Major League Soccer released its 2010 schedule yesterday and for the first time in League history, every team will play each of the other 15 clubs once at home, once away, for a balanced, 30-game season.
Some highlights of this year’s schedule include:
- All 240 games will be televised via either national TV, regional telecasts, the Direct Kick television package or on MLSnet.com. Regional
- One third of the games will be broadcast live by a national TV network:
- 75 percent of games will be played on Saturdays; 85 percent of games will be played on weekends. This is a huge step forward for MLS putting MLS in line with fan expectations. Soccer is played on the weekends.
- A two-week break in the MLS season aligns with the group phase of the FIFA World Cup. The last match before this break is D.C. United at Seattle Sounders FC
- The first MLS game to be played on natural grass at BMO Field in Toronto will be Toronto FC’s April 15 match against Philadelphia Union. This is a huge win for TFC fans who now have natural grass to go with the great stadium
- On Sunday, June 27, Philadelphia Union will open the ninth stadium built specifically for an MLS club against Seattle Sounders
- The 2010 MLS All-Star Game will be held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas
- The 2010 regular season concludes Sunday, Oct. 24 with a pair of games. Eight teams will qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, which begin the following weekend, Oct. 28-30. The championship match, MLS Cup 2010, will be held Sunday, Nov. 21
