After months of building up the anticipation, MLS has finally decided that five weeks before First Kick would be a good time to release the 2011 MLS schedule.
We learned today that D.C. United will be featured in primetime on ESPN2 three times in 2011, including one at home against the Red Bulls on Apr. 21. United is also fortunate enough to have two matches in the same week just once in the first half of the season (hosting the Seattle Sounders on May 4 and FC Dallas on May 7), but close out the year with two multi-game weeks in the final month of the season. They team will also finish the season the same way they're starting it - with important matches against Eastern Conference rivals with a possible battle for playoff position. Four of United's last five games are against the Philadelphia Union, Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire, and Sporting Kansas City.
The only downside I see in the schedule is that two of the typically best traveled road games - Philadelphia and Chicago - will both be on Thursday nights, which could complicate some travel/vacation plans.
Another big part of today's schedule announcement was what was left unsaid, as Brian Straus of Fanhouse pointed out earlier this week. We still don't know what the playoff format will be, and we still don't have a new TV deal with the league in place. Comcast SportsNet is sure to pick up somewhere in the range of 16-22 or so games in addition to the six that are already on TV. But what about the rest? Will FSC or Versus step up?
The full schedule for United follows below the jump:
Sat. March 19 Columbus Crew 7:30pm -
Sat. March 26 at New England Revolution 4:30pm -
Sun. April 3 at Colorado Rapids 7:00pm Galavision
Sat. April 9 LA Galaxy 7:30pm -
Sat. April 16 at Toronto FC 4:00pm -
Thu. April 21 New York Red Bulls 8:00pm ESPN2
Fri. April 29 at Houston Dynamo 8:30pm -
Wed. May 4 Seattle Sounders FC 7:30pm -
Sat. May 7 FC Dallas 7:30pm -
Sat. May 14 Colorado Rapids 7:30pm -
Sun. May 29 at Portland Timbers 5:00pm -
Sat. June 4 at LA Galaxy 10:30pm -
Sat. June 11 San Jose Earthquakes 7:30pm -
Sat. June 18 at Real Salt Lake 9:00pm -
Sat. June 25 Houston Dynamo 8:00pm Galavision
Sat. July 2 Philadelphia Union 7:30pm -
Sat. July 9 at New York Red Bulls 7:30pm -
Sat. July 16 at FC Dallas 9:00pm -
Wed. July 20 New England Revolution 7:30pm -
Sat. July 30 at San Jose Earthquakes 10:30pm -
Sat. Aug. 6 Toronto FC 7:30pm -
Sat. Aug. 13 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 7:30pm -
Thu. Aug. 18 at Chicago Fire 9:00pm ESPN2
Sun. Aug. 21 at Sporting Kansas City 7:00pm Telef/Gala
Sat. Aug. 27 Portland Timbers 7:30pm -
Sat. Sept. 10 at Chivas USA 10:30pm -
Sat. Sept. 17 at Seattle Sounders FC 9:00pm -
Wed. Sept. 21 Chivas USA 7:30pm -
Sat. Sept. 24 Real Salt Lake 7:30pm -
Thu. Sept. 29 at Philadelphia Union 8:00pm ESPN2
Sun. Oct. 2 at Columbus Crew 4:00pm -
Wed. Oct. 12 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC 10:30pm -
Sat. Oct. 15 Chicago Fire 7:30pm -
Sat. Oct. 22 Sporting Kansas City 7:30pm -