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MLS New York Red Bulls

MetroStars Announce 2003 Schedule

January 7, 2003 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York Red Bulls News Release


SECAUCUS, NJ (January 7, 2003) - The MetroStars today announced their 2003 MLS regular season schedule, which features the team playing 12 of its 15 home games on either Saturdays or Sundays as well as hosting the first weekday matinee in team history.

The MetroStars, entering their first season under new head coach and all-time MLS wins leader Bob Bradley, will open the season with two straight home games--hosting the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion Columbus Crew on Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a visit the next week from the 2002 MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, April 19 at 7 p.m. ET.

The team will play five of its first seven games and eight of its first 13 games at Giants Stadium, before embarking on a five-game road schedule that begins Saturday, July 5 with a visit to D.C. United and extends through Saturday, August 9 at the Chicago Fire.

The MetroStars will return home on Wednesday, August 13 for their first-ever weekday matinee game, a noon kickoff against the Kansas City Wizards designed especially for local soccer and day campers in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.

In all, the team will host 11 games on Saturdays, one on Sunday, two on Wednesdays and one on Thursdays as the MLS regular season schedule expands from 28 games to 30 games this season. The home schedule includes two visits from the defending champion Galaxy, two visits from longtime MetroStar Mike Petke and D.C. United (Saturday, May 10 and Thursday, September 25), and two visits from Bradley's former team, the Fire, including the first battle between the two teams on Saturday, June 14.

Landon Donovan and the San Jose Earthquakes will make their lone Giants Stadium appearance when they visit the MetroStars on Wednesday, July 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

"We're very excited about our home schedule for 2003," said MetroStars President/GM Nick Sakiewicz. "We are particularly happy to be able to offer so many weekend home games, which our fans have continually told us they prefer. We are also looking forward to our Wednesday matinee game against Kansas City, which will be the perfect opportunity for all the local soccer campers to watch their heroes in action.

"We are also in the process of scheduling some marquee international matches, in addition to the Manchester United-Juventus match in July, so that we can continue to provide New York/New Jersey fans with the best live soccer action anywhere."

Season ticket packages and group packages for all 2003 MetroStars home games are available by calling 1-888-4METROTIX, or by visiting www.metrostars.com.

The MetroStars' complete 2003 regular season schedule is attached. Major League Soccer's 2003 regular season will this year feature each team playing 30 games (15 home, 15 road), up from 28 last season.

The MetroStars' 2003 TV and radio schedule will be announced in the near future.

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