NO July 4th home game this year. Nothing offically released yet but I thought I would start a thread of known dates until the schedule is released. What do we know? April 3rd HOME vs the Rapids July 3rd AWAY vs the Wizards July 3rd info came from: http://www.kcwizards.com/news/interiornewspage.asp?story_id=44GFAB247JGEJJ7AUJV3F84ASE
We'll be in Chicago on April 17 for their home opener. I wonder if they'll have a special ceremony before the game to hand out the "MLS Cup Runners-Up" rings to the Fire players.
ya think? I didn't realize there was such a thing (runner-up ring), would a player really want a reminder of one of the worst days of their lives? "Yeah, here's the ring I got the day we lost the MLS Championship."
2004 DALLAS BURN SCHEDULE DAY DATE OPPONENT Sat. April 3 Colorado Sat. April 17 at Chicago Sat. April 24 Kansas City Sat. May 1 at Columbus Sat. May 8 Los Angeles Sat. May 15 San Jose Sat. May 22 at Kansas City Sat. May 29 at Los Angeles Sat. June 5 at MetroStars Sat. June 12 New England Sat. June 19 at Colorado Sat. June 26 D.C. United Sat. July 3 at Kansas City Wed. July 7 at San Jose Sat. July 10 Columbus Sat. July 17 Kansas City Wed. July 28 at Columbus Sat. July 31 D.C. United Sat. August 7 Colorado Wed. August 11 New England Sat. August 14 at MetroStars Sat. August 21 at San Jose Sat. August 28 Chicago Sat. September 4 at Colorado Sat. September 11 at D.C. United Sat. September 18 Los Angeles Sat. September 25 MetroStars Sat. October 2 at New England Sat. October 9 at Los Angeles Sat. October 16 San Jose
By days: Saturday home games: 14 Midweek home games: 1 By opponent: Colorado: 4 Kansas City: 4 Los Angeles: 4 San Jose: 4 Columbus: 3 DC United: 3 MetroStars: 3 New England: 3 Chicago: 2
Re: ya think? Look up. That was the joke that just flew over you. Raman Noodles for Razov. So we were 5th place in the West last year. So our extra 4 games are played against East Coast 2/3/4/5 seeds. I guess that makes sense.
What I like about this year's schedule is that it is not so heavily weighted with the majority of the home games at the beginning of the season like it has been in the past few years. What I don't like is once again we only have two brimstone games.
Times? I noticed both here and on the Burn site the game times are not published, are they not determined due to possible TV or what?
Burn begin US Open Cup play at Columbus Crew on Wednesday June 30th. The game will be webcast on MatchNight.com
slight error on this info. Burn begin USOC play on June 30th, as does C-Bus, just not against each other. Instead both will face other qualfiers
which round Does anyone know at what stage the MLS teams will begin play? I assume around the final 16. Also are all the MLS teams playing this year?
Re: which round 3rd and 4th rounds. Here are the rules to the 02 edition of the USOC http://www.uslsoccer.com/usopencup/aboutusoc/53830.html
2004 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP STRUCTURE SET Tournament Kicks Off in June and Will Feature 40 Teams for the First Time, As All 10 MLS Teams Join 30 Divisions II, III and Amateur Sides CHICAGO (January 29, 2004) - A total of 40 teams - 24 professional and 16 amateur - will compete in the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as it kicks off during the first week of June. After 34 teams participated in 2003, six additional amateur teams will take part in the tournament this year marking the most total teams since Major League Soccer began participating in 1996. The additional amateur teams will hail from the United States Adult Soccer Association's regional qualifiers as well as the Premier Development League of the United Soccer Leagues. The four USASA regional champions will be joined by the four runners up in the tournament for the first time, while two additional PDL teams will earn berths to bring the total number of teams representing the PDL to eight. First-round pairings will be announced on May 25 and the First Round will be played on June 2 & 8. The defending champion Chicago Fire (MLS) enter the tournament on July 20 in the fourth round. The semifinals will be played Aug. 24 & 25, with the final being played on Sept. 22, almost one month earlier than last year. The 2004 Open Cup pairings will be similar to 2003, but with an expanded number of games in the first two rounds. The first round will feature match-ups between USASA teams from the Premier Development League and regional qualifiers. In the second round six teams from the USL Pro Soccer League and two A-League teams join the mix to take on the first round winners. The second round winners will play six more A-League teams and the two non-playoff teams from the 2003 MLS standings (Columbus Crew & Dallas Burn) in the third round. The balance of the MLS teams will face the third round winners in the fourth round before the quarterfinals are set. The U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Within the U.S. Open Cup framework, teams shall compete in one of the following four categories: professional outdoor Division I (Major League Soccer), Division II (A-League) or Division III (USL Professional Soccer League); or Amateur Division (USL Premier Development League & U.S. Adult Soccer Association). The U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament, with drawn games being decided by two 15-minute sudden death ("Golden Goal") overtime halves. If neither team scores during the two overtime halves, the winner is decided on penalty kicks. The team that advances the furthest from each level except Division I earns a $10,000 cash prize. The runner-up takes home $50,000, while the champion collects $100,000. The winner also will have the team's name engraved on the historic Dewar Cup. 