San Jose Earthquakes return as expansion team, MLS’s 14th side,
MLS set an attendance record in 2007 as 3.27 million fans attended regular season games
League says all games televised nationally or locally
Click here for full national TV schedule http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/2008/national_tv/
NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer, together with its national television networks - ESPN2 and ABC, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español, HDNet and TeleFutura - has unveiled the 2008 Regular Season schedule. Major League Soccer's four national television partners will again combine to broadcast 113 games.
Complete schedule and broadcast highlights are included below.
In the League's 13th season, each of the 14 clubs will play 30 Regular Season games over 31 weeks, for a total of 210 matches from March 29 - Oct. 26. Each team will play each other twice (home and away), for 26 games. The remaining four games will be played against different intra-conference teams (two home and two away), with consideration given to rivalries.
First Kick, the opening weekend of Major League Soccer's season, releases four months of anticipation on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30. Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast two games on opening day, including a rematch of the past two MLS Cup championship games as the New England Revolution host the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Also on opening night, both Fox Soccer Channel and high definition television pioneer HDNet will air Ruud Gullit's debut as coach of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Los Angeles Galaxy when they face the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., at 9:30 p.m. ET. Along with its pre- and post-game shows, this edition of MLS Saturday on FSC will provide fans an unprecedented five-hour fix of their domestic league.
First Kick concludes Sunday, March 30 with Spanish-language television partner TeleFutura broadcasting a clash between two of last season's top teams in the Western Conference: FC Dallas versus Chivas USA at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas at 3 p.m. ET.
MLS Primetime Thursday returns to ESPN2 with a scintillating doubleheader on Thursday, April 3. Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire host the New England Revolution in a rematch of the 2007 MLS Eastern Conference Championship game at 8 p.m. ET. Then at 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will carry the rebirth of a rivalry when the Los Angeles Galaxy and the expansion San Jose Earthquakes meet at 10:30 p.m. ET from The Home Depot Center.
ESPN2 and TeleFutura will again share the honor of broadcasting Major League Soccer's annual mid-summer showcase, the Pepsi MLS All-Star Game, live from BMO Field in Toronto, Canada on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. ET (International opponent TBA).
The 2008 season will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 23 with MLS Cup 2008, live on ABC and TeleFutura from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., at 3:30 p.m. ET. The MLS Cup Playoffs broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
2008 National Broadcast & Schedule Highlights
• Four national broadcast partners scheduled to air 113 Regular Season matches.
• Every regular season game will be televised, either through national or regional broadcasts and MLSnet.com.
• ESPN2 is scheduled to air 27 MLS Primetime Thursday Regular Season contests, beginning with a doubleheader on April 3.
ESPN2 will also broadcast three playoff games and the MLS All-Star game, all on Thursdays. With the exceptions of the MLS All-Star game and MLS Cup, all Primetime Thursday games are exclusive telecasts.
• All MLS Primetime Thursday games on ESPN2 will also be broadcast live on ESPN Deportes (save All-Star) and ESPN360.com.
• All games on ABC and ESPN2 will be offered in high definition.
• On June 29, ABC is scheduled to broadcast a unique soccer doubleheader: Los Angeles Galaxy at D.C. United at Noon ET, followed by the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 title match. ABC will also broadcast MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
• Fox Soccer Channel is scheduled to broadcast its complete slate of 32 Regular Season games with 30-minute pre- and postgame shows for a standard three-hour programming window called "MLS Saturday on FSC." The same format will be utilized during Fox Soccer Channel's three playoff match telecasts, also on Saturdays.
• Most Fox Soccer Channel MLS games are also scheduled to air live in Spanish in two-hour programming windows on sister network Fox Sports en Español - the largest Spanish-language all-sports network in the United States - with several airing on a tape-delayed basis.
• HDNet is scheduled to air 29 games of its 30-game broadcast schedule on Saturday, and one game on Friday (July 4).
• TeleFutura is scheduled to broadcast 24 Regular Season games live on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. TeleFutura's MLS game will be book-ended with Mexican First Division games, Univision's successful and popular sports programming.
• The four teams with the best regular season records in 2007 will represent the League in the second edition of SuperLiga, to be played later this summer. The teams are D.C. United, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution. The complete SuperLiga schedule and the Mexican club representatives will be announced in the coming weeks.
