MLS Unveils 2008 Regular Season Schedule with National Broadcasts
February 7, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK (Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008) - Today Major League Soccer, together with its national television networks - ESPN2 and ABC, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español, HDNet and TeleFutura - unveiled the 2008 Regular Season schedule. Major League Soccer's four national television partners will again combine to broadcast 113 games.
Complete schedule and broadcast highlights are included below.
In the League's 13th season, each of the 14 clubs will play 30 Regular Season games over 31 weeks, for a total of 210 matches from March 29 - Oct. 26. Each team will play each other twice (home and away), for 26 games. The remaining four games will be played against different intra-conference teams (two home and two away), with consideration given to rivalries.
First Kick, the opening weekend of Major League Soccer's season, releases four months of anticipation on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30. Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast two games on opening day, including a rematch of the past two MLS Cup championship games as the New England Revolution host the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Also on opening night, both Fox Soccer Channel and high definition television pioneer HDNet will air Ruud Gullit's Major League Soccer debut as coach of David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Los Angeles Galaxy when they face the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., at 9:30 p.m. ET. Along with its pre- and post-game shows, this edition of MLS Saturday on FSC will provide fans an unprecedented five-hour fix of their domestic league.
First Kick concludes Sunday, March 30 with Spanish-language television partner TeleFutura broadcasting a clash between two of last season's top teams in the Western Conference: FC Dallas versus Chivas USA at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas at 3 p.m. ET.
MLS Primetime Thursday returns to ESPN2 in high definition television with a scintillating doubleheader on Thursday, April 3. Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire host the New England Revolution in a rematch of the 2007 MLS Eastern Conference Championship game at 8 p.m. ET. Then at 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will carry the rebirth of a rivalry when the Los Angeles Galaxy and the expansion San Jose Earthquakes meet at 10:30 p.m. ET from The Home Depot Center. Spanish-language sports network ESPN Deportes will also air each MLS Primetime Thursday game live, not including the MLS All-Star game.
ESPN2 and TeleFutura will share the honor of broadcasting Major League Soccer's annual mid-summer showcase, the Pepsi MLS All-Star Game, live from BMO Field in Toronto, Canada on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. ET (International opponent TBA).
The 2008 season will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 23 with MLS Cup 2008, live on ABC and TeleFutura from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., at 3:30 p.m. ET. The MLS Cup Playoffs broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
2008 National Broadcast & Schedule Highlights
- Four national broadcast partners scheduled to air 113 Regular Season matches.
- Every regular season game will be televised, either through national or regional broadcasts and MLSnet.com.
- ESPN2 is scheduled to air 27 MLS Primetime Thursday Regular Season contests, beginning with a doubleheader on April 3. ESPN2 will also broadcast three playoff games and the MLS All-Star game, all on Thursdays. With the exceptions of the MLS All-Star game and MLS Cup, all Primetime Thursday games are exclusive telecasts.
- All MLS Primetime Thursday games on ESPN2 will also be broadcast live on ESPN Deportes (save All-Star) and ESPN360.com.
- All games on ABC and ESPN2 will be offered in high definition.
- On June 29, ABC is scheduled to broadcast a unique soccer doubleheader: Los Angeles Galaxy at D.C. United at Noon ET, followed by the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 title match. ABC will also broadcast MLS Cup 2008 on Nov. 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Fox Soccer Channel is scheduled to broadcast its complete slate of 32 Regular Season games with 30-minute pre- and postgame shows for a standard three-hour programming window called "MLS Saturday on FSC." The same format will be utilized during Fox Soccer Channel's three playoff match telecasts, also on Saturdays.
- Most Fox Soccer Channel MLS games are also scheduled to air live in Spanish in two-hour programming windows on sister network Fox Sports en Español - the largest Spanish-language all-sports network in the United States - with several airing on a tape-delayed basis.
- HDNet is scheduled to air 29 games of its 30-game broadcast schedule on Saturday, and one game on Friday (July 4).
- TeleFutura is scheduled to broadcast 24 Regular Season games live on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. ET and the Pepsi MLS All-Star game on July 24. TeleFutura's MLS game will be book-ended with Mexican First Division games, Univision's successful and popular sports programming.
- The four teams with the best regular season records in 2007 will represent the League in the second edition of SuperLiga, to be played later this summer. The teams are D.C. United, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution. The complete SuperLiga schedule and the Mexican club representatives will be announced in the coming weeks
- The MLS Direct Kick television package will return in 2008. The schedule will be announced at a later date.
The complete 2008 Major League Soccer Regular Season schedule follows, with all national broadcasts noted. For individual team schedules log onto www.MLSnet.com.
