We should be hearing about the 2016 home openers soon. Last year they were announced on December 19 but I believe that some leaked out earlier. Has there been any schedule news other than the break for Copa America? http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/...ans-expand-league-28-teams-scheduling-updates If the league sticks to a similar schedule to 2015 the season should start on the weekend of March 4-6 and end on October 23. There are 34 weekends total in that span. The Copa break is two weekends: June 3-5 and June 10-12. There are also two FIFA breaks that include CONCACAF qualifiers: March 21-29 and August 29-September 6. I would hope that MLS shuts down for those. The other Qualifier dates are November 7-15 which would be during the playoffs. There is another FIFA friendly break in October but I wouldn't expect MLS to skip that weekend. So there are probably 30 weekends free for the regular season. Expect more Wednesday games this year.
Worth noting that four MLS clubs start their competitive/meaningful matches at the midweek on Feb 23-24 and March 1-2 in 2016. http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/2015-16-superliga-erm-ccl-quarterfinals.2026985/ Will be intersting to see what kind of regular season accommodations (if any) MLS's schedule-makers will give to those teams still involved in the 2015-16 CCL.
One more reason to fully observe the FIFA break in late March. Even playing a full MLS schedule along with the CCL would mean that most players would get a break after the first 5 or 6 games. CCL QF1 - February 24 CCL QF2 - March 2 MLS 1 - March 6 MLS 2 - March 12 CCL SF1 - March 16 MLS 3 - March 20 FIFA Break MLS 4 - April 2 That is six games in 26 days to start the season but only two weeks with double games followed by a break. Play your starters in the first 2 CCL games and then run out some reserves on March 6. Bring your starters back for March 12 and 16. See what kind of shape guys are in for March 20. We'll see what MLS does but I don't think teams need schedule relief until April if they make it that far.
With the (two-weekend) league break scheduled in June for Copa America, I do wonder if "First Kick" weekend stays in March, or if the league tries to expand the season footprint a bit. It wouldn't be that surprising if MLS tried to schedule 8 games (to not include the CCL teams) on the weekend of Feb 26-28. MLS has used that final Feb weekend for pre-season events/friendlies in years past, and the effects due to weather have not been that significant or disruptive. That might be a risky approach with the regular season (and may create some postponements due to unplayable conditions in some markets), but it may also be preferable for the overall operations and league schedule by using that weekend (even in part) rather than scheduling that set of games at a midweek later in the season. The strong El Niño event is supposedly set to make this a fairly mild winter in many parts of the country. (No idea if that thinking/consideration plays at all into MLS's scheduling planning and decisions.)
Not really looking forward to an 8:00 game here on March 2, especially in an El Niño year. This was a USWNT/Mexico game on 3/31/10: Was brisk.
This is a new experience for me and other PTFC fans, but didn't the season just end??? Next years schedule already? hahaha. It never really dawned on me how close the two are.
That's good, since NYCFC's home venue availability is dependent on the Yankees being out of town on specific dates in 2016. And the Sounders and Revs home date possibilities in the fall are dependent on the 2016 NFL schedule for the Seahawks and Patriots. And in 2016 we also can't forget about the CFL schedule for the Argonauts also now limiting some days/weekends that TFC can utilize their home venue.
And BS just presented me a banner ad for rugby at RBA on March 12, 2016. http://www.londonirishusa.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=london+irish+holiday Making an MLS schedule is no easy or straight-forward task.
are the Argos going to be co-primary tenants? my understanding was that they would be waiting for MLS to set its schedule, not the other way around.
I guessing/assuming that TFC will hold at least some desirable/preferable dates for the Argos use, although I have no specifics on how that venue sharing and scheduling process at BMO differs from other circumstances in dissimilar markets in which an MLS club is the non-primary tenant in some venue.
Argos schedule is suppose to be sync'd with TFC schedule to allow at least couple of days worth of grass recovery time after an Argos game. But with a lot of stuff that goes on at BMO Field, who knows how that'll work out, even if TFC is suppose to get preferential dates. (example, Labour day game is a big game in CFL calendar and I'm sure Argos want to host a home game)
... add CCL SF2 - April 5-6-7 Ah, the annual toil of putting together a schedule which includes: 34 regular season 12 Concacaf Champions (6 for QF-SF-F; 6 for next season's group; non-CCL teams can also play on these matchdays) 6 playoffs (one for R-12; two for QF; two for SF; one for F; maybe more if you don't want midweek games from the QF's on) All star game 5 L.H.U.S. Open Cup 4 Canadian championships Copa American Centennial (two-week MLS break confirmed) 6 Fifa Official - Concacaf WCQ dates (4 for SF round, 2 for F round) I prefer that the midweek before the last matchday be reserved for a rain date (anything I missed?) Go!
The held-open dates for various summer friendlies TBD (which could overlap with some of the dates/items you list above) and exhibitions like the ICC (for some teams) and the obvious partridge in a pear tree.
The U.S. Open Cup and Canadian championship games can be grouped together because nobody will compete in both of them.
Tucson is hosting MLS preseason games that weekend. The regular season will almost definitely start the following weekend, most likely on Friday, March 4th. http://ussoccer.gameofficials.net/p...play&strGameLevel=[[[ALL]]]&iTeamID=[[[ALL]]]
Preseason friendly: San Jose Earthquakes vs. New York Cosmos Saturday, February 27, 2016 7:00pm PST Avaya Stadium - San José, California
There is a separate "Pre-season Games" thread. Not sure if there needs to be overlap, or just separate threads focusing on the "Regular Season" and the "Pre-season" schedules. http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/2016-preseason-games.2027181/
I'm hearing Arsenal might have to go through early-round qualifying for the UCL proper, so their summer availablity to travel internationally is TBD. MLS may have to go with a secondary opponent choice for the All-Star exhibition game -- maybe Monchengladbach, Sunderland, CD Guadalajara or if conditions get dire, the NY Cosmos.
Arsenal is currenly second in England and will start in the Champions League Group Stage if they finish in the Top 3. If Arsenal finishes fourth, their Champions League Playoff Round will have the first leg on August 16 or 17 and the second leg on August 23 or 24. The 2015 All-Star game was on July 29. I don't think the All-Stars should play Sunderland because they could get relegated.