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule Qualifying Ends May 23* Pairings Announcement May 25 First Round June 2 & 8 Eight USASA regional qualifiers vs. eight PDL teams Second Round June 15 First Round winners vs. six USL PSL, two A-League teams Third Round June 30 Second Round winners vs. two MLS, six A-League teams Fourth Round July 20 Third Round winners vs. remaining eight MLS teams Quarterfinals Aug. 4 Fourth Round winners Semifinals Aug. 24 & 25 Quarterfinal winners Final Sept. 22 Semifinal winners *Qualifying for USASA Region III does not end until May 31 Composition of participating teams: 10 Major League Soccer 8 A-League 6 USL-PSL 16 USASA (8 PDL, 8 regional qualifiers) 40 Total Teams U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Breakdown Attached MLS - 10 Teams For the second consecutive year, each MLS team will enter the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Eight MLS squads will enter the fourth round of this year's tournament based on their 2003 regular season finish in the MLS standings. The remaining two MLS teams (Dallas Burn & Columbus Crew) will enter the Open Cup in the third round. The two squads will not face-off in the third round but may square off against an MLS team in the fourth round depending on the geographical pairings. A-League - 8 Teams (qualifying through May 23) Based on the Tournament Format for the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, there will be eight (8) qualification slots for the ten (10) U.S.-based A-League teams. All Primary Qualifiers and the top Secondary Qualifier enter in the Third Round. The two remaining Secondary Qualifiers enter in the Second Round. The primary qualifiers will be the winners of a two-leg, aggregate goal series predetermined by geography. If the score is tied after the two matches, penalty kicks will determine which teams advance. Those matches are: Richmond v. Virginia Beach: Fri., April 30 @ Richmond; Sat., May 1 @ Virginia Beach Charleston v. Atlanta: Sat., May 8 @ Atlanta; Sat., May 15 @ Charleston Portland v. Seattle : Sat., May 1 @ Portland; Sat., May 15 @ Seattle Milwaukee v. Minnesota: Fri., May 21 @ Minnesota; Sat., May 22 @ Milwaukee Rochester v. Syracuse: Fri., May 14 @ Syracuse; Sat., May 22 @ Rochester The final three qualifiers are secondary and the remaining berths will be allocated as follows: 1) 2003 A-League Champion (Charleston) 2) 2003 A-League Finalist (Minnesota) 3) Non-qualifier with highest Point Percentage (total league points earned divided by total possible league points) in all matches played on or before Sunday May 23rd with at least three league games played 4) Non-qualifier with 2nd highest Point Percentage (total league points earned divided by total possible league points) in all matches played on or before Sunday May 23rd with at least three league games played 5) Non-qualifier with 3rd highest Point Percentage (total league points earned divided by total possible league points) in all matches played on or before Sunday May 23rd with at least three league games played USL Pro Select League - 6 Teams (qualifying through May 23) The 2003 USL Pro Soccer League champion Wilmington Hammerheads will join five qualifiers as determined by four designated regular season qualifying matches, two home and two away. The top five teams overall based on total points earned in those games will also enter the tournament. Premier Development League - 8 Teams (qualifying through May 23) The 2004 U.S. Open Cup will have eight PDL teams representing the United Soccer Leagues amateur division. All eight teams will face off against USASA regional qualifiers in the first round. The defending champion Cape Cod Crusaders earn an automatic berth, and the seven other teams will qualify based on four regular season games vs. conference opponents. Two berths each will be allotted to the Central, Eastern and Southern Conferences, and the Western Conference gets one spot. U.S. Adult Soccer Association Regional Qualifiers - 8 Teams (qualifying through May 23 - I, II, IV; May 31 - III) Eight representatives from the U.S. Adult Soccer Association will also qualify for the first round of the 2004 U.S. Open Cup. Two teams qualify from each of the USASA's four regions (I, II, III & IV), where qualifying tournaments will be staged on a statewide and then regional basis. The qualifying teams will be paired up against teams from the PDL squads in the first round, which will be completed on June 2 & 8.
I agree - an even sprinkling of home games is good. The 3rd of July in KC - long weekend, game on Saturday with Monday off, less than 10 hour drive -- SOUNDS LIKE A ROAD TRIP TO ME! As for the Brimstone - as much as I would love to pound them over and over again, I'd also rather have two or four games than three - that would make it tough to have an even playing field. Whoever had that extra home game would have a distinct advantage under Brimstone rules.