2008 MLS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Schedule subject to change. All times eastern.
WEEK 1
Saturday, March 29 Time TV
Toronto FC at Columbus Crew 4:00
Chicago Fire at Real Salt Lake 6:00
Houston Dynamo at New England Revolution 7:30 FSC/FSE
D.C. United at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Los Angeles Galaxy at Colorado Rapids 9:30 FSC/FSE & HDNet
Sunday, March 30
Chivas USA at FC Dallas 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 2
Thursday, April 3
New England Revolution at Chicago Fire 8:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
San Jose Earthquakes at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, April 5
Toronto FC at D.C. United 7:30
Columbus Crew at New York Red Bulls 7:30 FSC/FSE
Colorado Rapids at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Real Salt Lake at Chivas USA 9:00 HDNet
Sunday, April 6
FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 3
Wednesday, April 9
New England Revolution at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Saturday, April 12
Chicago Fire at San Jose Earthquakes 4:30 FSC/FSE
Chivas USA at Columbus Crew 7:30
Colorado Rapids at New England Revolution 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Kansas City Wizards 8:00 HDNet
New York Red Bulls at FC Dallas 8:30
D.C. United at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Sunday, April 13
Toronto FC at Los Angeles Galaxy 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 4
Thursday, April 17
Columbus Crew at D.C. United 8:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, April 19
Real Salt Lake at Toronto FC 3:30
New England Revolution at New York Red Bulls 7:30 HDNet
San Jose Earthquakes at Colorado Rapids 9:30 FSC/FSE
Houston Dynamo at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30
Sunday, April 20
Kansas City Wizards at Chicago Fire 3:00 TeleFutura
FC Dallas at Chivas USA 8:00
WEEK 5
Thursday, April 24
New England Revolution at FC Dallas 8:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, April 26
Kansas City Wizards at Toronto FC 3:30
Houston Dynamo at Columbus Crew 7:30
Real Salt Lake at D.C. United 7:30
Colorado Rapids at Chicago Fire 8:30 HDNet
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 FSC/FSE
Sunday, April 27
San Jose Earthquakes at New York Red Bulls 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 6
Thursday, May 1
New York Red Bulls at Toronto FC 7:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, May 3
Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew 7:30 FSC/FSE
Chicago Fire at New England Revolution 7:30
Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo 8:30 HDNet
Los Angeles Galaxy at Real Salt Lake 9:00
FC Dallas at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00
Sunday, May 4
D.C. United at Colorado Rapids 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 7
Thursday, May 8
Chicago Fire at D.C. United 7:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, May 10
Colorado Rapids at Houston Dynamo 8:30 FSC/FSE
FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Columbus Crew at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00
New York Red Bulls at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 HDNet
Sunday, May 11
New England Revolution at Chivas USA 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 8
Thursday, May 15
Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids 9:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, May 17
Columbus Crew at Toronto FC 3:30
San Jose Earthquakes at New England Revolution 7:30 HDNet
Kansas City Wizards at New York Red Bulls 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire 8:30
D.C. United at Chivas USA 10:30 FSC/FSE
Sunday, May 18
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 9
Wednesday, May 21
D.C. United at Toronto FC 7:30
Thursday, May 22
Houston Dynamo at San Jose Earthquakes 10:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, May 24
Toronto FC at D.C. United 7:30
New England Revolution at Columbus Crew 7:30 FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas 8:30
Chivas USA at Colorado Rapids 9:30
Kansas City Wizards at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 HDNet
Sunday, May 25
Chicago Fire at New York Red Bulls 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 10
Thursday, May 29
D.C. United at New England Revolution 7:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, May 31
Los Angeles Galaxy at Toronto FC 3:30
New York Red Bulls at Houston Dynamo 8:30 HDNet
San Jose Earthquakes at Real Salt Lake 9:00 FSC/FSE
Columbus Crew at Chivas USA 10:30
Sunday, June 1
FC Dallas at Colorado Rapids 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 11
Wednesday, June 4
Houston Dynamo at D.C. United 7:30
Thursday, June 5
Chivas USA at New York Red Bulls 7:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 7
San Jose Earthquakes at Columbus Crew 7:30 HDNet
D.C. United at Chicago Fire 8:30 FSC/FSE
Toronto FC at Houston Dynamo 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Colorado Rapids at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30
