MLS Regular Season Schedule is Out

This is not the complete schedule for Sounders FC. Most of you know that, but I should remind you that there will be the US Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League as well as 3 friendlies tagged onto the following schedule.

It is notable to me that though 1/3 of all league matches are on TV this year, only 9 will be of Sounders. A "balanced" TV schedule would have been 10. A schedule that would have featured the team and city with the best MLS TV ratings should have had more. This is an MLS miss.

MLS added the Philly SSS Opener to the ESPN2 schedule. Seattle now is evenly represented on National TV.

Also notable are the reduction in weeknight games, this year down to 15%. This is due to a bit less crowding from FIFA dates, and just a wise move to get more people inside the stadiums. You should expect a bump in attendence overall from this alone.

Philly has the anti-Sounders schedule due to their stadium issue. Their 3rd Home Game is against the Sounders on June 27th, a Sunday (MLS still fixing their online version of schedule).

Also notable is that the Sounders/Seahawks conflict lead to only a tiny weighting towards road games. In September/October there will be only 3 home games and 5 away. It could have been worse. Throw in August and its only a 5/6 split in favor of traveling.

Sounders have a double week early, and both matches are roadtrips. Kind of long ones at that. At Dallas on a Thursday followed up by at Toronto. At the end of that first 6 matches of March/April Sounders need to be at 10+ points. They are facing clubs that are generally lower to mid-level teams, with the at Salt Lake being the only one where I expect a poor result. Also, several teams historically start slow as they don't bring in their full squad until the end of the Primary Transfer Window. It is great that one of the shortest/cheapest roadtrips is the first one of the year.

The Second Six gets more difficult with only the loans of Donovan and Beckham making it a bit easier. By the time the World Cup starts Seattle fans should have a good picture of what kind of team has come back to defend their single trophy and effort towards a multi-Cup year.

Full Regular Season Schedule after the jump. I have included the date change that MLS has indicated will be made to the @Philly match.

Thoughts on the schedule?

UPDATE: Final Four Matches for the League

It may be a good thing that RSL ends with 3 Away.