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Three Big Storylines:
Two MLS expansion teams will play their first game this weekend. First up is Minnesota United FC who open their franchise with an away match in Portland on Friday night. Minnesota sports what is possibly the best crest in MLS and has hired Adrian Heath as their first manager. Heath was last with Orlando City SC as he guided their expansion process as well. The Loons feature Christian Ramirez, who scored 51 goals in 90 games for Minnesota United over their last three years in the NASL. Ramirez will be joined in attack by Miguel Ibarra, Kevin Molino and Josh Gatt.
While expectations for Minnesota this season are modest, Atlanta United FC has garnered all the expansion hype this cycle. Starting when they hired Gerardo “Tata” Martino as head coach. Martino last coached Argentina to second place finishes in the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America, before that he managed Barcelona. Atlanta’s DP contingent features Paraguayan international Miguel Almiron flanked by Venezuelan international Josef Martinez and Argentine Hector Villaba who joins from San Lorenzo. Atlanta will play the first half of their season at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium as their permanent home is ready this summer. Atlanta opens at home against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday (see below for TV schedule).
There is a tweaked National TV schedule in place for MLS this season. Gone is Viernes de Futbol, Univision network’s weekly Friday night games, and in is a Univision time slot mostly on Saturday afternoons. There will be sporadic Friday games throughout the year and most are on FS1 or ESPN. There is much less ESPN2, with most games on ESPN. And FOX has a minimum of four games scheduled for network FOX.
From a Sounders Point of View:
This is the section where each week I will discuss which games in particular affect the Seattle Sounders. Next week the Sounders are on the road in Montreal, the Impact play at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday (7 PM, MLS Live). Keep an eye on that game to see how last year’s Eastern Conference finalist has adjusted to a new year.
National TV Listings:
Portland Timbers v Minnesota United FC
Date/Time: Friday, 6:30 PM
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports Go
Date/Time: Saturday, 1:00 PM
TV: Univision (not UniMas or Univision Deportes, the big Univision)
Streaming: Univision Deportes
Orlando City SC v New York City FC
Date/Time: Sunday, 2 PM
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Watch ESPN
Atlanta United FC v New York Red Bulls
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:30 PM
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports Go
This is your Sounder at Heart MLS Week 1 open gamethread. Watch with us.