Sunday, June 8
FC Dallas at New England Revolution 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 12
Thursday, June 12
New England Revolution at Houston Dynamo 9:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 14
New York Red Bulls at D.C. United 7:30 HDNet
Columbus Crew at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Toronto FC at Colorado Rapids 9:30
Los Angeles Galaxy at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00 FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at Chivas USA 10:30
Sunday, June 15
Chicago Fire at FC Dallas 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 13
Wednesday, June 18
San Jose Earthquakes at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Thursday, June 19
Chicago Fire at Chivas USA 10:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 21
Kansas City Wizards at Toronto FC 3:30
FC Dallas at New York Red Bulls 7:30 FSC/FSE
Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids 9:30 HDNet
New England Revolution at Real Salt Lake 9:30
Columbus Crew at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30
Sunday, June 22
San Jose Earthquakes at D.C. United 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 14
Thursday, June 26
FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo 9:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, June 28
Colorado Rapids at Columbus Crew 7:30 FSC/FSE
Toronto FC at New England Revolution 7:30
Real Salt Lake at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
San Jose Earthquakes at Chicago Fire 8:30
New York Red Bulls at Chivas USA 10:30 HDNet
Sunday, June 29
Los Angeles Galaxy at D.C. United 12:00 ABC
WEEK 15
Thursday, July 3
Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake 10:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Friday, July 4
Kansas City Wizards at FC Dallas 7:00 HDNet
New York Red Bulls at Colorado Rapids 9:30
New England Revolution at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30
Saturday, July 5
Chicago Fire at Columbus Crew 8:00 FSC/FSE
San Jose Earthquakes at Chivas USA 10:30 FSC/FSE
WEEK 16
Thursday, July 10
New York Red Bulls at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Galaxy 11:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, July 12
Colorado Rapids at San Jose Earthquakes 4:00
Toronto FC at Chicago Fire 8:30 FSC/FSE
Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake 9:00 HDNet
WEEK 17
Thursday, July 17
Kansas City Wizards at Columbus Crew 8:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, July 19
San Jose Earthquakes at Toronto FC 3:30 HDNet
Los Angeles Galaxy at New York Red Bulls 6:30 FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at Chicago Fire 8:30
Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas 8:30
WEEK 18
Thursday, July 24
BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
MLS All-Star Game 7:00 ESPN2/TeleFutura
Sunday, July 27
New York Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes 3:00 TeleFutura
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas 7:00
Chicago Fire at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Columbus Crew at Colorado Rapids 9:30
WEEK 19
Monday, July 28
Toronto FC at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Saturday, Aug. 2
Kansas City Wizards at D.C. United 7:30
New York Red Bulls at New England Revolution 7:30 FSC/FSE
Chivas USA at Chicago Fire 8:30 HDNet
Columbus Crew at Houston Dynamo 8:30
Sunday, Aug. 3
Los Angeles Galaxy at San Jose Earthquakes 3:00 TeleFutura
FC Dallas at Toronto FC 7:00
WEEK 20
Saturday, Aug. 9
Colorado Rapids at Toronto FC 3:30
Chicago Fire at New England Revolution 7:30 HDNet
D.C. United at New York Red Bulls 7:30
Chivas USA at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas 8:30 FSC/FSE
WEEK 21
Thursday, Aug. 14
Los Angeles Galaxy at Chivas USA 10:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Aug. 16
FC Dallas at Columbus Crew 7:30 FSC/FSE
D.C. United at Chicago Fire 8:30
Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at Colorado Rapids 9:30
New England Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00 HDNet
Sunday, Aug. 17
Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls 5:00
WEEK 22
Wednesday, Aug. 20
D.C. United at New England Revolution 7:30
Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo 9:00
Thursday, Aug. 21
Chicago Fire at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Aug. 23
Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew 7:30
Colorado Rapids at D.C. United 7:30
New England Revolution at Toronto FC 7:30 FSC/FSE
FC Dallas at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
San Jose Earthquakes at Chivas USA 10:30 HDNet
Sunday, Aug. 24
Houston Dynamo at New York Red Bulls 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 23
Friday, Aug. 29
Colorado Rapids at Real Salt Lake 9:00
Saturday, Aug. 30
New York Red Bulls at D.C. United 7:30 FSC/FSE
Los Angeles Galaxy at New England Revolution 7:30 HDNet
Columbus Crew at FC Dallas 8:30
Kansas City Wizards at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00
Toronto FC at Chivas USA 10:30
Sunday, Aug. 31