• The MLS Direct Kick television package will return in 2008. The schedule will be announced at a later date.
The complete 2008 Major League Soccer Regular Season schedule follows, with all national broadcasts noted. For individual team schedules log onto www.MLSnet.com.
2008 MLS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Schedule subject to change. All times eastern.
WEEK 1
Saturday, Mar 29, Time, TV
Toronto FC at Columbus Crew, 4:00
Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake, 6:00
Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution, 7:30, FSC/FSE
D.C. United at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Los Angeles Galaxy at Colorado Rapids, 9:30, FSC/FSE & HDNet
Sunday, Mar 30
Chivas USA at FC Dallas, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 2
Thursday, Apr 03
New England Revolution at Chicago Fire, 8:00, ESPN2
San Jose at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Apr 05
Toronto FC at D.C. United, 7:30
Columbus Crew at New York Red Bulls, 7:30, FSC/FSE/FSE
Colorado Rapids at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Real Salt Lake at Chivas USA, 9:00, HDNet
Sunday, Apr 06
FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 3
Wednesday, Apr 09
New England Revolution at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Saturday, Apr 12
Chicago Fire at San Jose, 4:30
Chivas USA at Columbus Crew, 7:30
Colorado Rapids at New England Revolution, 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00, HDNet
New York Red Bulls at FC Dallas, 8:30
D.C. United at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Sunday, Apr 13
Toronto FC at Los Angeles Galaxy, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 4
Thursday, Apr 17
Columbus Crew at D.C. United, 8:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Apr 19
Real Salt Lake at Toronto FC, 3:30
New England Revolution at New York Red Bulls, 7:30, HDNet
San Jose at Colorado Rapids, 9:30, FSC/FSE
Houston Dynamo at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30
Sunday, Apr 20
Kansas City Wizards at Chicago Fire, 3:00, TeleFutura
FC Dallas at Chivas USA, 8:00
WEEK 5
Thursday, Apr 24
New England Revolution at FC Dallas, 8:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Apr 26
Kansas City Wizards at Toronto FC, 3:30
Houston Dynamo at Columbus Crew, 7:30
Real Salt Lake at D.C. United, 7:30
Colorado Rapids at Chicago Fire, 8:30, HDNet
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30, FSC/FSE
Sunday, Apr 27
San Jose at New York Red Bulls, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 6
Thursday, May 01
New York Red Bulls at Toronto FC, 7:00, ESPN2
Saturday, May 03
Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew, 7:30, FSC Chicago Fire at New England Revolution, 7:30
Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo, 8:30, HDNet
Los Angeles Galaxy at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
FC Dallas at San Jose, 10:00
Sunday, May 04
D.C. United at Colorado Rapids, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 7
Thursday, May 08
Chicago Fire at D.C. United, 7:30, ESPN2
Saturday, May 10
Colorado Rapids at Houston Dynamo, 8:30, FSC/FSE
FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Columbus Crew at San Jose, 10:00
New York Red Bulls at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30, HDNet
Sunday, May 11
New England Revolution at Chivas USA, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 8
Thursday, May 15
Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids, 9:30, ESPN2
Saturday, May 17
Columbus Crew at Toronto FC, 3:30
San Jose at New England Revolution, 7:30, HDNet
Kansas City Wizards at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire, 8:30
D.C. United at Chivas USA, 10:30, FSC/FSE
Sunday, May 18
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 9
Wednesday, May 21
D.C. United at Toronto FC, 7:30
Thursday, May 22
Houston Dynamo at San Jose, 10:30, ESPN2
Saturday, May 24
Toronto FC at D.C. United, 7:30
New England Revolution at Columbus Crew, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas, 8:30
Chivas USA at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
Kansas City Wizards at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30, HDNet
Sunday, May 25
Chicago Fire at New York Red Bulls, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 10
Thursday, May 29
D.C. United at New England Revolution, 7:30, ESPN2
Saturday, May 31
Los Angeles Galaxy at Toronto FC, 3:30
New York Red Bulls at Houston Dynamo, 8:30, HDNet
San Jose at Real Salt Lake, 9:00, FSC/FSE
Columbus Crew at Chivas USA, 10:30
Sunday, Jun 01
FC Dallas at Colorado Rapids, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 11
Wednesday, Jun 04
