MLS Red Bull New York

Red Bulls To Open '09 Season Against Seattle On March 19

Published on December 2, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Red Bull New York News Release


SECAUCUS, NJ (Dec. 2, 2008) - Major League Soccer announced today that 2008 MLS Cup finalist, the New York Red Bulls, will help kick off the 2009 MLS Regular Season when they travel to Qwest Field to take on the League's newest team, Seattle Sounders FC, on Thursday, March 19 at 9 PM ET in a match that will be nationally televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. On the following weekend, the Red Bulls return to Giants Stadium for their home opener, when they will face Eastern Conference rival, the New England Revolution, on Saturday, March 28, at 7:30 PM ET (TV: TBD).

A week later, the Red Bulls will head to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, to face the Chicago Fire on Sunday, April 5, at 3 PM ET (TV: TeleFutura).

The Red Bulls are coming off their best season in their 13-year history, earning a berth in the MLS Cup Final for the first time ever after defeating two-time defending champion, the Houston Dynamo, and Real Salt Lake en route to winning the Western Conference Championship. Led by Designated Player Juan Pablo Angel, who scored a team-high 14 goals, and first-year head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, the Red Bulls earned the final wild card spot and qualified for their sixth-straight postseason and 10th in 13 years.

Seattle Sounders FC is MLS' 15th team in the League. Already boasting Designated Player and Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg, standout American goalkeeper Kasey Keller and former Red Bulls defender Jeff Parke, Seattle was awarded an expansion team by MLS on Nov. 13, 2007.

Forward Taylor Twellman and the New England Revolution will travel down to the Meadowlands the following weekend to face New York in the Red Bulls' home opener. Since MLS' inaugural season in 1996, the Red Bulls and Revolution have played 53 games in all competitions. This will be sixth time in which the Red Bulls have hosted the Revolution in their home opener with New York currently holding a 3-1-1 record in those matches. Last season, the Red Bulls went 0-0-2 against New England.

Please note, per MLS, all game dates, times and venues are subject to change.

Each team will play a 30-game regular season. Of the 15 teams that will compete in 2009, seven will be in the Eastern Conference and eight will be in the Western Conference, where Seattle Sounders FC is the newest addition. Each team will play every other MLS team home and away, for a base of 28 games. Two additional games against intra-conference rivals will complete each team's 30-game schedule. The regular season ends on Oct. 25.

To purchase 2009 season tickets or for more information regarding the Red Bulls, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

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