Chicago Fire at Houston Dynamo 7:00
WEEK 24
Thursday, Sept. 4
Colorado Rapids at FC Dallas 8:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Sept. 6
Chivas USA at Toronto FC 4:00
New England Revolution at Columbus Crew 7:30 HDNet
New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire 8:30 FSC/FSE
D.C. United at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00
Real Salt Lake at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30
Sunday, Sept. 7
Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 25
Thursday, Sept. 11
Chivas USA at New England Revolution 7:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Sept. 13
Columbus Crew at Toronto FC 3:30
Houston Dynamo at San Jose Earthquakes 4:00
Real Salt Lake at New York Red Bulls 7:30
FC Dallas at D.C. United 7:30 FSC/FSE
Los Angeles Galaxy at Kansas City Wizards 8:00 HDNet
Sunday, Sept. 14
Chicago Fire at Colorado Rapids 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 26
Thursday, Sept. 18
New York Red Bulls at Columbus Crew 7:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Sept. 20
Toronto FC at Kansas City Wizards 8:00 HDNet
San Jose Earthquakes at Houston Dynamo 8:30
Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake 9:00
New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids 9:00
D.C. United at Los Angeles Galaxy 11:00 FSC/FSE
Sunday, Sept. 21
FC Dallas at Chicago Fire 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 27
Thursday, Sept. 25
Los Angeles Galaxy at Chicago Fire 9:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Sept. 27
Houston Dynamo at Toronto FC 3:30
Colorado Rapids at New York Red Bulls 7:30
Columbus Crew at New England Revolution 7:30
Real Salt Lake at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00 HDNet
Kansas City Wizards at Chivas USA 10:30 FSC/FSE
Sunday, Sept. 28
D.C. United at FC Dallas 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 28
Thursday, Oct. 2
San Jose Earthquakes at FC Dallas 8:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Oct. 4
Los Angeles Galaxy at Columbus Crew 7:30 HDNet
Chivas USA at D.C. United 7:30 FSC/FSE
Real Salt Lake at New England Revolution 7:30
Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls 7:30
Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids 9:30
Sunday, Oct. 5
Chicago Fire at Kansas City Wizards 3:00 TeleFutura
WEEK 29
Thursday, Oct. 9
New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake 10:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Oct. 11
New England Revolution at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
Toronto FC at FC Dallas 8:30 FSC/FSE
Chivas USA at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00 HDNet
Sunday, Oct. 12
Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire 3:00 TeleFutura
D.C. United at Houston Dynamo 7:00
Colorado Rapids at Los Angeles Galaxy 8:00
WEEK 30
Thursday, Oct. 16
New England Revolution at D.C. United 7:30 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Oct. 18
Chicago Fire at Toronto FC 3:30 HDNet
Columbus Crew at New York Red Bulls 7:30
San Jose Earthquakes at Kansas City Wizards 8:00
FC Dallas at Real Salt Lake 9:00 FSC/FSE
Sunday, Oct. 19
Colorado Rapids at Chivas USA 3:00 TeleFutura
Los Angeles Galaxy at Houston Dynamo 7:00
WEEK 31
Thursday, Oct. 23
New York Red Bulls at Chicago Fire 9:00 ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
Saturday, Oct. 25
Kansas City Wizards at New England Revolution 7:30
Real Salt Lake at Colorado Rapids 9:30 HDNet
Toronto FC at San Jose Earthquakes 10:00
Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA 10:30 FSC/FSE
Sunday, Oct. 26
FC Dallas at Los Angeles Galaxy 3:00 TeleFutura
D.C. United at Columbus Crew 5:00
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS
Conference Semifinals 1:
Thursday, Oct. 30 - Sunday, Nov. 2 TBD
Conference Semifinals 2:
Thursday, Nov. 6 - Sunday, Nov. 9 TBD
Conference Championships:
Thursday, Nov. 13 - Sunday, Nov. 16 TBD
MLS Cup 2008
The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
Sunday, Nov. 23 3:30 ABC, TeleFutura
Major League Soccer Stories from February 7, 2008
- Chicago Fire Soccer Launches 10-Year Anniversary Celebration - Chicago Fire FC
- Toronto FC schedule released - Toronto FC
- Crew unveils 2008 MLS regular-season schedule - Columbus Crew SC
- FCD Adds Game vs. Tigres in Mexico to Preseason Schedule - FC Dallas
- Chicago Fire Announce 2008 MLS Schedule - Chicago Fire FC
- Revolution Launches 2008 "Countdown to First Kick" Tour - New England Revolution
- Earthquakes Announce 2008 Schedule - San Jose Earthquakes
- Houston Dynamo Announces 2008 Regular Season Schedule - Houston Dynamo FC
- D.C. United announces 2008 Major League Soccer schedule - D.C. United
- Red Bulls Announce 2008 MLS Schedule - New York Red Bulls
- Rapids Release 2008 Regular Season Schedule - Colorado Rapids
- Revolution Announces 2008 Schedule and SuperLiga Participation - New England Revolution
- MLS Unveils 2008 Regular Season Schedule with National Broadcasts - MLS
- Real Salt Lake Unveils 2008 Schedule - Real Salt Lake
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