Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer announced their full 34 games schedules for the 2013 season on Wednesday.
The schedule does not include the CONCACAF Champions League matches and U.S. Open Cup matches that Sporting KC will play and will be added to the schedule as those competitions announce their dates. Season ticket holders will get all 17 regular season matches, both CONCACAF Champions League group stage home games and all home matches in the U.S. Open Cup through the quarterfinal round.
The team opens its home schedule on Saturday, March 16 facing the Chicago Fire. The match-up will mark the fifth time in club history that the two teams have met in Kansas City's regular season home opener. Sporting Kansas City is 11-2-4 in home openers in club history with only one loss in a home opener in the last 13 years.
Sporting Kansas City 2013 MLS Schedule
Date Opponent Time (CT) TV
Sat., March 2 at Philadelphia 3:00 KSMO
Sat., March 9 at Toronto 12:30 KSMO
Sat., March 16 CHICAGO 2:00 NBCSN
Sat., March 23 at New England 3:00 KSMO
Sat., March 30 MONTREAL 7:30 KSMO
Fri., April 5 D.C. UNITED 7:30 KSMO
Wed., April 17 at New York 6:30 KSMO
Sat., April 20 at LA Galaxy 9:30 NBCSN
Sat., April 27 PORTLAND 7:30 KSMO
Sun., May 5 CHIVAS USA 4:00 UniMas
Wed., May 8 SEATTLE 7:30 KSMO
Sun., May 12 at Houston 3:00 ESPN
Sun., May 19 at D.C. United 4:00 UniMas
Sun., May 26 HOUSTON 2:30 NBCSN
Sat., June 1 MONTREAL 7:30 KSMO
Sat., June 22 at FC Dallas 7:30 KSMO
Sat., June 29 COLUMBUS 7:30 KSMO
Wed., July 3 VANCOUVER 7:30 KSMO
Sun., July 7 at Chicago 2:00 ESPN
Sat., July 13 TORONTO FC 7:30 KSMO
Sat., July 20 at Real Salt Lake 9:00 KSMO
Sat., July 27 at Montreal TBD KSMO
Sat., Aug. 3 NEW YORK 7:00 NBCSN
Sat., Aug. 10 NEW ENGLAND 7:30 KSMO
Sun., Aug. 18 at San Jose 10:00 UniMas
Fri., Aug. 23 at Chicago 7:30 NBCSN
Sat., Aug. 31 COLORADO 7:30 KSMO
Sat., Sept. 7 COLUMBUS 7:30 KSMO
Sat., Sept. 21 at Toronto TBD KSMO
Fri., Sept. 27 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 5 at Columbus 6:30 KSMO
Wed., Oct. 9 at Houston 7:30 KSMO
Fri., Oct. 18 D.C. UNITED 7:00 NBCSN
Sat., Oct. 26 at Philadelphia 2:00 NBCSN
Fast Facts:
- Thirteen of Sporting Kansas City's MLS regular season matches in 2013 will be shown on national television in the United States, including six home matches. Eight games will air on the NBC Sports Network, three on UniMas and two on ESPN.
- Every Sporting Kansas City regular season MLS match will be shown live in 2013. KSMO-TV, the team's official broadcast partner, will again carry all non-nationally televised regular season matches and will provide a 30-minute pre-game show prior to each of its matches.
- Sporting Kansas City will play 20 of their 34 regular season matches on Saturday's in 2013, including 10 home dates that fall on a Saturday. Of the remaining 14 MLS matches, six will be played on Sunday's, four on Friday's and four on Wednesday's.
- Sporting Kansas City will play on two holidays in the month of May, hosting Chivas USA on Cinco de Mayo live on UniMas before traveling one week later to Houston on Mother's Day live on ESPN.
- Sporting Kansas City will also host games the day before the following major holidays: St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Memorial Day and Independence Day.
- Sporting Kansas City's longest road trip of the MLS season will come between games in New York on April 17 before flying directly to LA for a match on April 20. Approximately 2,791 miles separate Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ and the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
- Sporting Kansas City's shortest road trip will occur in two trips to play the Chicago Fire on July 7 and Aug. 23. Approximately 514 miles separate LIVESTRONGSporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. and Toyota Park in Bridgeton, Ill.
- Sporting Kansas City plays no more than two consecutive road MLS matches at any point during the regular season, but will start and end the campaign with three of four games away from home.
- Sporting Kansas City's longest homestand during the MLS regular season is a three-game stretch that includes matches against Portland (April 27), Chivas USA (May 5) and Seattle Sounders FC (May 8).
- On two occasions in 2013, Sporting KC will play a pair of games in a four-day span: at New York on April 17 then at LA on April 20 and two home games versus Chivas USA on May 5 and versus Seattle Sounders FC on May 8.
- Sporting Kansas City's longest stretch between MLS matches comes following a home game against Montreal on June 1 and ending with a game at FC Dallas on June 22.
- Notable former players who could return to Kansas City in 2013 include Montreal midfielder Davy Arnaud on March 30 and June 1, as well as Portland Timbers duo Michael Harrington and Jack Jewsbury on April 27.
- Among teams in the Eastern Conference, Sporting KC will play the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls twice, coupled with three meetings scheduled against all other clubs in the East.
- Sporting Kansas City will travel twice to face the Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire while hosting a pair of matches each against D.C. United, Montreal and Columbus.
- Sporting Kansas City plays each team in the Western Conference one time in 2013, traveling to take on the LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes while hosting Portland Timbers, Chivas USA, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps and Colorado Rapids.
- Match times for Sporting Kansas City's trips to Montreal on July 27 and Toronto on Sept. 21 will be announced at a later date, pending the forthcoming TSN/TSN2 and RDS/RDS2 schedules.
- Currently, Sporting Kansas City is scheduled to play 10 matches with kick-off times prior to 5 p.m. CT and 22 matches with kick-off times after 5 p.m. CT.
- Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday that the 2013 MLS Cup will be played on either Dec. 7 or 8. The championship match will once again be played at the site of the team with the better regular season record.
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