They have released info on the opening weekend schedule. Revs host Houston at home on March 29th. We've been promised that the game will be much more entertaining than the average hockey game even if the playing surfaces will be similar. It's suggested that you wear your electric heated jock.
Actually, it's historically come out in the first 7 days of February. Last year I believe it was actually ready to come out around this time, but the signing of Beckham required quite a few changes. I'd venture the schedule will be out before the Midnight Riders general meeting.
Which is so stupid. Why can't MLS be like other leagues and have a schedule for the next season before the current season actually ends (or something like that). By the way, two Revs games have been announced. 3/29 - vs Dynamo 4/3 - @ Chicago
MLS's schedule is probably subject to more "outside influences" than other leagues, such as NFL schedule, concert dates for the SSS stages, when the X-Games will be held, etc.
NBA and NHL manage to pull it off. Those venues have even more events then a SSS or NFL stadium would.
On the one hand people complain about schedule changes and on the other, that the schedule comes out late. Hopefully by waiting to get more event information at the various venues, tournament schedules, etc., they will have to make fewer changes later. Why is it so important to have a schedule out earlier?
I need as much notice as possible to plan away trips and other vacations. I try to plan around home games and not miss any.
Because it helps the fans plan things. Why does the NFL have their schedule out 4 months before the season's first game? Why does MLB have their schedule out before the previous year's World Series is over? Why does the NBA and NHL get their schedule's out earlier as well? But hey ... why pretend to be a major league sport? 6/7 weeks before the season, that's plenty of time.
I can appreciate that, but wouldn't it be even worse if they threw something out and then had to keep changing dates? Maybe I'm being naive, but I trust that the league office wants to get it done and publicized as quickly as possible, but the fact is that we're not an established enough league to be able to dictate dates/times/venues to the other interrelated parties. MLB and the NFL (and the NBA and NHL) have basically ceded control of it's scheduling to it's media partners. One effect is that game times can be switched just about whenever the network deems it advantageous. They are pretty much already locked into basic scheduling slots that fans are already accustomed to. Regardless, all of these "major" sports face frequent time changes that have nothing to do with fan's or team's interest (having the Pats play a night playoff game outdoors in January, while the Colts play indoors during the daytime!). MLB basically sold off it's link to fans of the future (the kids) by choking off day games largely in the regular season and almost entirely in the post-season. We ARE the other sport - a fact that's not going to change by "acting" major league. We share venues, need to take network time where it's granted, have to work around other events like concert and exhibition tours, national team games and WC qualifiers and other competitions (which aren't much of a factor for the other sports for various reasons) and local events (like youth soccer). I just think that the position that MLS is in, it's much more complicated and the choice is going to come down to having a volatile schedule early or a more stable schedule a few weeks later.
There are plenty of things to bitch about, but this ain't one of them. Far better to take a little longer to get the details sorted out than it is to make changes after the schedule has been released.
Keeping with the basic timing they've had in the past, according to Goff, the schedule is tentatively set to be released next Thursday, the 7th. It came out last year on the 6th of February.
Nice article. Even without considering injuries and international duty (TT, Parkhurst, Smith, etc), this is damn scary. I think it is safe to say we will play more than 14 players this season, but will we like the results?
Geez, I hadn't even thought of that. Let's figure that in, then. If the U.S. qualifies for the Olympics, we could be without Cristman, Valentino and maybe another player from at least August 8th to August 24th. If they make the team, they'd likely be gone long before then. I could see this leaving us shorthanded for the SuperLiga Group Stage in late July. Last year, the Gold Cup took place in June, so that wouldn't hurt us too much, except we'll have to squeeze in a lot of games early in the season. Potentially, guys like Parkhurst and TNT and Albright wouldn't be available for maybe one or two more Regular Season games than they normally would.
I'm much more worried about fixture congestion in the late summer/fall than I am about losing guys to the nats. The only people I think we have a real shot of losing, and it wouldnt be for entire tourneys like the Gold Cup, just 1 or 2 games, are Parkhurst and Twellman. I think Ralston and Albright are out of Bradley's picture unless there are major injuries at those positions and I dont see Cristman making the Olympic team once the Euro-based guys become available. I know absolutley nothing about Valentino other than that he has been out for a year, so I have no clue with him.
I'm an idiot. This isn't a Gold Cup year. It IS the start of World Cup qualifying, though. Round Three matchdays this year are August 20th, September 6th, September 10th, October 11th, October 15th, and November 19th.
Round two matchday is also sometime in June (either the 14 or the 21 IIRC). This year we are going to have more soccer than we can shake a stick at.
Gee, I guess we need to sign a few more experienced players and insure we have some depth of guys that can contribute. I hope the coaching staff realizes this.
As per the Crew blog, the Revs will be visiting C-Bus twice this year (which does make sense since they came here twice in 2007). May 24th ... long weekend ...