.
DC United will resume their CONCACAF Champions League run on February 26 and March 4 as they face Costa Rica’s Alajuelense in a two leg quarterfinal round match-up. Should DC continue to advance in Champions League play, their March and April will be filled with more international dates. Not to mention that come late summer, DC will once again start the whole Champions League group stage process all over again as they qualified for the 2015-2016 CONCACAF Champions League as well.
All in all, DC is scheduled to appear 10 times on national TV this season, with a majority of those games appearing on ESPN2 (4 times).
