MLS Cup champions Toronto FC kick off season March 3;
LAFC debut March 4 at Seattle, host Sounders FC on April 29
NEW YORK
(Tuesday, December 19, 2017)
– Major League Soccer today announced the home openers for all clubs for the 2018 season, which features the debut of Los Angeles Football Club – the league’s 23rd club.
Toronto FC will kick off the 2018 MLS season when they host Columbus Crew SC in a rematch of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Championship on Saturday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET at BMO Field. There will be six other matches that day, including Western Conference finalist Houston Dynamo’s home opener at BBVA Compass Stadium against Atlanta United.
Among the four exciting matchups scheduled for Sunday, March 4 is LAFC’s first-ever regular season game – the home opener for 2017 MLS Cup finalists Seattle Sounders FC. LAFC will again face Seattle with the opening of Banc of California Stadium on Sunday, April 29 – the first home game in club history, and the final home opener of the 2018 MLS season.
Week 2 features several intriguing matchups, including Atlanta United’s home opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against D.C. United on Sunday, March 11. The following weekend, the Montreal Impact play their home opener against Canadian rivals Toronto FC at Olympic Stadium on Saturday, March 17.
While Audi Field, the new soccer stadium for D.C. United, is being completed, the club will play its first two home games at venues to be announced in the coming weeks by the team. With renovations underway at Providence Park, the Portland Timbers’ home opener is April 14.
MLS is coming off a 2017 season highlighted by the debut of two new clubs (Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC), two new stadiums (Orlando City Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta), an influx of talented young players, and records set for attendance, broadcast ratings and social media engagement. Following the pioneering introduction of video review and crowning of Toronto FC as MLS Cup champions in 2017, the 2018 campaign promises to be another exciting season, with every team within reach of capturing MLS Cup, as over the past 11 seasons, the league has had nine different champions.
During the 2018 MLS regular season, each club will play 34 games, including 17 home games and 17 away games. Teams will face each of their conference opponents (10 in the East, 11 in the West) twice during the season with one game at home and one game away. Western Conference teams will play one additional intra-conference game and Eastern Conference teams will play two. All teams will face each non-conference opponent once.
The complete regular season schedule, along with the national television schedules for the U.S. and Canada, will be announced in January.
2018 Major League Soccer Regular Season Home Openers
All times are EST. Home teams listed first. Schedule is subject to change.
WEEK 1
Saturday, March 3, 2018
1 p.m. – Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew SC (BMO Field)
3:30 p.m. – Houston Dynamo vs. Atlanta United (BBVA Compass Stadium)
7:30 p.m. – Orlando City SC vs. D.C. United (Orlando City Stadium)
8 p.m. – FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake (Toyota Stadium)
9 p.m. – Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park)
10:30 p.m. – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United FC (Avaya Stadium)
Time TBD – Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution (Talen Energy Stadium)
Sunday, March 4, 2018
5 p.m. – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Los Angeles Football Club (CenturyLink Field)
6 p.m. – Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact (BC Place)
7:30 p.m. – Sporting Kansas City vs. New York City FC (Children’s Mercy Park)
10 p.m. – LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers (StubHub Center)
WEEK 2
Saturday, March 10, 2018
1 p.m. – Columbus Crew SC vs. Montreal Impact (MAPFRE Stadium)
1:30 p.m. – New England Revolution vs. Colorado Rapids (Gillette Stadium)
3:30 p.m. – Real Salt Lake vs. Los Angeles Football Club (Rio Tinto Stadium)
7 p.m. – New York Red Bulls vs. Portland Timbers (Red Bull Arena)
Time TBD – Chicago Fire vs. Sporting Kansas City (Toyota Park)
Sunday, March 11, 2018
3 p.m. – Atlanta United vs. D.C. United (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
5 p.m. – New York City FC vs. LA Galaxy (Yankee Stadium)
WEEK 3
Saturday, March 17, 2018
3 p.m. – Montreal Impact vs. Toronto FC (Olympic Stadium)
Time TBD – D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo (venue TBD)
Time TBD – Minnesota United FC vs. Chicago Fire (TCF Bank Stadium)
ADDITIONAL HOME OPENERS
Saturday, April 14, 2018
10:30 p.m. – Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC (Providence Park)
Sunday, April 29, 2018
9 p.m. – Los Angeles Football Club vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Banc of California Stadium)