Houston Dynamo at D.C. United, 7:30
Thursday, Jun 05
Chivas USA at New York Red Bulls, 7:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Jun 07
San Jose at Columbus Crew, 7:30, HDNet
D.C. United at Chicago Fire, 8:30, FSC/FSE
Toronto FC at Houston Dynamo, 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Colorado Rapids at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30
Sunday, Jun 08
FC Dallas at New England Revolution, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 12
Thursday, Jun 12
New England Revolution at Houston Dynamo, 9:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Jun 14
New York Red Bulls at D.C. United, 7:30, HDNet
Columbus Crew at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Toronto FC at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
Los Angeles Galaxy at San Jose, 10:00, FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at Chivas USA, 10:30
Sunday, Jun 15
Chicago Fire at FC Dallas, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 13
Wednesday, Jun 18
San Jose at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Thursday, Jun 19
Chicago Fire at Chivas USA, 10:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Jun 21
Kansas City Wizards at Toronto FC, 3:30
FC Dallas at New York Red Bulls, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids, 9:30, HDNet
New England Revolution at Real Salt Lake, 9:30
Columbus Crew at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30
Sunday, Jun 22
San Jose at D.C. United, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 14
Thursday, Jun 26
FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo, 9:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Jun 28
Colorado Rapids at Columbus Crew, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Toronto FC at New England Revolution, 7:30
Real Salt Lake at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
San Jose at Chicago Fire, 8:30
New York Red Bulls at Chivas USA, 10:30, HDNet
Sunday, Jun 29
Los Angeles Galaxy at D.C. United, 12:00, ABC (2.5 hour telecast)
WEEK 15
Thursday, Jul 03
Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake, 10:00, ESPN2
Friday, Jul 04
Kansas City Wizards at FC Dallas, 7:00, HDNet
New York Red Bulls at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
New England Revolution at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30
Saturday, Jul 05
Chicago Fire at Columbus Cre, 8:00, FSC/FSE
San Jose at Chivas USA, 10:30, FSC/FSE
WEEK 16
Thursday, Jul 10
New York Red Bulls at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy, 11:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Jul 12
Colorado Rapids at San Jose, 4:00
Toronto FC at Chicago Fire, 8:30, FSC/FSE
Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake, 9:00, HDNet
WEEK 17
Thursday, Jul 17
Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew, 8:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Jul 19
San Jose at Toronto FC, 3:30, HDNet
Los Angeles Galaxy at New York Red Bulls, 6:30, FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at Chicago Fire, 8:30
Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas, 8:30
WEEK 18
Thursday, Jul 24
MLS All-Star Game, 7:00, ESPN2, TeleFutura
Sunday, Jul 27
New York Red Bulls at San Jose, 3:00, TeleFutura
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas, 7:00
Chicago Fire at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
WEEK 19
Monday, Jul 28
Toronto FC at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Saturday, Aug 02
Kansas City Wizards at D.C. United, 7:30
New York Red Bulls at New England Revolution, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Chivas USA at Chicago Fire, 8:30, HDNet
Columbus Crew at Houston Dynamo, 8:30
Sunday, Aug 03
Los Angeles Galaxy at San Jose, 3:00, TeleFutura
FC Dallas at Toronto FC, 7:00
WEEK 20
Saturday, Aug 09
Colorado Rapids at Toronto FC, 3:30
Chicago Fire at New England Revolution, 7:30, HDNet
D.C. United at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
Chivas USA at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas, 8:30, FSC/FSE
WEEK 21
Thursday, Aug 14
Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA, 10:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Aug 16
FC Dallas at Columbus Crew, 7:30, FSC/FSE
D.C. United at Chicago Fire, 8:30
Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo, 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
New England Revolution at San Jose, 10:00, HDNet
Sunday, Aug 17
Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls, 5:00
WEEK 22
Wednesday, Aug 20
D.C. United at New England Revolution, 7:30
Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo, 8:30
Thursday, Aug 21
