Major League Soccer has announced details for the 2018 home openers for all 23 clubs, which means that the opening weekend fixtures have been shared with clubs and fans. MLS gets back underway on Saturday March 3rd, 2018, and continues on Sunday March 4th, 2018. Here are the opening weekend fixtures.
Saturday, March 3, 2018:
• 1:00 PM – Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew SC (BMO Field)
• 3:30 PM – Houston Dynamo vs. Atlanta United (BBVA Compass Stadium)
• 7:30 PM – Orlando City vs. D.C. United (Orlando City Stadium)
• 8:00 PM – FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake (Toyota Stadium)
• 9:00 PM – Colorado Rapids vs. Chicago Fire (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park)
• 10:30 PM – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Minnesota United (Avaya Stadium)
• TBD – Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution (Talen Energy Stadium)
Sunday, March 4, 2018:
• 5:00 PM – Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles Football Club (CenturyLink Field)
• 6:00 PM – Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Montreal Impact (BC Place)
• 7:30 PM – Sporting KC vs. New York City FC (Children’s Mercy Park)
• 10:00 PM – LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers (StubHub Center)
Saturday, March 10, 2018:
• 7:00 PM – New York Red Bulls vs. Portland Timbers (Red Bull Arena)
Please note that all fixtures are reported in US Eastern Time.
You’ll notice that the New York Red Bulls don’t get their season started until a week later, this is because there are 23 teams in MLS this year with the addition of Los Angeles FC. As a result, the Red Bulls start a week later and during each weekend, one team will have a rest.
Defending MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield and Canadian Championship winners Toronto FC will play the first match of the 2018 season, when they take on Columbus Crew at BMO Field.
Incoming expansion club LAFC will have a tough test in their inaugural MLS match, as they’ll face the reigning Western Conference champions Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on March 4th in their opener.
The most intriguing match other than the debut of Los Angeles FC in Seattle looks to be the LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers fixture. LA Galaxy were dire last season and must improve, getting started with three points against a tough Portland outfit will be a major priority.
There are several clubs who have stadium issues, meaning they will begin with a series of away matches.
LAFC won’t play their first home fixture until April 29th, when they open the Banc of California Stadium against 2017 MLS Cup runners-up Seattle Sounders.
Portland Timbers will also have to wait to open their account at home. They won’t play at their own stadium until April 14th against Minnesota United as Providence Park undergoes some offseason renovations.
D.C. United won’t open brand new Audi Field until the summer, but they’ll play their first home match on March 17th, when they’ll host the Houston Dynamo at a to-be-determined location in the Washington area.
The complete regular season schedule, along with the national television schedules for the US and Canada, will be announced next month.