Chicago Fire at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Aug 23
Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew, 7:30
Colorado Rapids at D.C. United, 7:30
New England Revolution at Toronto FC, 7:30, FSC/FSE
FC Dallas at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
San Jose at Chivas USA, 10:30, HDNet
Sunday, Aug 24
Houston Dynamo at New York Red Bulls, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 23
Friday, Aug 29
Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
Saturday, Aug 30
New York Red Bulls at D.C. United, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Los Angeles Galaxy at New England Revolution, 7:30, HDNet
Columbus Crew at FC Dallas, 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at San Jose, 10:00
Toronto FC at Chivas USA, 10:30
Sunday, Aug 31
Chicago Fire at Houston Dynamo, 7:00
WEEK 24
Thursday, Sep 04
Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas, 8:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Sep 06
Chivas USA at Toronto FC, 4:00
New England Revolution at Columbus Crew, 7:30, HDNet
New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire, 8:30, FSC/FSE
D.C. United at San Jose, 10:00
Real Salt Lake at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30
Sunday, Sep 07
Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 25
Thursday, Sep 11
Chivas USA at New England Revolution, 7:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Sep 13
Columbus Crew at Toronto FC, 3:30 Houston Dynamo at San Jose, 4:00
Real Salt Lake at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
FC Dallas at D.C. United, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Los Angeles Galaxy at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00, HDNet
Sunday, Sep 14
Chicago Fire at Colorado Rapids, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 26
Thursday, Sep 18
New York Red Bulls at Columbus Crew, 7:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Sep 20
Toronto FC at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00, HDNet
San Jose at Houston Dynamo, 8:30
Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake, 9:00
New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids, 9:00
D.C. United at Los Angeles Galaxy, 11:00, FSC/FSE
Sunday, Sep 21
FC Dallas at Chicago Fire, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 27
Thursday, Sep 25
Los Angeles Galaxy at Chicago Fire, 9:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Sep 27
Houston Dynamo at Toronto FC, 3:30
Colorado Rapids at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
Columbus Crew at New England Revolution, 7:30
Real Salt Lake at San Jose, 10:00, HDNet
Kansas City Wizards at Chivas USA, 10:30, FSC/FSE
Sunday, Sep 28
D.C. United at FC Dallas, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 28
Thursday, Oct 02
San Jose at FC Dallas, 8:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Oct 04
Los Angeles Galaxy at Columbus Crew, 7:30, HDNet
Chivas USA at D.C. United, 7:30, FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at New England Revolution, 7:30
Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids, 9:30
Sunday, Oct 05
Chicago Fire at Kansas City Wizards, 3:00, TeleFutura
WEEK 29
Thursday, Oct 09
New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake, 10:00 ESPN2
Saturday, Oct 11
New England Revolution at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
Toronto FC at FC Dallas, 8:30, FSC/FSE
Chivas USA atSan Jose, 10:00, HDNet
Sunday, Oct 12
Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire, 3:00, TeleFutura
D.C. United at Houston Dynamo, 7:00
Colorado Rapids at Los Angeles Galaxy, 8:00
WEEK 30
Thursday, Oct 16
New England Revolution at D.C. United, 7:30, ESPN2
Saturday, Oct 18
Chicago Fire at Toronto FC, 3:30, HDNet
Columbus Crew at New York Red Bulls, 7:30
San Jose at Kansas City Wizards, 8:00
FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake, 9:00, FSC/FSE
Sunday, Oct 19
Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA, 3:00, TeleFutura
Los Angeles Galaxy at Houston Dynamo, 7:00
WEEK 31
Thursday, Oct 23
New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire, 9:00, ESPN2
Saturday, Oct 25
Kansas City Wizards at New England Revolution, 7:30
Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids, 9:30, HDNet
Toronto FC at San Jose, 10:00
Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA, 10:30, FSC/FSE
Sunday, Oct 26
FC Dallas at Los Angeles Galaxy, 3:00, TeleFutura
D.C. United at Columbus Crew, 5:00
Conference Semis 1
Thursday, Oct. 30 - Sunday, Nov. 2, TBD
Conference Semis 2
Thursday, Nov. 6 - Sunday, Nov. 9, TBD
Conference Championship
Thursday, Nov. 13 - Sunday, Nov. 16, TBD
MLS Cup 2008
Sunday, Nov. 23, 3:30, ABC/TeleFutura
